Now she’s walking in homeless person’s shoes

Alivia, with another of Baytown’s homeless, Josiah.

“I moved here last November to get off drugs, to get away from all of that.

“I come from a pretty sheltered life. I didn’t grow up like this. I had money. I have parents, but my dad’s an alcoholic and he likes to rub stuff in my face.

“People tell me, ‘You could go home.’ Yeah, I could go home to that, to someone who degrades me and makes me want to go do things I shouldn’t be doing. Or I can try to make it out here by myself. To be honest, I’d rather stay out here. These people are more my family than my real family.

“It’s just sad because I used to look down on homeless people. I walked past them and didn’t even care. Now I’m in their shoes and I know how hard it actually is. I’ve seen, heard and done things that no young person should ever have to be subjected to. I don’t wish this kind of life on anybody.”

— Alivia