October 2022 Newsletter

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Healthy Independent Living

 

Utahna was ousted from her home by her self-absorbed boyfriend. They had an argument over him drawing money from her account to pay his phone, internet, and game expenses, that left her unable to pay her own bills. To add insult to injury, she said, “My boyfriend decided that his cat was more important than I was, so I had to leave the house. He said, ‘My cat is afraid of you and runs to hide when you are around.’ He made me feel worthless. I was constantly in a bubble, couldn’t talk to anyone else or open up about what emotion I was having. He was controlling, manipulative, abusive.”

A learning disability has guided much of Utahna’s life. She was abused as a child by a person known to her family. She said, “How I was treated as a kid, it got seared into my brain, that it was how I was suppose to be treated by guys. I was confused. My family told me that I was too stupid to work and too incompetent to amount to anything.” Oregon Department of Vocational Rehabilitation has worked with her to find the right job that matches her skills, interests, and abilities. Over the years, she has been in sheltered workshops and now through job coaching has integrated into jobs in the community that pay at least minimum wage. She likes her customer service job now as a cashier in a retail store.

“I came out of my shell. I have grown. I am happy.”

Her caseworker recommended that she go to Samaritan Inn for safe housing. She had never been in a homeless shelter before, was frightened, and did not know what to expect. She was greeted with a warm welcome, then felt at ease. The combination of finding a job that suits her personality with a living environment that gives her freedom to be herself has created a whole new person. Utahna said, “I am safe. I can talk to staff about anything going on. I came out of my shell and now I am a social butterfly. I have grown. I am happy. I came a long way.” In a separate setting, Susan, our manager, said of Utahna, “She has blossomed.” She arrived here completely dejected, now she is thriving, even encouraging other women.

Utahna said, “I know that there is a God, and He is real. I have fallen away because of events in my life. Chapel services here help me figure out what God is really about, the true meaning of things that I was not taught when growing up.” As her dependence shifts to a relationship with the Lord, she will develop a greater sense of healthy independent living.