This series of photographs focuses on our homeless population in Vicksburg, Mississippi (2004) and Jackson, Mississippi (2008). The idea behind this photo essay was to answer the question, “How does a person become homeless?” Through this documentary, I realized that it’s usually a series of unfortunate events. One of my subjects was trying to leave an abusive relationship and ended up with her 3 children sleeping in a van. She found refuge in a homeless shelter. Another subject began drinking after the death of his son. The more he drank, the more he lost: his family, his job, his home. He found refuge in a broken-down van in a junk yard and slept there. Many of the homeless were veterans suffering from PTSD and found the streets as a way to live anonymously. These people are human beings and deserve our attention.
