An “asparagus eating contest” made of asparagus and carved pumpkins is on display on the sidelines of the Giant Vegetable Competition in Klaistow, northeastern Germany, on September 20, 2015. The vegetable giants compete in seven categories. (Photo by Bernd Settnik/AFP Photo)

Hawaii has long been known as a tropical paradise, but in recent years another image has intruded into the state's carefully crafted one of idyllic beaches and relaxing resorts: homelessness. The number of homeless people has grown in recent years, leaving the state with 487 homeless per 100,000 people, the nation's highest rate per capita, above New York and Nevada, according to federal statistics. Many of the homeless, however, defy the stereotype of the mentally ill or drug addicted. They are families, with men and women who work full-time jobs. They are struggling to get a foothold in a place with a high cost of living and low wages. Here: in this Thursday, August 27, 2015 photo, a homeless man drinks water while sitting on the beach at Ala Moana Beach Park located near Waikiki in Honolulu. (Photo by Jae C. Hong/AP Photo)

A heat-stressed koala waits as a resident pours water on its back on December 19, 2015 in Adelaide, Australia. Adelaide is experiencing an extreme heatwave, with temperatures reaching over 40 degrees for five consecutive days. (Photo by Morne de Klerk/Getty Images)

A Hindu holy man is reflected on a mirror as he prepares a bowl of vermillion powder for devotees near “Sangam”, the confluence of holy rivers of Ganges, Yamuna and the mythical Saraswati, during the annual traditional fair of Magh Mela in Allahabad, in the northern Indian state of Uttar Pradesh, India, Tuesday, January 6, 2015. Hundreds of thousands of devout Hindus are expected to take holy dips at the confluence during the astronomically auspicious period of over 45 days celebrated as Magh Mela. (Photo by Rajesh Kumar Singh/AP Photo)

Girls sleep in the back of their father's moto-taxi as he watches them from the front seat, days after an earthquake in Pedernales, Ecuador, Wednesday, April 20, 2016. A fresh tremor rattled Ecuador before dawn Wednesday, a magnitude-6.1 jolt that set babies crying and shaken residents pouring once again into the streets, fearful of yet more damage following a monster earthquake over the weekend. (Photo by Dolores Ochoa/AP Photo)

Alejandro Ccasa prays after waiting three days next to an empty oxygen tank for his uncle who has COVID-19 outside a refill shop where he is the first in line before it opens in Callao, Peru, early Tuesday, February 2, 2021. Ccasa said his family has one large tank and it gives about four hours of oxygen therapy. (Photo by Martin Mejia/AP Photo)

“Joker” movie production tries to hide Joaquin Phoenix's clown make-up and green hair with umbrella and a long black cloth over his head as he was walking with the help of assistant and bodyguard to the set of “Joker” filming at a Bronx train station on September 22, 2018. (Photo by The Mega Agency)

Spanish director Pedro Almodovar and actress Penelope Cruz chat before the start of the Spanish Film Academy's Goya Awards ceremony in Madrid, Spain, February 4, 2017. (Photo by Paul Hanna/Reuters)