Wednesday was Mallory Harper’s first day at her new job as an intern at New Avenues INK, a print-making shop in Southeast Portland, a few blocks from the Hawthorne Bridge. Asked why she took the job, Harper, 20, laughed a bit. “Not being homeless,” she said. “That’s what brought me here.” It’s not hyperbole. Until a few months ago, Harper was living in a tent struggling to get and stay sober after two years of things in her life going from bad – no one left willing to let her crash on their couch – to worse – spending all day figuring out where to shower and what to eat. “I’m now living inside and I feel like I should have a real adult job and do real adult things,” Harper said. “I have bills to pay.” Read more at the link in our bio. 📸: alliisonder #theoregonian #oregon #portland #summerjobs #homelessness #houselessness