Before a Valentine’s Day karaoke session for the residents of Joseph’s House, Ramsey and nurse Cathy scroll through apartments in the Columbia Heights neighborhood of D.C. Most exceed the $900 voucher he’ll depend on to pay his rent. “My disability
Half-wearing a mask, Ramsey walks to the 7-Eleven during a brief outing while recovering from an infection. After buying cigarettes and a tamale, he gave the rest of his change to a person panhandling outside. “It’s good karma,” he said with a wink.
An unidentified infection put Ramsey into the hospital for nearly a week, early into his stay at Joseph’s House in September 2018. Almost daily a group of current and previous residents and staff would visit Ramsey, bringing new clothes or snacks or
On his second trip of the day, Ramsey lights a cigarette outside of the liquor store where he buys lottery tickets. In the morning, mid-afternoon, and evening Ramsey checks his numbers. His most recent win was $40, which he split between more ticket
Birds fly overhead as Ramsey struts away from a street vendor in a new ballcap. He is a diligent hat collector, buying one from a street vendor while walking from the Safeway back to Joseph’s House. His shelves at home are full of dozens.
Ramsey leaves a church service in an affluent neighborhood in Chevy Chase, Md. The congregation is largely white, middle-class and not Ramsey’s first choice. “But it’s still me talking with God,” he said. “And it’s the church I have a ride to.”
Melody settles on Ramsey’s lap at Joseph’s House before dinnertime. For years, they’ve had a loving but strained partnership — Ramsey worries she is too dependent on him, and Melody can find him aloof and hard to deal with.
Bundled up, Ramsey and Curtis, a former resident at Joseph’s House who visits almost daily, decide the cold weather won’t stop them from getting on the court. Fifteen minutes in, Ramsey is out-of-breath but determined to keep stealing. It’s taken ma
Ramsey kisses Melody goodbye, despite earlier bickering. He knows when he finds his own apartment, she will want to live with him, but he’s hesitant. A part of him wants to live by himself, keep working on his sobriety and have his very own space fo
Knowing he will soon move out, Ramsey sits on his bed at Joseph’s Housing after a visit with a case workers to find a new apartment. It’s been a challenge — housing prices are skyrocketing, there is discrimination against housing vouchers, and Ramse
Talking over the Metro Bus noice, Ramsey talks to the son he recently reconnected with after over a decade of estrangement. He’s reached out to all 7 of kids, and is trying to make amends for not often being in their lives. He has met three new gran
Ramsey inspects the drawers of an apartment that could potentially be his. He is excited, but also fatigued by constant rejection — he’s viewed a half dozen apartments that seemed promising but then turned him down.
While waiting to catch the bus from Joseph’s House to his new apartment, Ramsey adjusts the collar of his sweatshirt. In the space of six months, Ramsey went from thinking he would die at Joseph’s House, to feeling healthy and moving himself into a
Before a Valentine’s Day karaoke session for the residents of Joseph’s House, Ramsey and nurse Cathy scroll through apartments in the Columbia Heights neighborhood of D.C. Most exceed the $900 voucher he’ll depend on to pay his rent. “My disability
Before a Valentine’s Day karaoke session for the residents of Joseph’s House, Ramsey and nurse Cathy scroll through apartments in the Columbia Heights neighborhood of D.C. Most exceed the $900 voucher he’ll depend on to pay his rent. “My disability check,” he said, “isn’t enough to last a week and I have to make it stretch longer. Sometimes people on the street help me out with a few bucks when I really need it.”
Half-wearing a mask, Ramsey walks to the 7-Eleven during a brief outing while recovering from an infection. After buying cigarettes and a tamale, he gave the rest of his change to a person panhandling outside. “It’s good karma,” he said with a wink.
Half-wearing a mask, Ramsey walks to the 7-Eleven during a brief outing while recovering from an infection. After buying cigarettes and a tamale, he gave the rest of his change to a person panhandling outside. “It’s good karma,” he said with a wink.
An unidentified infection put Ramsey into the hospital for nearly a week, early into his stay at Joseph’s House in September 2018. Almost daily a group of current and previous residents and staff would visit Ramsey, bringing new clothes or snacks or
An unidentified infection put Ramsey into the hospital for nearly a week, early into his stay at Joseph’s House in September 2018. Almost daily a group of current and previous residents and staff would visit Ramsey, bringing new clothes or snacks or books.
