Laurine Ross spends a lot of time outdoors.
Sometimes it’s on the bench outside the Greenwood-Leflore Public Library, near Walgreens along West Park Avenue, near the train station or outside the Main Street Greenwood Inc. building downtown.
Wherever she is, Ross, 46, can usually be found accompanied by a book or two.
Ross, who has a cousin who lives in the Buckeye community, is homeless.
On Monday, Ross was on a bench outside Davis Elementary School perusing a copy of “Corporate Museums, Galleries, and Visitor Centers: A Directory.” She had several tote bags, a sports bottle, a blanket and a pillow.
Ross, a former resident of Bloomington, Ill., said she came to Greenwood with the best of intentions — love.
“I got here March 10, on a Sunday. My coming here was to be with this young man that I was involved with for a while,” she said.
Somewhere over the past four months, the romance faded.
Ross said she retired from the medical field. She said her cousin allows her to shower at her house regularly but not to stay there overnight.
“I’ve been homeless quite a while,” Ross said.
Ross said she is not a native of Greenwood, adding, “Let’s just say that my mom was quite a gypsy.”
Until recently Ross was a frequent visitor at Greenwood Interfaith Ministries’ Community Kitchen, according to Executive Director Carlee Bailey. The kitchen serves a free lunch every weekday.
“She used to come in here and warm her food. She’s free to come in here,” Bailey said.
Ross said she was hassled by the kitchen’s staff and clients, but Bailey said the kitchen has been supportive of her.
“Nobody messes with her,” Bailey said.
In addition, Bailey said, Ross’ daughter has been in touch by phone with the kitchen attempting to stay in contact with her mother.
Bailey said the kitchen did a survey about five years ago and identified 85 people in Greenwood who didn’t have a permanent place to live. Today, that number is considerably higher, she said.
According to 2012 federal estimates, an average of 600,000 people are homeless in the United States each day. That number has declined 5.7 percent since 2007.
Ross said walking around Greenwood is not a problem for her, adding, “I love the outdoors.”
She said so far the police haven’t given her a hard time. She’s even been allowed to use the department’s non-public women’s restroom from time to time while she’s across the street at Main Street Greenwood Inc. “The police don’t mess with me when I sleep outside,” she said.
Ross said she’d be happy if someone wanted to help her get a room, just as long as they don’t try to take advantage of her.
• Contact Bob Darden at 581-7239 or bdarden @gwcommonwealth.com.
