Discovering many sources of support: Gwen

During the time I was hospitalized, my parents agreed to take care of my son so he wouldn’t end up in foster care. My parents have been married 50 years and had the ability to offer my son a stable and nurturing environment while I was trying to heal.

After I was released from the hospital, I had nowhere to go.  I wasn’t allowed to be living under the same roof as my son, as there were too many questions and concerns due to my mental illness.

I at this point, felt a feeling of hopelessness and despair, not knowing what would happen; but I knew deep down I couldn’t give up. I had to fight for my son. I needed to fight to get my life back. I found temporary shelter in the Bellingham Lighthouse Mission for 6 months.  I met others who were going through a hard time, but I was thankful at this point that I was not alone.

The Bellingham Lighthouse Mission provided me with food during the day, and shelter at night.  After 6 months, I found out about the Everett Gospel Mission Women’s shelter through a parent-ally mentor with Homeward House.  The Everett Gospel Mission had limited space, and I was fortunate enough to be accepted into their program. This is when things took a turn into a positive direction – something I wasn’t expecting.  I got hooked up with services to find housing and employment.

During the time I was hospitalized, my parents agreed to take care of my son so he wouldn’t end up in foster care. My parents have been married 50 years and had the ability to offer my son a stable and nurturing environment while I was trying to heal.

I found housing through a housing navigator, who visited the Everett Gospel Mission and was able to get me on a KFT (Keeping Families Together) voucher. Homeward House was also extremely generous by assisting with one of my rent payments through the Community Foundation Grant and offering my son school supplies (including a brand-new Chromebook) through YWCA School Days program.

I was visiting my son as often as I could, and I was put on a medication regimen that helped me function well.

My son is on the spectrum, or autistic, and I needed help as a single parent.  I was also connected with another vital resource through my DCYF social worker during this time:  the “WISe team” through Compass Health. They work as a team to keep families together and functioning during difficult circumstances.  My son was set up with a family psychiatrist, I have a parent counselor who meets with me once a week for several hours, and a Care Coordinator who keeps the team organized.

My parents and my son were connected with a phenomenal social worker through CPS (DCYF division), who worked with all of us, every step of the way. I also was blessed with a wonderful family attorney, who made sure all the paperwork was processed properly and there were no legal loopholes left.

I was very encouraged to see how the community came together and the resources that became available to us.

I received new housing in February of 2020, after being homeless for 11 months. My son was returned to me in late March of 2020, and the case was officially closed October 14th, 2020.

I can’t express my gratitude enough, for all the help my family has received.  We all played our parts to figure out how to make things work.  Even though it took time to come together, it all eventually fell into place.

Today, I am grateful for the entire experience.  The hard times serve as a reminder to not take anything for granted, to take care of oneself to the best ability, and to be careful who you let into your life. This experience has also taught me that there are a lot of good people out there, who are willing to reach out a helping hand during desperate times. Everyone needs help sometimes; the support from our communities is often vital to survival and to successfully keeping families together.

Thank you for taking the time to read my story.

Gwen — October, 2020