Nikki panhandles near Dupont Circle, DC (Photo: R. Sandridge)
Nikki has been homeless off an on for the past 20 years. She is 55 and says she suffers from various health complications stemming from some aneurysms that she has had. She sits on the cold concrete ground, rocking back and forth, and never looking at me in the eye. The emotion in her face has been completely drained. She maintains that cool steady expression during the entire time that we speak.
I asked her what she planned on doing with the $10 and she said that she would probably use $5 for food and the other $5 to put on her Metro SmarTrip card.
Nikki says that people can stop by and say hello to her. She is in/around the Dupont Circle most weekdays. Also, she could use some help from somebody who understands Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI). She has been denied benefits and says that her case manager is not very helpful in getting the issue resolved. So if anyone has some knowledge about this and is willing to share with Nikki, please let me know.
I taped a little video with Nikki which you can see here:
Year of Giving 