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The stories of 100 people experiencing homelessness in the San Francisco Bay Area. Soon to be published in a book to support our non-profit partners.
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“As a kid, I wanted to be a paleontologist. Then love unearthed me from the streets.” Mohamed
“As a kid, I wanted to be a paleontologist. Then love unearthed me from the streets.” Mohamed
When I was a child, I loved digging holes and being outside in dirt. This interest came from a group of paleontologists that visited my…
stories behind the fog
Jan 7, 2023
“San Francisco is a mess. I pick up 200 dirty heroin needles a day.” Gedion
“San Francisco is a mess. I pick up 200 dirty heroin needles a day.” Gedion
I’m not the type of person who particularly desires attention. I am not here to claim the face of homelessness, and when first approached…
stories behind the fog
Oct 7, 2021
“I once was able to.” Anita
“I once was able to.” Anita
Ohio is where I come from. And where alcoholism came, too. I’ve been out here in San Francisco for over 20 years now. This city has been…
stories behind the fog
Jun 29, 2021
“I fought self-destruction with creation.” Ronnie Goodman
“I fought self-destruction with creation.” Ronnie Goodman
I grew up in San Francisco, in the Fillmore area. I’ve been in and out of prison most of my life. Last time, it was eight and half years…
stories behind the fog
Jun 3, 2021
“Have I learned from my mistakes?” Allan
“Have I learned from my mistakes?” Allan
I live in Oakland, but today I came to San Francisco to get me a free haircut. I’m also going to the library to look for a job, check my…
stories behind the fog
Mar 17, 2021
“It’s so hard not having a home for your children.” Anonymous
“It’s so hard not having a home for your children.” Anonymous
My mother and I were always moving from one city to another, wherever there was a job — Richmond, Howard, Oakland, San Francisco… So many…
stories behind the fog
Mar 5, 2021
“I’m piecing my life together. And assembling Ikea stuff.” Keith
“I’m piecing my life together. And assembling Ikea stuff.” Keith
I am articulated and educated, but I have been homeless on and off for about six years. I’ve worked for a company for 21 years. I’m 52 now…
stories behind the fog
Feb 25, 2021
“After eight cardiac arrests, I just want peace in my heart.”
“After eight cardiac arrests, I just want peace in my heart.”
I grew up in Arizona and had a good childhood. We had nothing, but mom kept us warm and we had somewhere to stay. I had seven siblings and…
stories behind the fog
Feb 10, 2021
“I’ve been homeless since I came to America.” Martin
“I’ve been homeless since I came to America.” Martin
Six years ago, I left Juárez and came to the U.S. looking for a job. First, I lived in Reno, Nevada, but there weren’t many opportunities…
stories behind the fog
May 25, 2020
“I never had a home of my own. Ironic for a Native American.” Irene
“I never had a home of my own. Ironic for a Native American.” Irene
“Shhh! You know we have been robbed of our heritage and now we have to play the role of being latinos”.
stories behind the fog
May 18, 2020
“Sorry, I don’t have anything interesting to say.” Trevor
“Sorry, I don’t have anything interesting to say.” Trevor
I was born and raised in the Bay Area. A bit south from here, Redwood City. I’ve lived here all my life. I am fifty, turning fifty-one…
stories behind the fog
May 15, 2020
“I’m just another Latino riding the American immigration rollercoaster.” Nabor
“I’m just another Latino riding the American immigration rollercoaster.” Nabor
My Name is Nabor, they say it comes from the bible. I’m from Mexico. My sister came to the U.S. on vacation and got pregnant. My mom told…
stories behind the fog
May 10, 2020
“Homeless? You mean houseless.” William
“Homeless? You mean houseless.” William
I am about to be 47. I can’t believe that I’ve made it this far. Honestly, I never thought I’d make it past 19. I did so much stupid shit…
stories behind the fog
May 9, 2020
“Heroin made all the bad things go away. And all the good things, too.”
“Heroin made all the bad things go away. And all the good things, too.”
People are quick to make assumptions about homeless young people. They see us, and their immediate reaction is, “look at those kids out…
stories behind the fog
May 1, 2020
“I came out of prison looking for a dime pay phone.” Eti
“I came out of prison looking for a dime pay phone.” Eti
That’s how long I stayed in jail. 45 years. From 1970 to 2015. Bank robbery, nobody hurt. I could have come out in the 80s, but then I got…
stories behind the fog
Apr 23, 2020
Shelter in (which) place? Shannon, Director at The Gubbio Project.
Shelter in (which) place? Shannon, Director at The Gubbio Project.
