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Neil Gillespie was homeless

Homeless photos, Tampa Florida

Shurgard Self Storage of Hyde Park, 1302 W. Kennedy Blvd., Tampa, Florida 33606. (under new name/ ownership now)

 

The is the entrance at 1302 W. Kennedy Blvd. The property continued through to Hyde Park Avenue where there was another entrance.

My storage unit was located here, in the air-conditioned building. Other storage unitis on the property were not air-conditioned.

 

The air-conditioned building was near the Hyde Park Avenue entrance.

This is the entrance gate from Hyde Park Avenue. The doors were orange when I rented. Later the doors were blue.

 

The first 4 photos are from the company website or internet. Photos below of the interior of the unit are mine.

Homelessness and disability.

 

I went from self-sufficiency in 1988 to total disability by 1994 following a traumatic brain injury (TBI).

 

From September 2002 through February 2005 I was homeless in Tampa, Florida.

Air-conditioned storage unit with a window. $305 per month, utilities included.

 

I lived in this storage unit when I was unable to find suitable housing, after moving (Sep-2002) from my apartment in Riverview and harassing neighbors, I was living in motels, until the crash of my 1998 Chev. Metro. (Dec-2002)

ChoiceExpress was formed in 1981 to provide Tampa with a courier that businesses could depend on for their most important deliveries. We have grown as Tampa has grown over the last 30 years and we have continued to make advances in technology to keep pace with a developing industry. As our customer’s needs have changed, we have adapted to meet them while keeping focus on customer service and on-time package delivery in the Tampa Bay area and all of Florida.

 

We retain our employees and couriers because we treat them with dignity, which translates to a good attitude towards our customers. We arm our employees with the best technology to help them provide the best services to our clients. Read more

 

 

 

 

Crash of my 1998 Chev. Metro. (Dec-2002)

 

 

 

Speech and disability.

 

On April 21, 2003 while homeless and living at the Salvation Army homeless shelter, 1603 Florida Ave. N., Tampa, my cell phone was stolen. Tampa Police Officer Bonnie M. Schurig responded to my call, TPD Report No. 03-173556. Officer Schurig took the report and conducted a brief investigation at 10:14 PM in the shelter but could not locate the phone.

Officer Schurig asked me to step outside for a personal conversation. In a respectful manner, Officer Schurig said she noticed I had impaired speech and asked if it was due to a cleft palate. I responded yes, and the impairment is worse by the end of the day. Officer Schurig said her cousin’s newborn daughter had a cleft lip and palate, and we discussed that and related issues. Later I provided Officer Schurig copies of cleft lip and palate research which she gave her cousin. In appreciation her cousin and husband sent me a thank you card and family photo.

I met my friend James Worley here at the Shurgard Self Storage of Hyde Park where he also rented a storage unit while homeless. James is an advocate for the homeless.

 

The photo on the left shows James and Fox News Reporter Holly Bristow in Leesburg FL. James returned over $1,500 he found in a purse. Story link

 

 

 

 

Small battery power plant.

Can also jump start a car.

 

My first storage unit was smaller and on the top floor.

 

The roof leaked when it rained. So I moved to this larger unit, on a lower floor, that also had a window.

 

 

 

 

Small gas cartridge camping stove heated soup for dinner.

 

 

 

Original graffiti art outside.

Link to Pets of the Homeless website

Pets can add enjoyment to your home and life. This is Fluffy the Bunny. Fluffy did okay until she was treated at UF College of Veterinary Medicine by student-doctor Debbie Myers.


RIP Fluffy, 2001-2007.
 

1990 Dodge Grand Caravan: Transport and living space

 

Being homeless was very difficult. I resolved to avoid homelessness in the future. 

 

I bought an old minivan to serve as transportation, and living space when needed.

I got a used 1990 Dodge Grand Caravan on eBay for $617.00 + $100 deposit, February 3, 2004.

 

Shortly after getting the van, another accident.

 

Still driving the van in 2015.

 

Being Mobile allowed me to travel to day labor jobs, and other jobs. Night parking spots included Kinkos, Walmart, and shopping center parking lots.

 

 

Fluffy at the wheel.

The back seats were removed, and a flat woodboard floor installed. An ordinary foam camping pad and sleeping bag made a bed. An ice cooler kept drinking water and food cold. Some shelves were installed.

 

Fluffy’s cage sat where the passenger seat used to be.