My name is Nila, and I’m a Service Coordinator at Hope Respite Care. I began my journey with the Mission here as a volunteer. Then I was hired as a Peer Navigator, and now I am a Service Coordinator. Before being hired at the Mission, I was recovering from my life choices and receiving SSI. I am so happy to be in the workforce again, especially at Hope Respite Care where people are the most vulnerable due to health problems and homelessness. This program allows me to give back the HOPE I was given as I continue to grow spiritually and in my recovery.
The participants at Hope Respite Care come from the hospital to recuperate. Most are homeless and have been for a while. They are broken from their own life choices and do not trust others. I am able to identify and connect with them because of my own experiences of homelessness, bad life choices, and health issues. I love to be able to come alongside them and be part of the solution in areas in which they battle. For others, Hope Respite Care is the last stop of their journey. I am the last ray of hope--someone who will laugh, cry, argue, and fight for them and with them. I am very privileged to give them comfort in their last days in this journey of life.
One Gentleman’s Story —
One gentleman came to Respite Care with an exceptionally large chip on his shoulder. He had been homeless for over ten years, did not trust anyone, was very set in his ways, and was deathly ill. I explained that our program was here to help people get what they needed, but that there was a process. He told me that I would not be able to deliver what I was telling him and that I was like everyone else he had met. I told him I understood he was scared, and no one blamed him. I let him know I would be there to help, even if he yelled at me when he was frustrated or cried when it got too hard.
I told him, “First things first.” I helped him sign up to get an ID, a social security card, and a birth certificate. I also helped him get established with a doctor. He began to trust me a little. Next, through his insurance, I got him into a treatment program with the cancer center and arranged transportation to and from his appointments. I also helped him obtain an attorney to get him signed up for general relief and a Section 8 packet. He was approved for a voucher and, shortly after, an apartment.
Before moving, he told me, “You said all this would happen if I followed your direction. I did not believe you one bit but you proved that if I listened, it would. Thank you for putting up with me. I could not have done it without you.” Today he is still in treatment, living in his own apartment, and has an income. Today, he, and others like him, give me a reason to do what I do, and every day I grow. I love being a part of a program that helps people learn to love themselves.
