Rikki Nail-Hart holds two sticks as she and other residents of a homeless camp behind Walmart work on packing up their belongings before moving to a new location Monday, Feb. 12, 2024, in Clarkston. Homeless residents that had been staying at a nearby park were invited to move into the area that was thought at the time to be a city right of way in late 2023.

Nancy Caskey holds pizza crust up for her dog Moose as Scott Darrington looks on Tuesday, Jan. 15, 2024, at the homeless camp in Clarkston. Several residents, including Darrington, become the de facto leaders of the group that watched out for others and worked to get the camp supplies it needed. Although the Lewiston Clarkston Valley has no homeless shelters, organizations Quality Behavior Health, Elves for the Homeless LCV, and various volunteers would help camp residents with food donations, warm clothes, and giving residents rides to appointments.

A hand reaches out from a tent at the Clarkston Homeless camp on Thursday, Jan. 11, 2024.

A resident walks through the homeless camp on Friday, Jan. 12, 2024, in the aftermath of late night snowstorm that covered the Lewiston-Clarkston Valley. Among the camp’s biggest needs was warm clothes, propane, and material to burn.

Scott Darrington holds his dog Big Pimpin tight within his jacket as he gets ready for a doctors appointment Friday, Jan. 12, in Clarkston. Darrington, who has a deformed heart and experiences seizures, will turn 47 this week. He said he was given three to five years to live, and April will mark the start of year three.

Evette Leroy embraces Tony West as they stand near the center of the homeless camp behind Walmart on Tuesday, Jan. 16, 2024, in Clarkston. Since the city told homeless residents they could stay behind Walmart around 2 and a half months ago, the camp grew to around 70 people and many tents and constructions made by residents of pallets, sticks and tarps.

John “Cowboy” Parke confronts Steve Austin after the city council passes an ordinance that made camping near Walmart illegal and Mayor Monika Lawrence declared a “civil emergency.” While the council allowed no public comment at the emergency meeting, many in the overflow crowd demanded answers after learning the homeless camp in the port area will be cleared and anyone who remains will be considered a trespasser. The decision was triggered by the recent discovery that a stretch of right of way at the end of 10th Street is privately owned and not public property.

Pastor Nick Hasselstrom, center top, and others place their hands on Walter, an older resident of the homeless camp, as they pray following a Sunday sermon by Hasselstrom at the camp, Sunday, Feb. 11, 2024, in Clarkston. Following the news that the camp would be cleared, volunteers from the community and residents began the process of packing up their belongings.

John “Cowboy” Parke shakes hands with Clarkston Police Sgt. Bryon Denny as notices of trespass are served Wednesday, Feb. 7, 2024, in Clarkston. Following the city’s emergency ordinance, police gave residents until Monday, Feb. 12, to vacate the property, giving residents time to pack up their belongings and find a new placed to go. “I freaked out at the meeting, and I apologized to everybody for that,” Parke said. “But the whole community came together, and there’s a plan, there’s people working on getting a spot for us.”

A camp resident walks through the camp with an American flag as residents work to gather up their belongings and move to a new area Monday, Feb. 12, 2024, in Clarkston. Efforts by volunteers and residents to clean up the camp moved late into the night. No arrests were made at the camp, according to Clarkston police.

Members of the Clarkston Police Department, including Police Chief Joel Hastings, left of center, Clarkston Fire Department and Disaster Response work to clean up the homeless camp behind Walmart on Tuesday, Feb. 13, 2024, in Clarkston.

A rainbow forms in the distance as residents of the homeless camp work to pack up their belongings Monday, Feb. 12, 2024, in Clarkston. “I think God is working here,” said Mary Egeland, one of the volunteers who helped camp residents move their belongings. “It’s (just) very hard to see through the yuck.”