Hosted by the Los Angeles Community Action Network (LA CAN), the Skid Row Women’s Wellness Retreat turned a block-long gathering into a day of care for community members, many unhoused. Women were brought together for rest, recovery and connection. Portraits made on site offered a formal moment to mark the day and a print to carry away as a reminder to keep choosing care and community.

The event sits within a broader reality. Skid Row concentrates some of Los Angeles County’s highest needs, with an estimated 3,800 people experiencing homelessness in 2024 and the majority unsheltered. Women in the region’s homelessness system report elevated exposure to violence and persistent barriers to services; prior assessments have documented high rates of sexual assault and safety concerns even in shelter settings, and recent studies describe routine discrimination that deters people from seeking care. In that context, low-barrier wellness, trauma-informed practices, and trusted community space function as public-health work as much as relief.

These portraits focus on presence rather than circumstance, offering a record of underserved women insisting on rest, dignity and continuity amid ongoing stress. The retreat is one of LA CAN’s recurring programs. Its aim is practical and immediate.