Tanya, 44, originally from Ohio, is trying to stay positive and find a way off the streets. After gathering a few donated items of clothing and new blankets to replace the ones that were stolen, she talked about the place she’d been living and paying rent on a back room, until the sheriff’s deputies showed up and evicted everyone. Apparently the people she’d been renting from hadn’t paid a bill in months. They sold her car when she was away trying to find new lodgings, and the deputies threw away all her personal paperwork.
She moves around on the street, trying to stay clear of the drug scene and avoiding an abusive relationship. She is pained by what she sees as a moral decay in society, with no one being trustworthy, and in the way people treat the homeless just walking by or never asking your name.
“You never know what a person is going through. It could be they just got knocked off their feet for a minute and need a place, just time enough to get back on their feet,” she said.

She knows the street is not for her. She has six children and some grandchildren and wants to be part of their lives, but not as a person in need. She wants to be able total care of herself first.

“I don’t ever want this to become comfortable for me,” Tanya said. “I’ve got dreams, hopes and things that I want to do with my life still. I still feel young, and I can’t do this, I can’t do this.
“I just want help, that’s all. And the best way to get help is start helping yourself.”