Dwan joined the ACOF community in August 2020 and currently resides in Sun Valley, CA. After experiencing a drastic fall-out with her family and domestic abuse, Dwan found herself homeless, living in a densely populated encampment.

While homeless, Dwan witnessed her homeless neighbors and friends undergo degrading treatment from others, and having to subject themselves to horrible scenarios to survive. Dwan recalls many of her friends dying from drug overdoses or leaving the encampment only to never be seen again.  After coming in contact with an outreach worker she was able to find stable housing with ACOF. Dwan states, “my life has changed for the better. I am finally out of the streets after experiencing four years of homelessness. I was nervous at first because I had a lot of doubt that this was a reality. What made this transition wonderful was knowing that there are onsite case managers to support me and encourage me to be productive daily. I feel empowered to take control of my life again.”