Homeless for 7th Winter, Man Clings to Hope

RIO GRANDE – If Alex Alexis had his Christmas wish granted, there’d be a pole barn to house the county’s homeless, where a wood stove would provide heat, and the tin walls and roof would provide shelter from the weather. 
It would be located on a couple of acres of farmland, where the residents could farm and work the land instead of sitting on a bucket drinking.
“If we could give them a job or a chore and keep them busy, maybe they’d see a reason to live another day,” the 52-year-old said, “instead of drinking and then freezing to death.”
Alexis dreams this because he and others are facing another winter homeless, in the woods, near the railroad tracks in Rio Grande.
It’s his seventh winter homeless, and he knows many of his neighbors in similar situations.
On Dec. 11, for example, he learned that a 44-year-old male friend, who had been homeless about six years, had been found dead the previous day.  Middle Township police investigated that death in Rio Grande.
Alexis recounts others, male and female, who have died as well: Vietnam Tom, 65-year-old Patty, and wheelchair-bound Timothy McCart, who was struck by a car and died as he attempted to cross Rio Grande Boulevard.
“They just give up,” he said. “They’ve lost everything; they get depressed, they drink. They freeze. They die.”
Alexis credits “the Lord above” with his ability to go on day-to-day. He was released Nov. 28 from a rehabilitation center after spending 18 days detoxing from alcohol.
He has been drug-free for 17 years, except for occasionally smoking marijuana if someone offers it. He knows how to survive and teaches others how to live in the woods; how to keep a fire going in the rain; how to collect water, and where to go for a haircut, food or a bath.
He also puts his faith in God that someone, or the county, will do more for those who are homeless.
“I’ve been to jails, rehab, everything,” Alexis said. “Now I want to start a ministry for people who want to give up, to stick together and help them.”
While Alexis said “No homeless person will tell you where we are or how many” because “it could jeopardize their safety and lives,” he is quick to say that he shares his survival skills with “many.
“Girls particularly come for protection,” he added. The local camps are often “visited” by drug addicts or others who prey on the homeless.
“They shoot heroin and smoke crack back there,” Alexis said, “and then will bother some of the homeless. They’ll set fire to their camps, or mug people and take their things. I’ve been mugged twice. They’ll especially take advantage of the older people, who are drunk.”
Alexis wasn’t always homeless. He grew up in Delaware, the oldest of three boys. He worked for his father’s cleaning business until physical beatings on him, and his mother took their toll.
“My father would kick me out; it was a vicious cycle of mental and physical abuse. I learned how to survive as a young boy,” he said.
Over the years, he worked in landscaping, tree removal, and other outdoor jobs. The toll of the physical work, several car accidents, alcohol, and drugs took their toll on Alexis’ body, now riddled with arthritis.
He’s had two strokes while homeless, but friends were able to get him to medical treatment in time.
“I’m here because my mother is dying,” he admitted. “My father lost everything we had, and he’s here helping my mother. Things are better now with him.”
His father liked to gamble and eventually lost everything. Alexis struggled as well, trying to help his father. When his mother got sick, Alexis came to the area where he found work that ebbed and flowed with the tourist season.
However, it didn’t last and eventually didn’t provide enough to pay for rent. He found himself homeless and jobless.
“I’ve got farming and good communication skills,” Alexis said. “I don’t bother anyone and don’t get into trouble. At 50-plus years, I’ve got health problems. Yes, Cape May County provides benefits and vouchers, but shelter is expensive here.
“I feel great since leaving rehab,” he continued. “If I test positive for alcohol, there are sanctions. I need medicine and food, so I’m not going to go and get drunk. I’m breathing fresh air; I’m free. I’m on the verge of getting SSI (supplemental security income) I think. But it looks like I’ll be spending my seventh winter outside.”
Alexis says he has “sources” that provide blankets when he needs them. He visits some of the local agencies which provide food and other supplies to the homeless, but claims they are not providing as they should or have funding.
“I’m not a troublemaker, but when I see something wrong, I say something,” he said. “In the past, things were OK, and we were taken care of, but not always today.”
As the holiday season arrives, Alexis said he recalled the story about Scrooge, and how he awoke on Christmas Day, a changed man after being visited by the ghost of his business partner and the ghosts of Christmas Past, Present and Yet to Come.
“He had always been tight with his money,” Alexis recalled, “and then he was a changed man. He started helping people.
“There are kids who don’t have anything to eat,” he continued. “There are people who need work; need a place to lay their head; or a place to shower. If someone can help, it just might help one person live another day.”
To contact Karen Knight, email kknight@cmcherald.com.
ED. NOTE: In response to this article, the Herald has received a number of inquiries from people wishing to help our homeless neighbors.  Interested parties may contact either Cape May County Social Services or Cape Hope (a non-profit, Cape May-based outreach group).  Cape May County Social Services may be reached at 609-886-6200 or socialservices@cmcbss.com. Cape Hope may be reached at 609-997-1794, capehopecares@gmail.com, or visit their website: www.capehopecares.org.