The year Becky Blanton joined the working homeless was the same year she learned that, “The human spirit can endure anything with hope.”

While we may think of homeless people as only those who live on the streets, homelessness entails all people without “permanent, safe, decent, affordable place to live.” Solutions for America estimates, between five and six hundred thousand people are considered “homeless” at any given time. What causes homelessness? Poverty is the number one culprit. About 70 percent of homeless people live in central cities. Single men constitute about 60 percent of the homeless population.

While people may assume that homeless people do not work, there are many people who work but their wages don’t cover their housing. These folks may have social security or disability income, and/or low paying jobs, but can’t pay their bills. Many live in their cars.

How did Becky Blanton, a middle-aged, educated, photographer and former journalist, who once wrote essays for Tim Russert, go from being a talented professional to a homeless woman living in a Wal-mart parking lot?

Her plight, which started out like one long camping trip and ended up with her feeling totally out of control, caught my attention on TED, is a small non-profit devoted to Ideas Worth Spreading, with the goal of giving everyone on-demand access to the world’s most inspiring voices.Check out how Becky bounces back to tell her story and inspire others:

Becky poses some interesting questions: Is homelessness ever an attitude or lifestyle choice? Can the human spirit endure anything with hope? What are your thoughts about Becky’s experience of becoming one of America’s working homeless?