Valma and her partner are “days away from quitting” substances, and are fortunate to be housed so they can make it happen without the many layers of additional challenge that Valma’s unhoused friends on the Block face. Valma was homeless as a kid, when she and her mom spent years drifting from place to place. Her mom introduced her to drugs in those years, which were her version of a warm hug, recalls Valma. “I’d be crying my eyes out about something and she’d say, ‘This will help.’” Every family who has someone struggling with drugs needs to know that while they might feel at a loss to figure out how to help, all the tiny bits of connection of a family hanging on are so important, says Valma. “They always say you can’t get out until you’re ready. I don’t believe in that. You can get out if your family doesn’t give up on you.” It might feel like offering up a dinner invitation or coming down to the Block for a visit are pretty small gestures given the weight of the person’s crisis, she says. But for someone struggling, those little acts are the lifeline.