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The otherwise homeless residents were pushing snow off of the camp’s tents and building a fire in one of the two wood stoves in the main gathering tent. The camp’s cats, cared for by residents, darted around feet and chairs, occasionally taking a break to claw at tree trunks.
Tate Williams , who is spending his fifth winter at the site, said there’s a bond that keeps the residents of the camp going through the winter months. It’s up to the residents of the camp to keep themselves going because the rest of society has seemingly cast them aside, Williams said.
“The only way to get through the winter is the sense of community and camaraderie in the camp,” he said.
Between 20 and 25 people are living at the camp right now, down from a peak of 69 people earlier this year but up from between six and eight residents last winter, Williams said.
The camp is located off Wagner Road between Jackson Road and Elizabeth Road, accessed by a trail situated just beyond a guardrail near M-14. After a short walk, the sprawling camp comes into view, complete with an office, bulletin board advertising religious ceremonies and community meetings and more than 20 tents that stretch into the woods.
Source: AnnArbor.com