Annie Gurley

When I close my eyes I can hear my boy crying. Crying out for me. And I am not there and he is dead. He is dead now.

Homeless is the real thing, it’s a mind thing, it’s when your heart is hurt. I called myself a camper. Never homeless because I didn’t want my heart to get homeless. When you’re homeless there’s nowhere to put your things. Art helps. I always did art, especially during the hardest times. A soul collage – it says, “Don’t you see me now?”

William Dukes

I dropped out of school in the ninth grade. Went to Vietnam. The infantry taught me how to be invisible. Drugs sent me down the wrong path and I ended up in Charlotte, a city that is transforming like me.

Today I am outstanding. Progress inspires me. There is always a benefit to adversity. Feeling better made me want to help others. I stay busy now putting something back into the community.

I was never taught to draw. Paintings come out of my heart.

Todd Alison Burns, aka Tabby

I got married when I was 15. My mom sent me off with a permission slip, cause my stepfather didn’t want me around. It didn’t last six months. I drove 18-wheelers from coast to coast until four men beat, raped and robbed me. I started doing crack.

Many times I went to rehab, cause I was forced to. And then I saw a woman and her 16-yer-old child “working” and on drugs and I said to myself “that could be me.” I didn’t want that to be me. I have a 17-year-old daughter. I don’t want to go back. I like to crochet, collect coins, knit and do puzzles. I love puzzles, and unicorns.

William Pumphrey

When I was a child, I wanted a model plane like the other kids had, but the family couldn’t afford it. So I drew my own on paper and would run along beside the other kids with my drawing. Then I learned to build ’em.

Ronnie Pierce

We were raised on a tobacco farm. My brother died when he was little. We were running around the house and he got hurt. Thought I killed him. I didn’t know until I was older that he was a hemophiliac.

I made my mistakes, spent nine years in prison. Became homeless when mom and dad died and we were evicted. Now I got this place so I don’t have to worry about things anymore. I don’t have to worry when it rains. I can lay my head down any time I want. I sit in my rocking chair and rock myself to sleep. I thank God for what I do have, but I still look over my shoulder.