During the heavy California storms of early 2023, I drove over to the town of Salinas to cover a story for my high school newspaper, The Sandpiper. Some of the roads were flooded, the rain thudded on the roof of my car, and visibility was poor. Once I reached Chinatown in Salinas, I was stunned to see multiple tents washed away, clothes lying in puddles and people's possessions soaking wet and strewn across the road. 

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Motivated by what I had witnessed, I started volunteering for a housing program nearby at the Chinatown Navigation Center. I worked at the front desk, checking people in and helping clean. Little by little I got to know the residents, some of whom had lost their tent homes to the storms and floods. Over the next few months, I was fortunate to meet some interesting residents. I asked myself, how did they get here? What's their story? Do they have kids? Are they married?

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About the project

An idea formed; I would use my passion for writing, photography and music to create awareness for the stories behind the faces that we see in our towns and cities– the people carrying their world in a grocery cart, the people who don't have a permanent place to call home. ​

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How

I found five people who were willing to share their life stories with me. The stories are told here in a reporting news format. No embellishments, just as they were told to me. I took their portrait photos using a 1998 Canon Prima Zoom 85N film camera.

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I hope you enjoy hearing about their lives as much as I have.

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Grayden Miller

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