MAY 29, 2026 COMMUNITY People in the Neighborhood: Bobbi JIM CLARK Groundcover vendor No. 139 Washtenaw Avenue sees between 40,000 and 55,000 cars a day. This means that the most anonymous person in the world, a middle-aged homeless woman, is possibly the most widely known individual in Washtenaw County. People will recognize Bobbi before they will recognize their county commissioner. If you’ve traveled Washtenaw Avenue during the morning, afternoon or early evening, you've probably seen her at her post, either near the big Arborland "A," or by the 23 North entrance ramp. Bobbi is a 54-year-old woman who bears a sign that sometimes reads, "Anything helps, even your smile.” It’s hard to resist giving up that smile when she makes eye contact with you. There is a sweetness in her face that makes you feel okay to smile back. She does her job well. Before we started the interview, she confided in me that she was nervous. I told her I was too. “I think yours is gonna make a great story, because, in my opinion, you’re a celebrity,” I started. “The most remarkable thing about you is your work ethic. You are out there every day, same hours, doing your job, no matter what the weather is like. You know, that's just impressive. I don't care what you're doing for a living, that's Detroit strong,” I continued with enthusiasm. “Many people have commented on that,” Bobbi replied matter-of-factly. “They say it’s because I inspire them by just being me.” So that’s her job — inspiring us and making us smile. As big as Ypsi/Ann Arbor is, it’s also small. I lived with Bobbi and her partner for a few months at a hospitality house in Ypsilanti. They stayed in their room most of the time, but every now and then we would meet each other in the kitchen. We would chat about mundane things while waiting for the toaster or the microwave. “You and I actually were housemates at one point,” I recalled. “Yes,” replied Bobbi. “I remember you were very friendly, but also you and your partner Paul kept to yourselves.” “Yes.” “How long have you two been together?” “I think it's been like six years now.” Bobbi has the vibe of someone you know at work. Someone kind who remembers your birthday and plans the party and has pictures of her kids and kittens all over her desk. “Where are you staying now?” I asked. “Sometimes I get lucky enough to get a room, a lot of times I'm in the woods,” she answered. “Do you have people supporting you out there?” I was referring specifically to Community Mental Health PATH program. “Yes and no,” she replied “I've got people I can reach out to if I need to. PATH and I play phone tag a lot. I technically have a tent, but I haven't put it up yet, and I'm glad I haven't because of some of the storms we had.” “When’s your birthday?” I asked. “I like to know people's astrological signs.” “January 12th, Capricorn,” she answered. “That explains some of the industry, right?” I offered. “Yep,” Bobbi concurred. “Your favorite ice cream?” I fired off. “Probably Reese's Peanut Butter Cup,” she fired back. “My favorite candy bar is Outrageous. I actually have a regular that brings me seven to 10 every week, along with a few other things. But the most important fact about me to know is — Mountain Dew and water are the only things I drink.” The Mountain Dew tattoo on her arm is evidence. Bobbi described the many gifts her regulars bring her: food from great restaurants, clothing, games, books, and of course, large cash donations. “A young man told me he sold all of his gaming systems because he wanted to help me,” she recalled. “He gave me a ‘cushiony’ envelope. I couldn’t bring myself to look at it but when I finally did, it was $2,000. This was in the middle of winter. I got a room for a few weeks and ate well. He saved my life and gave me one at the same time. “I’m so grateful for all of my regulars and I want to say thank you to each and every one of them,” she added. “Do you get bullied?” I asked. “You've always got your negative people,” she said casually. “I usually try to either make fun or tell them God loves them too, you know,” she says with a smile. “When they make their comments,” she continues, “it's when they're driving by, not when they're stopped.” “That part — otherwise they might have to engage with you,” I noted. Bobbi agreed and went on to say, “Everyone’s got their own opinion on things and it's fine. But don't sit there and drag me down just because you might not like what I do. You don't know who I am. You don't know why I'm here. You don't know what's going on in my life. You don't wanna give, no problem, but why talk down to me?” When I first saw Bobbi several years ago, she held her sign with two hands. Or sometimes one hand held the sign while the other waved a friendly hello. This past winter, I noticed her holding the sign with only one gloved hand; the other one, I assumed, was inside her coat staying warm. As the spring approached and the coat came off, it was revealed that her left arm was missing. “What happened to your arm?” I asked. “It started with an infection in my hand,” she began. “I was picking up branches for someone and I caught a deep splinter between my thumb and finger. It was in there for quite a while and I didn't realize how far it went down. And then I sprained my wrist. So somebody gave me some CBD rub, and I put that from my wrist up to my elbow. It made my hand start to swell immediately. The swelling started going up my arm. I'm not good with going to the hospital for accidents so I did myself an injustice.” Her arm was amputated shortly after she finally made it to the hospital. Her arm wasn’t the only appendage missing. “I worked at a hardware store. That is where I lost my first limb (her pointer finger on her right hand) and cut the ligament and chipped a bone in my middle finger.” It was actually an avulsion fracture. Bobbi went on to tell me, “It can be a bit frustrating, but me being me, I still try to do more than what I need to be doing. I'm not always good at taking help, like when someone wants to help carry my bags, open my pop, or whatnot for me. It's taking a lot for me to let someone else do that.” “So you're stubborn,” I teased. “Yeah, that goes right along with the Capricorn part, right?” she agreed. “Where are you from? “ I asked. “I was technically born in Topeka, Kansas, but I've lived in Michigan all my life, except for a year and a half when I was a child. I went to Texas when my dad was laid off from work,” she replied. “Were you married?” I asked. “Yes,” she answered, "my husband passed away around eight years ago, supposedly from a blow to the head after a fall.” She isn’t quite sure, they weren’t together at the time. The only asset they had between them was a house. “It's really sad because,” she said, “we owned this home, and we'd done so much work on it, but he didn’t finish the roof, I don't know why. And because he didn't do the roof it made a lot of issues, it was a nightmare. I didn't have the means at the time to do what needed to be done, and the township was already on me for violations. see BOBBI page 15 GROUNDCOVER NEWS 9 If you’ve traveled Washtenaw Avenue during the morning, afternoon or early evening, you've probably seen Bobbi at her post, either near the big Arborland "A," or by the 23 North entrance ramp.
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