COVINGTON, Ky. — Jennette Robles remembers sleeping under a tent near a church. There had been some kind of event, and it was raining now. She didn’t have anywhere else to go, and she was tired.
Robles says someone woke her up by kicking her.
That’s not the only incident like that she remembers. It’s just the first. Robles experienced homelessness for about six years.
“It wasn’t easy for me. I’ll tell you that right now,” Robles said. “It was a rough road.”
And it started when she was 15.
“I was abandoned by my family,” Robles said. “At that point, I was in survival mode.”
WATCH: Library shares stories of people experiencing homelessness
That’s something Ed McLaughlin didn’t always appreciate. More than two decades ago, he was a pit boss in Las Vegas before moving to Kentucky for his wife’s job. He’s worked at the Boone County Public Library ever since — often wearing a Hawaiian shirt.
His official title was reference associate, but he soon became one of the leading advocates for people experiencing homelessness in Florence. He laughs when explaining how it started.
“I was the one who was usually volunteered to speak to people,” McLaughlin said. “Because I was the big ugly guy.”
He's kind of joking, kind of not. But he says people kept asking for help. And they asked him questions he didn't know the answers to.
So he tried to find out.
“It’s very important to make every phone call I can make, send every email I can,” McLaughlin said. “If I promised someone I’d try to help them, that’s exactly what I need to do.”
And today, there are too many business cards pinned to his cubicle to count. All with possible resources. When he first started at the library, McLaughlin tells me he was rough on people experiencing homelessness. But as he continued to work with them, his opinion changed.
“We all make mistakes,” McLaughlin said. “They’re just like you and me.”
And that’s why he started a project he calls “Unseen Neighbors.” It’s a video series featuring the stories of people experiencing homelessness — straight from the people experiencing it. The idea is to put a name and a face to a problem that is often ignored.
To make it something you can't walk by on the street.
Outside the library, a church group delivers meals. The librarian walks outside to make sure everyone gets what they need.
“Sometimes you can't make a difference in their life, but you can make a difference in their day," McLaughlin said. "And I think that's a start.”
He rubs his hands together. His breath is visible in the air.
“I can’t imagine being out in this every single night,” McLaughlin said.
Robles can. Because she's lived in the woods before.
And that’s why she invites me into one of the sober-living homes she manages in Covington. Upstairs, as others cook lunch, she opens a binder with rules and paperwork for a new tenant to sign.
“We are here to help you get on your feet,” Robles said. “Because someone helped me, I have a passion to help you.”
The woman across from her starts crying. Another woman who lives there gives her a hug.
“We’re so glad you’re here.”
Want to help?
The Boone County Public Library is accepting new blankets and socks at any of its locations. Just look for a box that says "Unseen Neighbors." Officials say they're accepting donations throughout January.
