Nayasa Hills, 6-years-old, plays with her sister Bra'enysa Davis, 2-years-old, outside of their North Hollywood apartment Tuesday, December 9, 2008. The girls mother Bernice Davis, a single mother, became homeless in 2006 after she could no longer afford a rented room at a friend's home. In the ensuing months, she exhausted her savings while staying with family and friends and ultimately sought refuge at a Skid Row mission. Discovered by Los Angeles County's Skid Row Outreach Team, Davis was referred to Beyond Shelter, which relocated her family to a hotel within 24 hours. Within a few months, the nonprofit agency helped her move into a two-bedroom apartment in North Hollywood and obtain a Section 8 voucher to continue paying the rent. With only an 11th grade education, Davis is now attending adult school to obtain her GED and is working toward becoming self-sufficient again. The outreach team and Beyond Shelter have helped Davis and 234 other homeless families, including about 700 children and 300 adults obtain permanent housing and services and get off the dangerous streets of Skid Row. (Hans Gutknecht/Staff Photographer)
