August 2020 Newsletter

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Determination To Overcome

Forrest is the victim of a violent crime. An intruder broke and entered into his home to steal. Forrest suffered a gunshot to his neck, jaw, and ear, causing permanent damage. It caused a stroke, a heart attack, and a coma. When he awoke six weeks later, he had amnesia, not knowing his own identity or that of family. With mental and physical therapy, he regained much of his memory. A service dog helped him manage life for a few years. He was left with a noticeable difficulty in his speech, a lost career, and penniless after paying medical expenses. The condition was not the consequence of his behavior, but his resolve was a determination to overcome.

Transitioning from a young, healthy, homeowner, with a bright future to having a handicap caused depression, even anger at first. It affected his self-image, income potential, and relationships. He became a recipient of the Supplemental Security Income system, getting enough to meet basic needs. His parents had passed away, so he lived with his grandmother. There, he went through his own rehabilitation, working around her house and trying to reinvent himself.

Online dating became a means for him to overcome his new apprehension in meeting people. After six months of corresponding on social media, Forrest met his girlfriend in person. This relationship encouraged him to strike out on his own, even as it meant living at the Mission.

In just one month, he began renting a room in our Transitional Housing Program. While looking for employment, he volunteered in our warehouse, testing and repairing electronic items for our Furniture Store. He wanted to be busy, productive, and learn. The photo above shows Forrest in that area. A Mission staff member connected him with Umpqua Valley Disabilities Network. For a few months, he volunteered there as a receptionist and did computer networking, setting up client appointments for rides and housing. He was connected to Vocational Rehabilitation that referred him to an employment opportunity at a retirement facility. He got a part-time job there as a dishwasher. During the virus season, there were only pots and pans to wash, because residents were eating in their rooms using disposable tableware. So he was given grounds care work to do.

Of the Mission, Forrest said, “Life here taught me to be more responsible, to go out and get things. I’m getting a better life message (in chapel), trying to not let things in my life bother me. I’m thankful. This place helped me realize my potential.” Forrest said that in his depression after the gunshot wound, he rededicated his life to the Lord while in recovery. So, Mission chapels are great, and he is encouraged by them.