Laura has lived homeless off and on since the age of 23. She is 46, and half of her life has been on the streets without a home.
Laura does not want to be around her family. She had a hard life and was abused as a child. When she first became homeless in New York City she worked in a peep show and then graduated to street prostitution to survive.
She met a man and because of that relationship, she stopped sex work. Laura says the relationship only lasted for a few months but she never went back to prostitution.
Laura services by soup kitchens and eats at Hare Krishna Temple that provides free food. She doesn’t like to go to shelters because of all the drama. Laura prefers the outdoors.
Laura was overjoyed that someone took the interest and the time to tell her story. After I stopped recording she kept thanking me over and over. Often service providers use privacy as an excuse not to share people’s stories. If done right with permission and respect, the benefit to the homeless person sharing is tremendous.
Laura is a kind soul that has lived a very hard life. I am always blown away when I meet people who have this natural ability to stay positive even through the horrors of homelessness.
