She was sleeping in her car and had no money to buy food. Broke and unsure what to do, she would endure two or three days at a time without eating. Her compassion would not allow her to turn to friends for help, because, as she says, “they have problems of their own.”

For the first time in her life, Michelle was homeless.

Michelle once owned her own home; earned a good salary from her job caring for an elderly woman; and was married. Together, she and her husband also owned and managed a rental property. Michelle’s keen business sense meant she handled their finances.

Tracy beams. In two days, she is getting married. Like a bride-to-be, she swirls as she walks, claps her hands in delight, and her endless smile stretches from ear to ear. She stoops regularly to hug and kiss her dog. She exudes joy.

Not long ago, Tracy faced a different reality. In 1990, she witnessed an event that, to this day, she won’t discuss with anyone outside of Women’s Empowerment. As a result, Tracy experienced a mental breakdown and lost her job.

"I felt so disgusted with the world," she remembers. "I came to the river to die." Tormented by post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), Tracy sought to numb her mind. She soon became addicted to drugs.

When the holidays would draw near, Tracy's need to deaden the pain would heighten. She was embarrassed to contact her mother; she didn't want to disappoint her. Knowing she was alone drove her deeper into her addiction.

Damage caused by the senseless shooting of an innocent victim in downtown Sacramento by someone obviously mentally ill is only enlarged by its equally senseless misinterpretation.

Economic woes fuel rapid rise in homelessness.

Tracy beams. In two days, she is getting married. Like a bride-to-be, she swirls as she walks, claps her hands in delight, and her endless smile stretches from ear to ear. She stoops regularly to hug and kiss her dog. She exudes joy.