Reader's Report: Homeless Bicyclist Struggles After 'Hit-and-Run' Accident

The following report was submitted Jan. 13 by Becky Herndon Coupe, the first vice preisdent of the Ladies Auxiliary of AMVETS Post No. 44 in Brandon. The post is at 318 Pauls Drive in Brandon.

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When I went to the Portamento of Hope Cafe today to see Lela Lilyquist, she spoke of Jerry, one of the homeless of Brandon, and Jerry was there all cut up, blood, bandages, a mess.

Apparently, he was hit by a hit-and-run driver on Wednesday night, at Parsons Avenue and State Road 60. He was on his bicycle at the time and he said he had hit the windshield of the car.

Jerry is one of Brandon's many homeless people and his injuries are severe to his face, under his eye and his head. He went to the hosptial, they did a CT scan. They stitched him up, kept him overnight, threw away his clothes and sent him on his way Thursday morning, Jan. 12.

That's when he went to Portamento of Hope Cafe, at 107 Mason St. in Brandon, and Lela Lilyquist, the director, cleaned him up, put bandages on him, and gave him clothes.

This story hits me because people out there don't care about the homeless. They think that they're homeless and they buy alcohol or they buy cigartettes.

This man has Hodgkins disease, lives behind a gas station and is unable to work.

It's just sad, it really is.

My organization, AMVETS Post No. 44, is donating a bicycle to replace the crumbled up one and we'll help in other ways we might be able to.

Over Christmas, the Ladies Auxiliary of AMVETS Post No. 44 gave him batteries for his radio, so he can listen to his tunes. We also donated to the homeless who 20 backpacks stuffed with shrits, socks, caps, toiletries, snacks and water.

We urge other Brandon residents to donate or volunteer their time to help the homeless at Portamento of Hope or anywhere else they are welcomed to get aid.

So many of us don't realize we have it so easy until we walk into a place like this, or see the homeless, or see the veterans on tough times. What makes our community great are the people who step up to the plate and get involved.