Homeless, Sara Roosevelt Park, Lower East Side, NYC
“Jumbo” On a recent trip to NYC I ran into Jumbo hanging with some other men in the park. I have known Jumbo for a couple of years and we exchanged hellos and I joined he and his friends. During our conversation someone came up and gave Jumbo a paper bag and then left abruptly. Now as long as I have been working on the streets this kind of thing gets me nervous. I moved away and struck up a conversation with another man a little distance away. I glanced over at Jumbo and noticed him checking out the contents of the mysterious bag. The bag was filled with needles and bottle caps. Obviously drug paraphernalia. I a few minutes Jumbo headed towards the public restroom and came out a few minutes later. He sat down with my new acquaintance and asked me if I still wanted to take his picture. I asked him straight out if he had just shot up and he nodded yes. I took this picture and still even after all this time get shook up seeing this. God help you Jumbo.
Here are some links to earlier photos of him and here is what I originally wrote back on 02/03/04
“Jumbo is fifty-three years old and from the Lower East Side. He’s been on the street since 1995, almost nine years. He went to prison and lost his rent-controlled apartment. As for being on the street he says,” it gets easier."
http://www.fotolog.net/mashuga/?photo_id=5900774
03/14/04
http://www.fotolog.net/mashuga/?photo_id=7503225

A link to NPR and a story about my work.
All Things Considered
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=4123582
You can hear an audio recording of the piece here as well.

You might want to look at my other log: http://www.flickr.com/photos/mashuga/