Terrance Tabler, 4, sleeps on the sofa at his grandmother's house in Pomeroy, Ohio, during a visit with his mother, Jessica Laudermilt, on Friday, May 1, 2009. In April of 2009, Laudermilt graduated from the Rural Women's Recovery Program in Athens, Ohio. She endured several abusive relationships. Laudermilt was abusing drugs and alcohol. She had 5 children from 3 different men, and has lost custody of all of her children.

Jameska McKee, 16, holds her cousin Roxy, 3, while sitting in their grandmother's backyard in Glouster, Ohio on June 1, 2009. Roxy's parents gave up custody of her last year because they were facing problems with drugs and crime that left them homeless and unable to care for their daughter. Jameska and her mother Tammy have gained legal custody of Roxy and are working on giving her a better life than what she faced in her troubled past. "I don't want her to turn out like her mom," Jameska said. "That's why I'm so overprotective of her."

Betty, Mark Smallwood's 1-year-old boxer, leaps into the air after Smallwood mentioned the word "walk" at his home in Baltimore, Thursday, May 15, 2009. Smallwood is responsible at Whole Foods to ensure they buy products locally, and hopes to begin a side project to teach urban farming, cooking, selling, and canning.

Tom stands in the bedroom he once shared with his wife. He can no longer sleep in the room and instead sleeps downstairs.

A young boy reaches through the bars of the enclosure where he is kept in The House of Dignity, a Syrian asylum for the elderly, disabled and socially excluded. The most severely disabled residents are confined for their own and others' safety.

Life has pushed Jamie Norwood ahead, she is no longer a careless 14 year-old girl, she is a mother and her life now consist of late night feedings and dirty diapers. "Jamie sleeps with me every night," said her mother Rae Norwood. "She thinks she's big, but she's not because when it's time for bed she's right there with her momma and now her baby is right there in between us every night. Scotty won't last very long, it will be just me and Jamie."

Tami Shnars, 44, of Nelsonville, Ohio, a single mother of 4 children, sleeps in her bedroom with her youngest her son, Jacob Daubenmire, 8. Tami has endured several abusive relationships. Jacob was abused severely by his father, who lost custody of Jacob in 2009. "Even though the abuser is gone, the abuse is still seen in the lives of my children," Shnars said.

Jill and Michael Wallace embrace after Michael returns from a week of work. Michael travels three hours to Gatlinburg, Tenn., every week to build log homes for a developer.

Scott Hutchison wraps his arms around his daughter, Hannah, and prays during a church service Jan. 25, 2009.

A chipmunk pauses between shoving peanuts into his cheeks.

Burmese refugee Maung Maung takes a shower/bath in his "new" American apartment. Less than three months prior he and his family were sleeping on dirt floors in a Thai refugee camp and bathing outdoors. Now the family of six lives in a two-bedroom, one-bath apartment with running water and electricity. They came from a Thai refugee camp without much electricity or running water are unaware of how to use the shower head for bathing. Instead they fill a large bucket with water and scoop the water out with a small metal bowl.