KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — In Fountain City Park, children play at the playgrounds, splash in the water and enjoy the freedom of the park almost every day.
But there's another reality that lurks in the corner. In the same park, people who have lost their homes and are now spending the majority of their time in the streets gather. One of those people is Valerie Titlow.
She has three dogs and pushes a cart that holds her whole life in it.
"Currently I stay, most of the time, in the park or at the duck pond because there's no place to go," Titlow said. "I'm not out here because of drugs or alcohol or anything like that. I've got a domestic violence situation. He pulled me in front of a Samurai and Mustang. And I had to pull him back out of the way so all of us didn't get killed."
Her husband was recently arrested for domestic violence and is now in jail, according to Titlow. For the last 15 months, she has lived on the streets.
Jack Amyx, a business owner in Fountain City, has been there for more than 30 years. He's concerned about the health and well-being of people like Titlow who don't have anywhere to go. He said he also worries about the businesses in the area.
One of the stores he owns, Fountain City Finance Company, is on the corner and people often crowd it because the spot is convenient to enter and exit the park.
"They steal these carts from the Kroger and they got everything they own in these carts and they come by and are standing around out front and stuff, close to my entrance," Amyx said. "And it's a lot, a lot of trash. There's a lot of drugs going on, and needles."
There's nostalgia in Amyx's eyes when he talks about how his neighborhood used to be. His office is decorated with drawings that show how Fountain City's streets were not as crowded as they are now.
"Homelessness is a serious problem," Amyx said. "But it used to be, it was only where you saw — it was downtown and they had those places they stay and stuff, you know. But now it's moved out, it's moved out. And it's really prevalent in this area here."
Mayor Indya Kincannon went to Fountain City Park on Sunday to check things for herself. While she said her staff keeps her informed, she said she prefers to be hands-on.
She said she was checking how safe or unsafe she would feel while in this park.
So, she walked the entire perimeter and she saw people enjoying the park with their families, kids playing, a baby shower with their balloons and a community enjoying the amenities of the park.
"But when I was there, I didn't see any litter, I didn't see anybody doing anything illegal, I did see someone who appeared to be homeless, sitting quietly on a bench, not bothering anybody, not breaking any laws, not taking using or selling drugs. And, you know, people who are just sitting in a park bench are allowed to do that," Kincannon said. "But I do want to encourage community members, if you do see illegal activity in a park — camping is illegal, buying, selling using drugs is illegal."
Kincannon has joined with Knox County Mayor Glenn Jacobs to help people in need. She said one of the main ways to help the situation is by making sure people are connected with the resources available. Those can include the Knoxville Knox County Community Action Committee or some local churches.
"Our Joint Office on Housing Stability is going to be a really positive way to help keep people stay in the houses they already have, and if you're unhoused, connect people to resources," Kincannon said. "We've recently spent, you know, several million dollars. We're improving that particular park, you know. I'm a big believer in parks, you know they're really healthy places to be and they're free, and they're open to the public."
Harvest Church spent time over the weekend at the park. Its pastor and some members were seen praying with some people in need.
"As we get in conversations with people, we find out what's going on in their lives. And we've been simply asking them if we can pray and minister to them," they said.
For Valerie Titlow, living without a home can be scary. She said her dogs help her get by. She's now waiting for the court to send her the application to start the housing process as a domestic violence survivor, she said.
"It's dangerous out here," Titlow said. "I'll figure it out. I always do. But this is a bigger issue than just me."