Each month, we like to share with you a story of the SID Outreach Team and their work with people experiencing homelessness downtown.

Tiana had been homeless for about a year after losing her job in April 2020. She had been working at a thrift store and paying to stay at motels. Without a birth certificate, Tiana wasn’t able to look for a new job.

SID ambassadors spotted Tiana sleeping at Sensenbrenner Park several days in a row. They offered outreach and connected her to Ryan, one of the SIDs' outreach specialists.

Ryan met Tiana at the park. He worked with her to get her birth certificate and procure housing placement at the YWCA. With housing and documentation secured, Tiana plans to begin a new job search.

While Tiana was homeless, she used some of her money from the economic impact check to help an older gentleman who was also homeless. She paid for a night at a hotel and bought him a phone. When asked why she did this, her answer was simple: “everyone deserves something nice.”

“Despite her unfortunate circumstances in life, she not only finds a way to smile through her hardship but will also find a way to make you smile when you are around her,” he said. “Her exuberant spirit is truly contagious.”