Karyn Johnson, aged 15, living in Harlem, being poor & ugly, was a fine example of 'loser.' With a baby daughter, no husband, she had to go on welfare, although she hated the idea. She and her child had to eat. This young teen mother, not even old enough to drive, became a drug addict. She did unspeakable things to get drugs, often with her daughter present. It got so bad that they both ate out of garbage cans.
Five long years of welfare. Finally put the kid into daycare, and got a job putting makeup on people in a local playhouse. Didn't take too long to lose the job.
Got another job putting makeup on people in a funeral home. Ghastly work, but she was hungry, and determined to make it on her own. Lost that job, too. Karyn talked to her 5-yr old daughter, and said, "Honey, let's start a fresh life, changing everything."
They moved out of NY, and started again. Three years -- just about one thousand days -- she repaid NY City's Welfare Dep't every penny she had accepted.
She became the highest-paid woman in Hollywood, you might have recognized the new name she adopted... Whoopi.
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Excerpt from website I recommend when you are bored, "masters and millionaires".