On his second trip of the day, Ramsey lights a cigarette outside of the liquor store where he buys lottery tickets. In the morning, mid-afternoon, and evening Ramsey checks his numbers. His most recent win was $40, which he split between more ticket
On his second trip of the day, Ramsey lights a cigarette outside of the liquor store where he buys lottery tickets. In the morning, mid-afternoon, and evening Ramsey checks his numbers. His most recent win was $40, which he split between more tickets and dessert to bring home to Joseph’s House.
Birds fly overhead as Ramsey struts away from a street vendor in a new ballcap. He is a diligent hat collector, buying one from a street vendor while walking from the Safeway back to Joseph’s House. His shelves at home are full of dozens.
Birds fly overhead as Ramsey struts away from a street vendor in a new ballcap. He is a diligent hat collector, buying one from a street vendor while walking from the Safeway back to Joseph’s House. His shelves at home are full of dozens.
Ramsey leaves a church service in an affluent neighborhood in Chevy Chase, Md. The congregation is largely white, middle-class and not Ramsey’s first choice. “But it’s still me talking with God,” he said. “And it’s the church I have a ride to.”
Ramsey leaves a church service in an affluent neighborhood in Chevy Chase, Md. The congregation is largely white, middle-class and not Ramsey’s first choice. “But it’s still me talking with God,” he said. “And it’s the church I have a ride to.”
Melody settles on Ramsey’s lap at Joseph’s House before dinnertime. For years, they’ve had a loving but strained partnership — Ramsey worries she is too dependent on him, and Melody can find him aloof and hard to deal with.
Melody settles on Ramsey’s lap at Joseph’s House before dinnertime. For years, they’ve had a loving but strained partnership — Ramsey worries she is too dependent on him, and Melody can find him aloof and hard to deal with.
Bundled up, Ramsey and Curtis, a former resident at Joseph’s House who visits almost daily, decide the cold weather won’t stop them from getting on the court. Fifteen minutes in, Ramsey is out-of-breath but determined to keep stealing. It’s taken ma
Bundled up, Ramsey and Curtis, a former resident at Joseph’s House who visits almost daily, decide the cold weather won’t stop them from getting on the court. Fifteen minutes in, Ramsey is out-of-breath but determined to keep stealing. It’s taken many months for Ramsey to feel good enough to run up and down the court.
Ramsey kisses Melody goodbye, despite earlier bickering. He knows when he finds his own apartment, she will want to live with him, but he’s hesitant. A part of him wants to live by himself, keep working on his sobriety and have his very own space fo
Ramsey kisses Melody goodbye, despite earlier bickering. He knows when he finds his own apartment, she will want to live with him, but he’s hesitant. A part of him wants to live by himself, keep working on his sobriety and have his very own space for the first time in his life.
Knowing he will soon move out, Ramsey sits on his bed at Joseph’s Housing after a visit with a case workers to find a new apartment. It’s been a challenge — housing prices are skyrocketing, there is discrimination against housing vouchers, and Ramse
Knowing he will soon move out, Ramsey sits on his bed at Joseph’s Housing after a visit with a case workers to find a new apartment. It’s been a challenge — housing prices are skyrocketing, there is discrimination against housing vouchers, and Ramsey is disabled and needs accessible housing.
Talking over the Metro Bus noice, Ramsey talks to the son he recently reconnected with after over a decade of estrangement. He’s reached out to all 7 of kids, and is trying to make amends for not often being in their lives. He has met three new gran
Talking over the Metro Bus noice, Ramsey talks to the son he recently reconnected with after over a decade of estrangement. He’s reached out to all 7 of kids, and is trying to make amends for not often being in their lives. He has met three new grandkids this year.
Ramsey inspects the drawers of an apartment that could potentially be his. He is excited, but also fatigued by constant rejection — he’s viewed a half dozen apartments that seemed promising but then turned him down.
Ramsey inspects the drawers of an apartment that could potentially be his. He is excited, but also fatigued by constant rejection — he’s viewed a half dozen apartments that seemed promising but then turned him down.
While waiting to catch the bus from Joseph’s House to his new apartment, Ramsey adjusts the collar of his sweatshirt. In the space of six months, Ramsey went from thinking he would die at Joseph’s House, to feeling healthy and moving himself into a
While waiting to catch the bus from Joseph’s House to his new apartment, Ramsey adjusts the collar of his sweatshirt. In the space of six months, Ramsey went from thinking he would die at Joseph’s House, to feeling healthy and moving himself into a new apartment.
info
prev / next