Most of the people in or around Traverse City, Michigan referred to Jimmy as Three Fingered Jim or Jimmy Three Fingers. Jim was a certified Harley-Davidson mechanic. He got his hand caught in a chain link sprocket and lost two fingers. Because he was no longer able to work, shortly after the accident his home was foreclosed on and he lost everything. That happened in 2007. Jim was homeless for ten years!
Jim was on pain medications and could not work. He was turned down for Supplemental Security Income (SSI) five times. He survived without an income because of the support from friends and the grace of God.
The day I met Jim we were visiting Kalkaska, Michigan. The winters in Michigan are brutal for anyone living outside. Jim shared that summers can also be dangerous. That last 4th of July, a group of 20-year-old kids came through their camp and beat all the of the homeless people there savagely.
UPDATE: Sometimes it can take me months to upload a video. Since this interview, Jim was placed into housing. Three months later Jim died from pneumonia.
