Living with choices
Andrea Elliot reaches out to her "street son" Jeff Stone during the evening at their mobile home on Wednesday, Jan. 23, 2019. Quarters in the home are tight, with one bed on the ground floor, another bed up top behind them, a table and chair opposite the bed and a small kitchen with stove and sink at the back.
Andrea takes a rest on her trip to the soup kitchen. Andrea and her family will walk five miles daily to the kitchen and back to their home. Because the mobile home doesn't have gas in the tank it is permanently parked for the foreseeable future.
Andrea's husband, Dan Pittman, holds up the ashes of his "street daughter" April in a small jar. Dan was ready to end his life, when April started telling him her life story. Afterwards Dan made the decision to work towards getting her life back on track instead of ending his. "She gave me a reason to push," he said.
Andrea and Jeff cross second street on their walk to the Gillette Soup Kitchen on Wednesday, Jan. 30, 2019. Andre usually tries to avoid the main roads on their walks and stays vigilant of cars. They have seen a number of people, including two of Dan's street daughters, die by collision.
Andrea and Jeff exit their mobile home for a trip to Flying J's to get water. The family hopes to be able to travel from place to place after their home is repaired.
Andrea receives a tray of food at the Gillette Soup Kitchen. The meal is their one hot meal of the day. Resources offered by the Council of Community Services like the soup kitchen have been a great help to Andrea and her family. "There is hope out there," Andrea said.
Andrea makes her way down West Second Street on her walk back to their mobile home. Despite their situation, the family doesn't think of themselves as unfortunate, and would prefer people helped those less fortunate then them.
Dan Pittman's mug was gifted to him by two of his "street daughters." Dan, who wished not to be photographed, describes himself as the brains of their family's operation. He possess the know how to keep their mobile home repaired from years of mechanical experience.
Jeff lifts the curtains of their home. During the recent cold that hit Gillette they ended up with ice on their windows and inch thick. The family relies one a heater and propane tanks to keep them and the mobile home warm during the winter.
Andrea shares a laugh with her family in their home on Thursday, Feb. 7, 2019. While their situation is less than ideal, they are happy to have each other in their lives.
Jeff plays with their dog at home. The family has a dog and cat, who are therapy animals for Andrea and Dan. They would ideally like to get a third for Jeff, but perhaps not a bird.
Andrea Elliot makes her way through the heavy snow towards West Second Street after a meal at the Gillette Soup Kitchen on Wednesday, Jan. 30, 2019. While their current situation is difficult, the family has big plans for how they will renovate their camper and where they will travel.