NSV Radio: Streetwise Partners's Story

Sharon

My name is Sharon Baker and it’s been a long time coming, but I finally get to tell my story.

I have to remember where I came from in order to know where I want to go.  I was born into addiction and was never interested in drugs because I saw what it did to my family.

Courtney

Courtney grew up in an upper middle class, suburban family, but from an early age she felt different – “I didn’t know exactly what I was.” Born Calvin, she felt most comfortable with female friends and enjoyed being “girly.” Like most kids, she just wanted to be herself — unfortunately her parents would not accept her as a girl.

She struggled to survive living her “double life.” She started using drugs and alcohol to cope, but wasn’t concerned because “partying was what young people did.”

Winona

Winona had a hard childhood. She was raised in multiple foster homes starting when she was just an infant. At the age of 17, she became pregnant and got married. Winona had two children with her husband. After her children grew up, the couple separated and Winona became homeless, living in shelters, hotels, and a rooming house. Without stable housing and with nowhere else to turn, she moved into her daughter’s apartment for several years. Circumstances changed and Winona was once again homeless.