Close to being killed, now a home in Rescue Mission
Homelessness in Madera: Part 2 of 8 Editor’s Note: Razi Sayed, a participant in Dr. Gary Rice’s journalism scholars program at Fresno State University, spent several weeks studying homelessness in Madera. He became intimately acquainted with the problems faced by the homeless and those who try to help them. This series of eight stories will run through June.
Many of the days for Ramon Hernandez began the same during the nearly 10 years he lived on the streets of Madera.
The first order of business was to find as many dumpsters as it took to collect the recycling needed to pay for the day’s supply of alcohol and drugs.
“Being homeless is a way of life and you have to accept it when you first see it because if you don’t, it will kill you,” said Hernandez. And then, Hernandez told the story of how he almost lost his life.
On the morning of March 24, 2014, Hernandez was sleeping near the Tozer Bridge in downtown Madera and was awakened by barking of his dog, Eragon. He sent Eragon, a medium-sized pit bull mix, to see what was going on...
