Kim

Kim lost everything in the hurricane Katrina and is currently homeless in Chicago.

I have met her several times on the streets because she lives in the park close to where I live. Her eyes begin to tear up as soon as I ask about her history. She had a house and a job as a private nurse, but the area she lived in is still a disaster zone. She was dropped of to Chicago without an ID or the knowledge of how to get one in Illinois; she had to survive without any financial support or network to go to. She has received 600 dollars from the government since Katrina, which of course does not cover any living expenses, food or clothing. She knows that the government gave some money to hand out to the people in need, but feels like it never reached her. She wonders what ever happened to the money and who might be responsible for using that money for something else. Now she lives solely on panhandling. She is not asking at all, but stands there quietly and humbly.

Kim told me she would like to go back and build a life again in New Orleans, but don't even have money for the ticket. Kim told me it's pretty dangerous out there in the park, and that she's at least happy she doesn't have any children to take care of. She worries about personal hygiene, which is important to her. Kim owns only one set of clothes as she has no place to keep her things. She was sick for a long period of time and you could tell it was hard for her to live in the park. Her eyes tear up again as she tells me she thought about jumping of a bridge, but here she still is. This painting is about her hope and the will to start over in spite her terrible experiences.