It鈥檚 about 4:30 am on a weekday when store owner, Amrut Patel arrives to run his donut shop in Gahanna. Out front on the sidewalk 61-year-old Alexander Cash lies on his back with his crumpled jacket wrapped around to keep him warm.
鈥淎lex, hey, you want coffee," Patel asks.
A cool night in late summer is nothing compared to the winter months he鈥檚 spent on the streets. I live in Gahanna, and I鈥檝e seen him outside either sitting, sleeping or walking on the sidewalk for at least two years. It鈥檚 not something typical in this or many other suburbs.
I introduce myself to Cash. He鈥檚 polite and quiet, and doesn't want his picture taken. But he does offer his thoughts. Cash doesn鈥檛 call himself homeless.
鈥淚 pretty much see myself not with the label of homeless because being a U.S. citizen as so many others, I do probably the same things and or similar things that most U.S. citizens do,鈥� Cash said.
Patel said Cash visits his business every day.
鈥淵eah, I talk to him every morning, like a couple times a day,鈥� Patel said. 鈥淵ou know he comes here for coffee, doughnut. But I give him coffee free every day, no charge for coffee. And he鈥檚 nice guy. He don鈥檛 bother nobody.鈥�
During the past couple years, while Cash has lived on the Gahanna sidewalk the community has kind of adopted him.
Gahanna Police Chief Jeffrey Spence said Cash spent some years on the streets in Reynoldsburg before coming to Gahanna. Spence said officers interact with Cash several times a week.
Cash said he appreciates the police offers to take him to a shelter, but he鈥檚 not interested.
鈥淚鈥檝e enjoyed talking to them, Cash said. 鈥淎nd it鈥檚 a pleasure from time-to-time socializing with them and listening to their perceptions.鈥�
Chief Spence said Cash knows that he can stay on a public sidewalk. He doesn鈥檛 panhandle or bother those walking by. The biggest concern is occasionally trash will pile up.
鈥淥ur residents have been very generous,鈥� Spence said. 鈥淚鈥檝e been down and interacted with him when people will drop off meals and sometimes several meals within a very short period of time, beyond what he can eat, consume, so the trash is really sometimes beyond his ability to manage.鈥�
Cash is aware of the ongoing pandemic. He wears a mask to pick up his coffee. He said he has not gotten the COVID-19 vaccine.
Mifflin Township Fire community paramedic, Kenny King has visited Cash several times.
鈥淗e鈥檚 of sound mind,鈥� King said. 鈥淗e鈥檚 of good health. He鈥檚 actually since he鈥檚 been there, he鈥檚 had his cataracts done. He stays at a hotel when he鈥檚 really cold.鈥�
Donut shop owner, Patel said some of his customers have given Cash money to stay at a nearby hotel.
鈥淭hey help him,鈥� Patel said. 鈥淎 lot of people they give him cash money. Somebody gives him gift card.鈥�
Cash is appreciative.
鈥淚 was over there quite a bit at the Holiday Inn last winter and that got me through the colder months,鈥� Cash said.
Cash said he鈥檚 from the Canton area. He worked as a computer operator in the 1980s and 90s. He understands that his skills are outdated, but he would consider working in the field again.
Cash said he never married and doesn鈥檛 have children. He has siblings but hasn鈥檛 seen them in a few years.
Patel though is troubled that Cash remains outside.
鈥淚鈥檓 worried about him, but he鈥檚 an old guy and why does the government not take care for him,鈥� Patel said.
Cash said he鈥檚 trying to move into a studio or one-bedroom apartment, but he realizes that goal could take a while.
鈥淚 hope folks could say that I鈥檓 doing something right also,鈥� says Cash. 鈥淭o be able to co-exist peacefully and get along with people and not be a socially proud person probably is a plus for me. Quite a few of them are very positive, warm-hearted people.鈥�
Until Cash moves, the Gahanna community likely will continue to lend him a hand.
鈥淚 realize I鈥檓 blessed abundantly and shouldn鈥檛 take my blessings for granted,鈥� he said.
