Between the Fall and Rise

This story is inspired by a beautiful young woman of 26 named Ashley. I met her about 8 months ago at 7th and San Pedro (the Skid Row area of downtown Los Angeles). I was on patrol with my partner when we stopped to talk with her; I was curious as to what she would be doing in such a troubled area as I'd never seen her before. It soon became apparent that she was a heroin user, and my heart sank. We had a pleasant interaction, and at the end of the conversation I saw her eyes well up as I told her that I would keep her in my prayers. I saw her again while at Jail Division after two officers had arrested her for being under the influence. I said 'hi' to her as they brought her in and she gave me a smile. I then asked if she remembered me and she said she did (it had been 6 months since I had had face-to-face contact with her). "Really?" I replied, and even though she could barely stand up, her eyes rolling to the back of her head, she said "Yea, 7th and San Pedro." I then saw her a few days later and again, I approached her and began asking her questions about where she was staying and when the last time was that she had used heroin. She asked if she was in trouble, to which I said 'no'. After hearing that she didn't know where she was going to sleep that night (It was 8 pm, and had been raining all day) I expressed that I was concerned for her. It broke my heart to know that I couldn't do anything for her in that moment. I drove home that night with a huge weight bearing down on my shoulders. I had an overwhelming urge to do something to give back, to draw awareness to the devastating powers of addiction. The Impact It has been my experience in getting to know many homeless and addicted individuals that everyone has a story to tell and desperately wants to be loved, validated, and accepted. Our collective desire is that this film will bridge the gap that keeps the marginalized in the blind spot of our communities. We hope to inspire people to give back by volunteering their time at local homeless service programs, donating to programs that have permanent supportive housing, and to increase education about addiction, homelessness, suicide and the critical importance of seeking help.