Mobile phones can help the average person get essential support and fight social exclusion, but many who are facing homelessness do not have a stable location to charge their phone in order to keep it powered on.
Down the street from the Human Services Campus by 12th Ave. and Madison St. many people experiencing homelessness have set up tents in what is called “The Zone.”
Bill, a Tennessee native, lives in his tent and has been experiencing homelessness for many years. He says his phone is what keeps him up to date.
“My phone is very important to me, I mean, it’s everything,” he said. “My phone allows me to keep up with people who are missing, and I have some lawsuits so I need to be in contact with my social workers.”
Even though some unhoused people are able to charge their phones at shelters, not everyone has access to a shelter. According to the National Alliance to End Homelessness (NAEH), public libraries, coffee shops, malls, fast-food restaurants, charging stations and food banks are great places to charge a phone for free in public.
John Delores, who has been experiencing homelessness for ten years, says that he’s been cut off from charging his phone in certain places in the past.
“We used to be able to go to the light rail but they shut the outlets down so we wouldn’t have access to them anymore,” Delores said.
In Phoenix, people experiencing homelessness can visit the Burton Barr Central Library, a Phoenix Public Library, on Central Ave. and Willetta St. to charge their phones, provide one-on-one help, answer questions on how to create a resume or find a job, and where to find a place to stay that night or a meal to eat. Lee Franklin, the library’s Community Relations Manager, says the library is “here and available to help” the members of its community.
“For 125 years, Phoenix Public Library has helped the community, been a partner with the community, a member of the community, as well as helping people get connected to information,
while developing and sustaining their lifelong learning,” said Franklin. “If they have a choice or decision in front of them, they can count on the library to help get them the information that they need.”
People experiencing homelessness have always looked to libraries for resources, whether it’s to get assistance with putting together a resume or to escape the extreme weather, according to Franklin.
“My advice to anyone is always start with the library because we have something for everybody,” she said.
Portable Wi-Fi devices are available at the library, and having access to one would make it possible to respond to an urgent email from work in a timely manner, or stay in touch with loved ones.
“People can have access to the Wi-Fi seven days a week. We have a very broad definition of what using the library looks like,” said Franklin. “If someone needs to be inside the library charging their phone or sitting in a chair reading a book while we’re open, that’s fine.”
Although libraries allow them to charge their phones, the digital tools they offer are more crucial than ever for unsheltered people.
“Without essential tools like computers and the internet — or at the very least, a charged phone – it can seem almost impossible. As librarians we can’t solve people’s problems but we strive to provide invaluable tools and resources that can help them solve their own problems,” Franklin said.
Outside of the library, unsheltered people can visit Chase Field’s ChargeItSpot to charge and disinfect their phones at no cost.
Contact the reporter at zcole2@asu.edu
