Unnamed

3/31/11 - Week 13

I am in the Bay Area on business and went into SF tonight to shoot some pictures.  It is very unfortunate, but there is no lack of subjects for the $2 Portraits project.

 

Walking down Market Street, I met her.  She caught my eye because one does not expect a young, attractive woman to be begging on the street.  I told her about the $2 Portraits project and asked if I could take her picture and post it on the website.  She readily agreed.

 

She was born and raised in Eastern Europe and moved to the US with her mother when she was 11, went to school there and learned English.   She lost her apartment and was homeless so came out to San Francisco in November to escape the cold weather.  She plans to move back home in May, look for a job and try to get her apartment back.  

 

I asked her about her family and she said they are all still in Eastern Europe except for her mom, who lives in the US.  I wondered out loud why she was homeless back home and she said her mom has a new family and "has her own thing going on."  I have come to learn that her mom misses her terribly.  She says she likes people and liked her job as a server at a diner, but couldn't make ends meet.  She would like to work at restaurant that serves alcohol because the tips are better…but she's only 19 and will have to wait a couple of years.  I asked where she lived; she said on the streets.  She doesn't like shelters and sometimes has a hard time now sleeping indoors.

 

I gave her $2 and told her to be safe.  She smiled and said thank you.  I walked away with a heavy heart.

 

There are so many sad parts to this story.  As a parent, thinking of someone's kid living on the streets was the saddest part for me.