San Francisco Examiner -October 2, 2002
J.K. Dineen Of The Examiner Staff

That is what life has been like lately for Terry Collins, who has developed into a minor celebrity even as he remains homeless, jobless, and spends his days volunteering at the Tenderloin AIDS Resource Center.

Collins, 35, and his brother Cornell Miller, 32, were flown to New York on Saturday to appear on "The John Walsh Show," a new program from the host of "America's Most Wanted."

Walsh extended the invitation to the siblings after reading an Examiner story about their rescue in late August of 2-year-old Aurora Barnes, who was about to be tossed three flights down into the entrance of the Powell Street BART Station.

Witnesses say suspect Carlos Martinez would have tossed the baby to certain death if Collins had not leaned over and grabbed the baby while Miller tackled the suspect.

Lesley Barnes, the toddler's mother, also appeared on the talk show, which will air later this month.

"John Walsh said: 'Man, I need you guys to come work for us. You saved the baby. You saved (Barnes.) And you caught the kidnapper,' " recalled Collins.

Show producer Greg Piccioli said Walsh "loved these guys -- they were the heroes of the day."

But after a ritzy weekend strolling through Central Park and standing beneath the neon of Times Square, Collins was back to reality this week, sitting behind the desk at the Tenderloin nonprofit known as TARC, handing out clean needles, cotton balls and hygiene kits.

"I'm struggling hard. It's a lot of work when you don't get paid for it -- but that's OK," said Collins. "Something good's going to come of it."

While Miller has a sporadic, part-time maintenance job, Collins has not worked since spring when his janitorial job was cut. He has not had a place to live since March, and he and his 16-year-old son bounce between shelters and "ex-girlfriends." He is on a waiting list for public housing.

He said being homeless is particularly tough for his teenager, who never knows where he'll be sleeping but has to commute to school in the Richmond. "He gets there somehow or another. He gets up to go to school and I get up to come here," said Collins. "He dress nice and keep himself up -- his friend probably think he living in a mansion or a house someplace."

While Collins grew up in the Tenderloin, he said volunteering at TARC has been an education. "I've done outreach in the streets. I bleach bottles, hand out condoms, talk to clients who got HIV, talk to clients that shoot up with needles."

TACR counselor Montrice Gilbreath said Collins "knows how to approach people so it's not intimidating."

"He is considerate and reliable," said Hank Wilson, the head of TARC. "I trust him. He's demonstrated an ability to work with everyone here and we're like diversity central."

Meanwhile Collins' trip to New York has people at TARC on Golden Gate Avenue buzzing. Collins was telling people about it Tuesday while the waiting room filled with people waiting to take AIDS tests or get consultations.

"(Lesley Barnes) said she might get some more talk shows," he told them. "I said just call me up when you're ready and I'll be there."

E-mail: jdineen@sfexaminer.com
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