I mean, what does “stay at home” mean for people without a roof over their heads? During the COVID-19 pandemic, unhoused folks can’t…
stories behind the fog
Apr 18, 2020
“I died twice.” Michael
“I died twice.” Michael
I’ve been 100% clean for five years and ten months, but I still carry a beer belly. I have a huge scar right on top of it. I was only…
stories behind the fog
Feb 20, 2020
“When I was driving for Uber, I’d sleep in the back of my car.” Jasmine
“When I was driving for Uber, I’d sleep in the back of my car.” Jasmine
I like to move around. I don’t think of home in terms of structures, of a specific building. Home to me is a feeling, a sense of comfort…
stories behind the fog
Jan 16, 2020
“Nobody wants you when you have a brain injury.” Darryl
“Nobody wants you when you have a brain injury.” Darryl
I don’t think I ever had a normal life. My life has been a questioning world, an adventurous world. I’ve lived in LA, New Orleans, the…
stories behind the fog
Oct 31, 2019
Six (bold) signs that homelessness is increasing
Six (bold) signs that homelessness is increasing
This series has been photographed by Fran Guijarro
stories behind the fog
Oct 21, 2019
“She blew meth into the pup’s snout.” Brent
“She blew meth into the pup’s snout.” Brent
Have you ever seen a dog in a shopping cart before? Maybe not. And that’s probably because dogs don’t belong in shopping carts…
stories behind the fog
Oct 10, 2019
“My accordion helps with depression.” Clarence
“My accordion helps with depression.” Clarence
I’m from Wisconsin, and all my family is still there. I’m the only outcast. That’s how they treat me, as the one that didn’t make it. My…
stories behind the fog
Sep 18, 2019
“I need a chance. My spelling is much better now.” Ralph
“I need a chance. My spelling is much better now.” Ralph
I was walking down the street and I see a dictionary, so I picked it up. I was looking for one. If I can’t spell a word, I’ll look it up…
stories behind the fog
Sep 4, 2019
“For the record, undocumented people took good care of my son.
“For the record, undocumented people took good care of my son.
I feel lonely sometimes, because people don’t really understand why I did what I did. When life was really challenging, all my three kids…
stories behind the fog
May 28, 2019
“My life on the streets was funner than the army.” Raymond
“My life on the streets was funner than the army.” Raymond
I came to San Francisco when I got out of the army. I got general discharge under honorable conditions. At that point I had some mental…
stories behind the fog
Apr 1, 2019
“I got housed 10 years after I applied for affordable housing.” Charles
“I got housed 10 years after I applied for affordable housing.” Charles
I was diagnosed with stage 4 cancer while I was homeless. I used to love San Francisco as a kid, but being sick and living on the streets…
stories behind the fog
Feb 1, 2019
“Too much free time gets you in trouble. That’s why I got shot.” Brandon
“Too much free time gets you in trouble. That’s why I got shot.” Brandon
My name is Brandon. I am a case manager for a nonprofit called United Playaz. I work with them to give back to where I came from: the…
stories behind the fog
Dec 13, 2018
“I had a psychotic breakdown when my building was flooded with tech people.” Cheryl
“I had a psychotic breakdown when my building was flooded with tech people.” Cheryl
I was born in the projects in Potrero hill, but I grew up in the Richmond district, a nice neighborhood. It was challenging to be one of…
stories behind the fog
Sep 20, 2018
“SRO hotels made my drug abuse worse.” Salvador
“SRO hotels made my drug abuse worse.” Salvador
I always wanted that picture-perfect American family like on TV, that was my goal. Being different, being attracted to guys with nobody…
stories behind the fog
Sep 5, 2018
Featured at TEDx
Featured at TEDx
Moses, the man who inspired ‘Stories Behind the Fog’, and Fran, creative director of the project, were invited to speak at TEDx San…
stories behind the fog
Jun 29, 2018
“If I had money, I’d buy cocaine. Poverty became my way out of it.” Masa
“If I had money, I’d buy cocaine. Poverty became my way out of it.” Masa
My name’s Masa. I’m from a very small agricultural village in Japan, where people grow rice and green tea. My family is big, five siblings…
stories behind the fog
Jun 28, 2018
“My parents taught me the right thing, but I took the wrong path. Now I got back on track.” Phill
“My parents taught me the right thing, but I took the wrong path. Now I got back on track.” Phill
I grew up middle class in the Fillmore. My parents had a cafe and a nightclub in the Fillmore back in the 1960s. James Brown came to my…
stories behind the fog
May 25, 2018
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