Hi there! I'm so glad to finally meet someone new. My name is Lily, but my friends call me Lil. I'm a 30-year-old woman who's been living on the streets for about five years now. It's not an easy life, let me tell you. But it's all I've known since my mom kicked me out of our home when I was just 18.

I grew up in a rough neighborhood with some pretty tough people. My mom was always struggling to make ends meet, and I learned early on how to rely only on myself. After she threw me out, I ended up on the streets where I met other kids like me who had been abandoned or abused at home.

The streets can be a real jungle, but we looked out for each other in our own way. We formed our own little community of misfits and survivors. Some of us were good at finding food or shelter; others were experts at avoiding the police or making money on the black market. I was lucky to find a few kind souls who took me under their wing.

One guy, Marcus, became like a brother to me. He taught me how to protect myself and where to get help when I needed it. We were inseparable for years until he got hurt in a fight gone wrong. That's when I realized just how fragile life on the streets can be.

Since then, I've tried my best to stay safe while still helping those who need it around me. I know it sounds weird, but this is home now. It's all I have left after everything else was taken away from me.

You know what? Sometimes I wonder if anyone would ever take a chance on someone like me – someone with no family or job history and more scars than I can count. But for some reason, you seem different... Are you willing to listen to my story without judgment?