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4 GROUNDCOVER NEWS HOMELESSNESS LINDSAY CALKA Publisher Bike theft is prevalent in Ann Arbor and Ypsilanti. Bike theft motivated an article by Ken Parks in the last edition of Groundcover News titled “Surrounded by robbers and thieves.” But it wasn’t the only headline about bike theft in the local news last week. After a bike was stolen off the front porch of an Ypsilanti house in the BellKramer neighborhood, Local 4 Click On Detroit released a video news segment reporting on the incident. They included the Ring doorbell camera footage, an interview with Michele Simmons, the owner of the bike, shots of “No Trespassing” signage — and took their camera crew into the encampment across the street, but did not talk to homeless residents. The basis of the news segment is a belief of Simmons that someone from the camp close to her home stole her bike. She cited catching someone taking water from her outdoor faucet weeks prior as corroborating evidence. The news segment was texted to me by a resident of the camp on the day it was published online, afraid that the bad coverage would result in accelerated removal of their homes. The motivation of Simmons’ media outreach is stated to be getting “more resources” to homeless people at the camp, "because she is afraid the issue she is having could escalate,” and that she fears for her life. Earlier this year Simmons gave public comment at Ypsilanti City Council to advocate for such resources. The Metro Detroit station pursued comments from Ypsilanti Mayor Nicole Brown and Ypsilanti Police about who is responsible for removal and how it could be legally done, to which the former did not comment and the latter suggested a fence. I soon saw the video again on Facebook where it was shared by the news outlet, decorated with hundreds of comments, some empathizing with the impossibly high rents in Ypsi, others calling out the reporting bias, and many stoking hatred for homeless populations. Cody Pinchot commented that it was a “big, big assumption that the bicycle theft is related, unless the bike was recovered from the camp or they saw that guy going to and from the camp.” What was missing from the conversation was a response from the people being publicly accused of theft: the homeless residents. “All of us back here [at the camp] didn't recognize the guy in the video taking the bike from that lady's house. We're upset because it basically got blamed on us. Not everyone that's homeless is bad or a thief or a drug addict,” one resident clarified. (Names will be omitted for privacy.) A former resident at the site commented that over a year ago when he lived there, he remembered seeing MAY 29, 2026 Campers respond to public accusation of bike theft multiple unlocked bikes placed where the lawn met the road. “It felt like they were purposely trying to trap us so they could blame something on us and get us kicked out.” “If you want us out of here so bad, help us,” said another current resident. The first speaker concluded, "We want the community to respect these peoples' properties. It is important to us being able to stay back here while we have to." There is no adult, overnight shelter in Ypsilanti. The Delonis Center, operated by the Shelter Association of Washtenaw County in downtown Ann Arbor, only offers drop-in overnight shelter throughout the winter months (mid-November through mid-April). As Parks points out in his recent essay, we live in "a climate of shortage, even when there is an oversupply." As true as it is for bikes, it is even more accurate for housing. Housing status does not determine who are robbers and thieves. Donating plasma: side effects may include ... ANNIKA JULIUSSON U-M student contributor Whether you’re doing it to save a life or just to get a few extra bucks for rent, donating plasma has the ability to enact real change for those who need it most. Plasma is the clear fluid found in blood that is used to transport nutrients, hormones and waste throughout the body's system. It is also crucial for maintaining blood pressure and supporting immunity which is lifesaving for many who receive it. While the process of donating remains a crucial support system for those suffering with serious health issues such as blood clots and severe trauma, there are also downsides to the donation process itself. Donating plasma too frequently can be linked to health and hormone issues, and many donation centers still deny services to unhoused individuals even if they are medically cleared. With many struggling to stay afloat in the United States’s current economy, more and more people are forced to find second or even third sources of income. Financial freedom is a priority for many and you simply have to do what you have to do. NBC News reported that there has been an "almost 13% increase in plasma donation in the last five years.” This is due to an increase in the amount donation centers pay volunteers, as well as a higher demand for more immunoglobulin remedies across the nation. Studies also show that there has been an increase in middle-class Americans who are visiting the donation centers, with “people in the U.S. (making) an estimated total of $4.7 billion selling their plasma. Donation centers are popping up in middle-class neighborhoods, including suburban strip malls and college towns.” However, what often gets left out of the conversation is how physically demanding the process can be, especially when it’s done regularly. Studies show that over time, frequent plasma donation can start to take a toll on people’s bodies. Some donors have reported substantial weight gain after repeated sessions which can be linked to higher cortisol levels and general bodily strain. The body is trying to replace the nutrients and energy it has lost, and that compensation doesn’t always happen in a balanced way. There are also concerns about hormone disruption. Plasma contains proteins that play a role in regulating different systems in the body, and repeatedly removing it may have effects that aren’t fully understood yet. The problem is thate there isn’t a lot of long-term research available to donors. Most people are left to figure out what feels “normal” through trial and error. We also have to acknowledge the fact that when data is being collected, it is often collected from a large pool of male patients. Women have been traditionally under-studied within the medical field and it wouldn't be remiss to say that frequently donating plasma, especially for those already struggling with hormonal irregularities, could trigger greater health issues later on. "It's like selling your health away," commented James Manning, Groundcover vendor No. 16. At the same time, not everyone who might want to make a donation is even allowed to. Many plasma centers have strict requirements surrounding things such as identification, address verification and health status (i.e. bloodborne illnesses). A donor cannot have a congregate shelter as their address. Because of these criteria, many people experiencing homelessness are turned away from some donation centers. The reasoning is usually framed around safety and regulation, but the result is that people who may need the money the most are excluded from accessing it. It also begs the question as to how often medical stigma has been a barrier to saving a life. The Red Cross Association reported that, “Nearly 10,000 units are needed daily in the United States to create treatments that cannot be replicated in a lab.” Additionally, it was only as of 2023 that gay and bisexual men in the U.S were able to donate blood because of the stigma surrounding HIV. At the end of the day, Octapharma, located on W. Michigan Ave, adheres to all U.S. FDA guidelines, which permit two plasma donations within a seven-day period, with at least 48 hours in between donations. are we really in a position to turn away opportunities for life-saving treatment? For many, donating plasma is a necessary option and sometimes one of the few ways one can make extra money. However, it’s still worthwhile to be honest about what it takes both physically and mentally to endure the process frequently. When a system relies on people’s financial needs while placing limits on who can participate and offering little clarity about long-term effects, it stops looking like a simple exchange.

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