Meet Jane!
Meet Jane!
Hi there my name is Jane,
My name is Jane and I am 51 years old. I have 2 sons that are 26 and 22 years old. In 2019, I followed my husband to the Community House on Broadway. Prior to arriving, our lives were unmanageable.
While growing up in Kelso I was raised by my mom and her multiple husbands. As a teen I started experimenting with all sorts of drugs. After my first heartbreak, I dove deeper into using. It wasn't long before I met my first husband and we were married for 10 years. The first half of our marriage I hid my drug use. I kept a huge secret that ultimately came out but he gave me a second chance. While I recovered from my addiction, I focused on fulfilling my lifelong dream of being a mom and a wife. I worked on my recovery and I returned to school at LCC to earn an Associate's degree. With a year left of school, my husband divorced me telling me that he could not forgive me for my past. I graduated successfully with a degree in Substance Use Disorders and briefly worked in the field.
Losing my family was one of the hardest things that I've ever gone through. Just the idea of my lifelong dream not coming true devastated me. I hurt so badly and I didn't want to feel anymore. I relapsed and lost all visitation with my children. The pain was unbearable and things took a turn for the worst. I was risking my life on a daily basis. It was definitely in shambles.
My current husband and I attempted to manage our addiction but we became homeless and were homeless for 5 years. We slept in cars, tents, on the streets and in motels. Thankfully, we learned about the shelter while we were incarcerated.
We finally had enough. We were ready to ask for help. We came to the Community House. We had a warm, safe place to sleep. We were welcomed with open arms. I met with a care team including a Mental Health counselor and peer support person. The Provider met with me and prescribed the medication I needed. Things began to look up and I gained hope for the future. I attended drug treatment and learned about addiction. It was different from learning it in school. I had time to look inside myself to figure out who I was. I took a look at my core beliefs, morals and values. During the process I realized that there was more than just the disease of addiction that I suffered from. I had PTSD and drug-induced schizophrenia
At the shelter, we were taught Life Management skills such as budgeting and saving. We learned tools and coping skills to remain clean. Recovery became the foundation to becoming successful. We worked on healthy boundaries and how to have a healthy relationship. I worked on my self-esteem and self-acceptance. It was the Community House where I gained the confidence to reach out to my children. Now we communicate on a regular basis which has filled a huge hole in my heart. I felt worthy of love. Worthy of God's love. We were learning a better way to live.
After being housed I was offered a position at CHESS. This is our facility for the homeless seniors and disabled residents. I was asked to be the Kitchen Manager and to cook meals for the residents. I really enjoyed cooking for them but I wanted to do more. I was able to move into a position at the front desk. It wasn't long and I transferred to The Community House. It was a graveyard House Manager shift but it felt like home. Almost 2 years had gone by before I was offered a case management position. I felt honored to give back after they helped my husband and I so much.
Currently, I am a Case Manager for our single residents and our transitional housing tenants that have qualified for the Country Run apartments. I get to meet with residents and they share their stories with me. We build rapport and work on setting goals. While supporting the clients to become successful I let them know that I understand what they are going through. I can relate to them because I have gone through it myself. Sometimes I share tidbits of my story and it helps the clients be able to feel comfortable when sharing. The clients reach their goals and progress throughout their stay. I feel blessed to help.
I am on my way to celebrating 7 years free from active addiction. I love life today. I love my job today and love watching the community support our residents. Without the grace and opportunity I was given. I really don't know where I'd be. I'm grateful to be alive today.
I thank God every morning and every night for it was his Love and Strength guiding me through for all those years. Giving me the chance to live the life I have today.
-Jane