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Man Living in Van Gets Help from Police Officer, West Town Community

By Alisa Hauser | April 8, 2016 5:53am
 Near West Officer Pete Virella, Mike Noe and Noe's dog, Troy.
Near West Officer Pete Virella, Mike Noe and Noe's dog, Troy.
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DNAinfo/Alisa Hauser

WEST TOWN — A man who spent the past 10 months living in a van with his dog is fielding offers of help from small business owners, residents and a local police officer who are trying to help the 53-year-old neighborhood resident of West Town's Smith Park get back on track.

But first, Mike Noe needs to move his 1997 Ford Econoline van from the southwest corner of Grand and Artesian avenues, where it has been parked for more than a week.

"You are better off junking it," Officer Pete Virella suggested to Noe as the men surveyed the van on Wednesday.

Earlier Wednesday, two neighbors covered the bill to take Noe's van to a mechanic, who determined the engine was locked and unable to be repaired.

 Mike Noe with neighbor Jennifer Hack.
Mike Noe with neighbor Jennifer Hack.
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DNAinfo/Alisa Hauser

If Noe's van is scrapped, he will at least have a place to sleep. Ray Egipciaco, a friend of Noe's since grammar school, has put him up for the past few nights in his West Humboldt Park home since hearing about Noe's living situation.

"I'm trying to help him until he can be on his own again," Egipciaco said.

Since Noe lost his job and apartment last year and moved into his van, Virella said that he has gotten "at least five or 10 calls" about Noe or another man who is also living in a van in a different part of the same beat Virella has patrolled for almost 20 years.

"I understand nobody wants a guy living in a van. What the people who are calling [911] don't understand is that these are the same people that have been here for 50 years," Virella said.

The officer said he talked to Kim Shepherd, a volunteer Chicago Alternative Policing facilitator, last week and wondered "Why don't they help him instead of trying to push him out, erase him from their view?" Virella said.

Shepherd posted Virella's comment about helping Noe on the Ukrainian Village Neighborhood Watch Facebook page, where concerned neighbors immediately began drumming up ways to help.

A donation box for cash and gift cards was installed at Fatso's Last Stand, 2258 W. Chicago Ave. on Saturday.

Fatso's co-owner Dave Jacobs said Thursday that about $400 in cash and $100 in gift cards has been donated to help Noe, along with "multiple bags of dog food" for Troy, Noe's 8-year-old pit bull. Noe has also come by Fatso's Last Stand to eat a few times, too, Jacobs added.

Noe's previous van was totaled in a drunk driving accident in November, Noe said.

Noe said he has stopped drinking.

"I did it myself, I stopped. I was a heavy, down-in-the-dumps drinker but I always got back on my feet. This time, though ..." Noe said.

"... You were in a dark place," Virella said, finishing the sentence.

In addition to the donations at Fatso's Last Stand, Noe — who can no longer do construction jobs due to lower back pain that he was denied disability benefits for — said he got an offer to be a dishwasher at a restaurant, which he is planning to pursue because a woman who runs a dog boarding company has offered to watch Troy.

Bruce Silverman, a veterinarian at Village West Vet, 840 N. Western Ave., said his office is accepting donations of food, toys and treats donations.

"We have had some donations dropped off so far and we certainly welcome more," he said.

Jennifer Hack, owner of the dog-training company Dynamic Dogs, lives in an apartment next to where Noe's van has been parked and said she frequently sees Noe walking Troy around the block.

"He's like a built-in neighborhood watch. I have no problem with him being here. He is a nice guy and deserves to have people helping him out," Hack said.

Though an abandoned car that has not been moved for 10 days can be ticketed and towed, Virella said he will not issue Noe a ticket.

"I'm not going to dislodge his progress. This van is dilapidated. He needs help rather than punishment," Virella said.

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