AUSTIN — You see the homeless standing on corners holding signs asking for money, and some others even ask for work.
It's very easy to make assumptions about people who are homeless, but what if you just spent a few minutes hearing their stories?
"I got stuck in my life, but I'm now moving forward," said Sharika Vales, a homeless Austin mom.
As the winter leaves fall from the branches, Vales hopes to bloom opportunity.
"I've been homeless before," she said. "When I first came to Austin, I was homeless and it was tough."
Vales refuses to sleep in the streets again, so she is now holding up a sign on the corner of Steck Avenue and Shoal Creek Boulevard, begging to get work to get back on her feet.
"You may have some setbacks in life, but don't let it stop you," she explained.
Her two pillars in life are her two children. One is 3 years old, and the other is barely one.
Last year, more than 7,000 people were homeless in the city of Austin.
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You just lose sight and focus in what you want in life," she explained. "And some people just let it all go."
This vision was not as clear on the corner of Braker Lane and Research Boulevard in North Austin.
"I'm legally blind," said Gunner Peterson, who moved to Austin form Norway.
"I don't see from my right eye, so I only have seven percent left in my left eye," Peterson explained.
Peterson is out every single day to help pay for his survival.
"I have to get up at four or five in the morning to get ready," he said. He stands at the corner for 10 to 12 hours every day just to pay for a room to sleep in.
"This is like my third day and I have passed out a couple numbers," Vales said. She is searching for any labor work to help buy her children Christmas presents.
"When it comes closer to the holidays, it gets colder so it's harder for us to survive," Peterson said.
"Once you let go, you just have to grab it back," Vales explained. "I'm just going to go get it."
Both Peterson and Vales are two lives on a different road, but both have the same mission in fighting any obstacle.
"I hope this year all people in this world get a little closer," Peterson explained.
It just shows that where there's a will, there will always be a way.
"There's good people out there so don't be afraid to put yourself out," said Vales, as she waved at passerby vehicles. "If you have to stand in the corner until someone notices your weird idea, people will help."
"I'm thankful to still be alive I guess," Peterson explained, as he glimpsed at the busy traffic.
If you are in need of assistance, CLICK HERE for a list of resources. If you're interested in contacting Vales, call KVUE at 512-459-6521 for more information.