Tina is a 26 year old woman who never thought she would find herself experiencing homelessness and living in her vehicle. A falling out with her family and lack of community support left her fending for herself. Tina had big dreams of finishing her degree and becoming a writer but felt that was no longer achievable, her focus now was to survive. She found Safe Parking LA after doing online research on resources in the area, and decided it would be the best fit for her since there was a lot that was dedicated to serving women.

Tina found it hard to be vulnerable around others due to her previous home life that consisted of judgement and rejection. Due to that, there wasn’t much expectation that she would participate in the art activities presented at the lot. To the surprise of staff, Tina became an active participant in the Claiming Who I Am activity. She found that she could use the activity to reclaim parts of her that had been tucked away while being in survival mode.

Tina took a seat at the end of the table and let go. She allowed herself to remember the things that once made her happy and the things she looks forward to reclaiming in the future. Tina spoke of adopting a rescue cat once she obtains stable housing, enrolling back in school and just sitting back, relaxing and enjoying music the way she once did. She’s primarily looking forward to writing again, she wants to be able to use her experiences to write a book that can inspire other women in similar situations.