This is the story of Elizabeth Thor, better known as Liz, whom you might have noticed the past few years on the corner of 47th and Lisbon, getting off the expressway just down from District 3 police station. She was living on that corner 24-7 with all her personal belongings. If you remember there was always a few people on that corner pan handling for money and food. But how did the story of Liz begin? She lives about a block over now in an apartment and is happy to be off the street. Liz stated she is from Wausau and came here after meeting a guy on Facebook. He became her boyfriend and hey moved in with his parents. Their relationship only lasted about one month, and she moved out. Not knowing anyone else here is how she became homeless and living on the street.
Liz states she moved around to various locations sleeping outside. She stayed by the Washington library for a time. To stay warm on Sundays she would attend church at Sherman and North every week. Mike at the church would feed her every Tuesday. Other than that, she would eat from trash cans in the area. People would offer her locations to get off the street, but she has trust issues. She tried to go to the Rescue Mission once, but it was full. Initially police officers told her to leave the area it was not safe. Eventually officers started to check on her a little more. One officer, started to check on her, every time he was at work. She thinks she was outside about two years before finally leaving. On some nights she would stay inside the district three lobby until it was day light outside.
I asked did she ever pan handle with the other people who came to that corner. She said not initially but in the few months before she left, she started to try it out. Liz was wondering was this real that people would give you money. When she started money came in surprisingly good and she had enough to buy things. It may have been a little to good as she was robbed several times by mostly the same guy. He would come late at night in a car and take all her money and food many times. She reported it to the police, but they could never catch the guy. They told her they knew who he was but could never locate him. Again, she started to stay in the station at night to stay safe and not be robbed.
Liz got sick and had to go into the hospital. She was written up for mental evaluation and stayed inside for 21 days. After leaving she got the apartment and has been here ever since. She wants to thank everyone who helped especially District 3 and the one officer who checked on her every night he worked. Sometimes it takes the whole community.
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