I left my job and my cute cottage in Mill Valley, CA. I was having a “melt down.” It was 2007 and I didn’t know what I was going to do. I was totally incoherent at that point. I left everything behind except my purse and the clothes on my back; I hitchhiked from Mill Valley to Sacramento. I thought my daughter would be glad to see me, however, when I got to her house she refused. I asked her husband to take me to Capital Park so, he dropped me off there and I lived on a park bench for a week. One day I was sleeping on the grass in front of then Gov. Schwarzenegger’s office when the sprinklers were turned on. A nice CHP officer asked if I wanted to go to the County Mental Health and I said, “YES!” There I spent one night until a Turning Point Crisis Residential Counselor came and asked if I wanted to go to their facility. I said, of course I do and from there went to Carol’s Place where I reconnected by phone with my mother and father in Southern California. My counselor there told me to give my family a call and encouraged me to call them whenever I wanted. After 3 weeks at Carols Place I shared an apartment with 2 other women at Bell St. After a year at Bell Street I transferred to the 12th Street Co-op where I lived for 3 ½ years. My journey has been a long one; however I have never given up that little ray of hope that is buried down deep inside me. Before I received housing, I was dirty and stinky, had nothing to eat, had no self-respect and yet, I had hope! Now that I have permanent housing my self esteem has gone through the roof. I absolutely love my apartment and fixing it up. I have learned never to give up hope. I worked very hard to get to this point (6 years!); to feel safe and comfortable at Folsom Oaks.
I have met my #1 goal and that was to get permanent housing and my own apartment. I have set 2 new goals to fulfill whenever; I’m not in a hurry. #1 To go back to work part time and #2 To buy a low income small house in Folsom.
I thank Hope Cooperative everyday for my beautiful apartment. I am living the good life out at Folsom Oaks. Oh, by the way, when I was living at Bell Street I reconnected with my daughter at the Staff’s encouragement and to this day we are really close. She loves my apartment and is thankful for Hope Cooperative too.