“I first came to WestCare in 2013. I had just lost my late husband to suicide, and I had four children at the time. At that time, I could not actively participate and complete my program at WestCare as I felt like I needed to be home to parent my children. Emotionally and mentally, I was not ready to have my children on the outside without me, as they were also processing the loss. It was a very traumatic time for us all.
In 2023, I had gotten to a point where I was working 100+ hours, and I neglected my mental health. Unfortunately, I turned to alcohol as a coping mechanism, and I became an alcoholic. As a result, I was placed on a mental health evaluation. I was homeless at that point, and I needed help. While at the facility where I was held for my mental health evaluation, I asked to go to WestCare. I was finally able to put my mental and physical health first.
When asked how I could define myself by the case manager Ashley at WestCare, all I could say is that I am a mom. When asked what I wanted to do, I said I wanted to go to school to major in social work and substance abuse counseling. I felt like this was the time for me to share my story. As a person who has pre-existing and co-occurring disorders such as depression, PTSD, and anxiety and is recovering from substance abuse issues, I felt like I could be a voice for the voiceless.
Because I was homeless, I was referred to the Hope program. With the help of the Hope program, I started school in August of 2023 and found housing in October of 2023.
While being a part of the Hope program at WestCare, I enjoyed the community, groups, check-ins, and counselors. Everybody was there with a life story, and I had the support that I did not have from those around me. I was able to express myself and share my mental health issues in a safe place. Angela with the Hope program has also shown me that I could receive help through local resources. Additionally, the housing opportunities provided by Hope and Fresno City College have been a godsend. I never thought I was going to graduate with two certifications. Addicts and disabled individuals are also people who deserve to be supported and I feel I needed to step in and do that.
Each staff member has a connection with the students. They make great efforts to reach out to talk to students to see if they can benefit from any available resources. I feel they have geared us to face the community and empowered us to advocate for ourselves. Their emails, phone calls, and texts are all helpful
and bring a sense of compassion. The Hope program is part of my support system. It pushes us and gives us the tools to be independent, take life into our own hands, and advocate for ourselves.
I want to be a real role model where my kids can say, ‘She had it hard and she still made it through all of that!’
This is dedicated to all of my children, ages 15, 14, 13, 12, 11, 10, 6, 5, and 4.”