This week I was reminded how much a stable place to sleep can improve someone’s outlook on life.
Greg (assumed name) has been living in his car for the past few months. He was very grateful to find our Resource Center and all we offer, especially to have a place to shower and do laundry. After getting to know us, he shared how lonely he is living out of his car and how difficult it is trying to find a safe place to park every night, often having to drive to Creswell or Coburg. We immediately started looking for options for him.
Luckily, one of our Pallet Shelter’s opened up at Everyone Village, and we moved him in last Friday. This Monday morning Greg came in and was excited to tell me how nice it is to wake up warm and comfortable as opposed to freezing! He also shared “It’s been a weird shift moving into the pallet shelter. I went from complete chaos to complete peace. Normally that’s not how things in my life have worked. Help in my life has always been conditional, but this feels truly unconditional.”
Talking to him now, I see a complete shift in his demeanor. He used to be anxious and skeptical, but now I see hope! “I’m grateful to have people in my corner who truly care about me. It has improved my mental health so much.”
We don’t often receive this level of praise or gratitude from our guests, (and that’s not why we help anyways) but it feels good when we do. I’m so thankful for our partnership with Everyone Village as we work together to change lives and provide safety, stability, and hope to those who need it most.