Dorothy Edwards (54) was just one of tens of thousands of chronically homeless living in Los Angeles County, United States, when she was identified as one of the most vulnerable to die on the streets. Los Angeles County experienced a 4% increase in its homeless population during the pandemic, with 69,144 unhoused people counted across the county in 2022, according to government data. Women make up almost one third of Los Angeles’s homeless.⁣ ⁣ For years, Dorothy supported herself painting houses, designing jewelry, working as a bartender or in a factory making toys, hiding her addiction from her family. She was using heroin, then switched to cocaine, and was also consuming meth for 40 years. While living on the streets, she was broken down and sexually abused yet exuded dignity and strength. Dorothy was a shelter resistant and lived in a tent beside a freeway when she was offered supportive housing by Housing Works, a non-profit organization that helps the homeless by providing housing through different programs.⁣ ⁣ From 'Dorothy's Journey, A Second Chance,' a photography project shot by Sarah Reingewirtz between 2011 and 2016 that tells the story of Dorothy, going from homelessness to receiving housing assistance and helping others do so.⁣ ⁣ Dorothy went on to work in the permanent supportive housing sector, as an enrichment services coordinator at the Teague Terrace apartments in Eagle Rock. This series features some of the residents. See first comment for individual captions.⁣ ⁣ –⁣ Sarah Reingewirtz (@sarahreingewirtz) is a photojournalist based in Los Angeles, United States. Her story ‘Amid High Mortality Rates, Black Women Turn to Midwives’ was awarded an Honorable Mention in the #WPPh2022 Contest. Follow the link in the bio to see the full story.