You Don't Know Me But I Thank You.

It’s hard even to admit you’re homeless to others. As I sit here and write this I’m wondering how I should relate my thoughts and feelings to those reading this. It’s extremely daunting, being in a position where you feel hopelessness—I have constant thoughts of “Hey you! Didn’t you see this coming?” How the heck did this happen? Poor decisions? Financial burdens?

Many people have no insight as to the exact nature or natures that cause another human to become homeless. Some give blindly, and give money because it is the thing to do. Others turn their backs and see drunks, addicts and laziness. “Get a job Dude.” To those who have open eyes that believe firmly in social services and understand that homelessness is not a cyst easily removed, I applaud you. Giving your time, your effort does have an effect on society. It does affect outcomes in people’s lives. I give my sincerest thanks to those who have helped me.

I’ve been at the Torres Community Shelter for 5 months. Here I’m gaining confidence and the knowledge that I can control the stuff in life. With the help of staff and services through the shelter I’ve come to believe that I can be healthy and fix what problems I needed to address, and, as cliché as it is to say, “Become a participating citizen.”

I’m here to tell you that this community shelter is needed. The staff is very well educated and very skilled. They have established relationships with other branches of services and have become firmly connected in our community of Chico and the surrounding areas. I am pleased to call them my friends and have the highest regard for them. They have helped in ways that many reading this will not understand. But the bottom line is you, the reader, have changed my life without even knowing it, by your choice not to turn your backs. You have allowed me to grow, become self sufficient. I’m fortunate to have the shelter, and now I’m working again.

But money is not everything, there are many parts to life that have to be tended to, some anonymous, some not. I also have to give many thanks to other services that have helped me. They know who they are, but if not for them, if not for the shelter, it would have been much more difficult.

Unfortunately, when you are homeless it is difficult to become aware of what is available. That’s where the Torres Community Shelter comes in…without your actions, your giving, and your beliefs in helping, my life would be different.

It’s hard to admit that you’re homeless. Some may read this who know me but not my previous past. In a way I now have become an open book, but if it is beneficial to open hearts and minds, so be it. You don’t know me but I thank you. Sincerely, Bruce

One Family on Their Way through Hard Work and Effort

I never thought it would be so hard to be a single parent, to be a single dad. Last July I got laid off from my job. I work in cabinetry and was laid off because of the economy. I tried going back to work a couple times, and did work at Taco Bell for 16-20 hours a week, but I couldn’t afford daycare. I tried looking for assistance for daycare by going to the County. The County and the Welfare Department told me to ride out unemployment and then the County could help with daycare. My roommate wasn’t paying rent, so we both got evicted. I’m originally from Oroville and grew up there. The Rescue mission in Oroville couldn’t help me, because I’m a single dad. Thankfully the Torres Shelter is here. Shawn Jr. and I have been at the Torres Shelter since the beginning of June. They are able to take families like me and Shawn. Shawn is four years old, and he’s in preschool right now. For awhile now I’ve had a job working full time as a cabinetry worker. Patrick, my case manager here at the Shelter is helping me look for housing. Since I’m working, I’m saving some money now, and we’ll probably be here at the Torres Shelter for another month.

—Shawn

My Story by Bob Preston

I was raised in a family with an alcoholic father who physically and mentally abused my mother and me, the oldest of 7 kids. My Dad would grab me up and start slapping and hitting. Everyone in my family was too afraid to turn him in. At 16, I decided I had enough of his abuse and my brother and I ran away to our step-sister’s house in Oklahoma.

In Oklahoma, I became a straight-A student and class president. I was fortunate to obtain a job after school to help my step-sister with room and board for my brother and me. After school, I spent 2 yrs. in the military followed by several years making good money at a variety of jobs.

I suffered my first bout of serious depression and homelessness in 1989 after I lost my home to a fire. I bought a camper to put on my pick-up truck and lived in it stopping occasionally at friend’s homes to take a shower. I lost my job soon afterward and with no permanent residence or telephone number, I found it difficult to find work. This made my battle with depression worse and I was diagnosed with severe manic-depression. I could only find temporary work so I picked up and began looking for a new start to my life. At the time, I didn’t realize there was help out there to deal with the hopelessness, and rejection. I would work, earning enough money for alcohol, cigarettes, and gasoline for my next trip.

After years of living life this way I suffered several strokes and had contracted a terminal blood-disease, given 1-2 yrs. to live. I was told that I should begin saying goodbye to family members. I called my brother who lived in Butte County and asked to stay in his backyard.

I moved to Butte County and camped out in my brother’s backyard for awhile and then left and stayed in the mountains, or parking lots. I then found out about the Torres Shelter and decided to start living there for awhile. I did my intake and was accepted the night I was dropped off by my brother. I appreciated the services provided and the transportation provided to the Jesus Center for meals. I got along well with the staff but my depression was getting the best of me. I left the Torres Shelter which continued a bad pattern I had at the time.

I was in my worst state of mind. I tried three suicide attempts after years of thinking about it often. On my third attempt, I got caught in the act of trying to jump off a bridge @ Hwy 99 & Cohasset. I was offered medication and treatment for my depression. I said yes!

Shortly afterwards I got my first real residence in almost 15 years at the Stairways Transitional Housing Program. I now live and work at the Avenida Apartments. I’ve lived here for 4 yrs and have become a consumer advocate member for NAMI and a member of a MHSA Housing Committee, which helps create other independent housing projects in Butte County. My goal now is to help homeless people who have mental illness find the resources they need to get the treatment that they need. I want to eliminate the stigma associated with people less fortunate than others. I want to give them a hand-up, not a hand out.

—Bob Preston

A note from Brad Montgomery: Bob Preston’s a friend I met while volunteering for the Butte County affiliate of NAMI. Bob was very excited when he heard the news that I would be the new Executive Director at the Torres Shelter and then began to share his personal experience of being homeless. I asked Bob if we could share his story and he enthusiastically agreed.