By Amie Schaeffer
Original Source: sltrib.com
This story is jointly published by nonprofits Amplify Utah and The Salt Lake Tribune, in collaboration with Salt Lake Community College, to elevate diverse perspectives in local media through student journalism.
Rachel Santizo spent nearly a decade living on the streets of Salt Lake City, finding safety from abuse and assault at night by sleeping in public spaces, often under parked cars. A drug addiction, triggered with prescribed pain pills which shifted to meth and heroin, had led her there.
“You have to hit multiple rock bottoms,” she said. “After an almost 10-year battle, I became exhausted. I literally could not do it anymore.”
Last August, Santizo walked on the stage at the...click here to continue reading
