After years living in Skid Row in Downtown Los Angeles, Amber Helphingstine knew that once she was released, she could be back on the streets and to old habits. It wasn’t until she read “Becoming Ms. Burton” when she found a role model who had gone through the same. She wrote a letter to Susan Burton and to her surprise, got a reply inviting her to join A New Way of Life Reentry Project. Now, after living at ANWOL, Amber has moved onto independent living and is enrolled at East Los Angeles College where she is studying to become a drug and alcohol counselor. She hopes to use her experience and past to help her community, just like Ms. Susan Burton.