I grew up in Brooklyn with 4 brothers and 3 sisters, my mother and step father. We moved from New York to Plainfield, New Jersey, when I was 7. I went to the 10th grade then stopped. Went running with the wrong crowd. I came back to New York at 16. I didn’t like New Jersey.
I’ve been staying here, there and everywhere, then homeless on the street.

I am 45 now. I just came home from being incarcerated for 6 years. I been here (in the 85 Lex shelter) since October.
I’m stuck because of the felonies on my record. I’m trying to go to beauty school but they want me to pay a hundred dollars I don’t have. The shelter provides me with most things I need. I get $20 every 2 weeks from welfare. I need a man I need things and twenty dollars just don’t get it. You can put that.

I listen to my music. Music calms me down. I get my letters from my husband. He’s incarcerated. He should be coming home soon. I sit here and play cards with the ladies and write to my husband or go onto the computer. When I was incarcerated I wrote 3 books. I go on the computer and type my books up. I go out to my appointments. So that’s my day.

I don’t know about the future. I wake up in the morning; this is my day. Take it day by day.