Jamie

What were your circumstances before coming to the Coalition?

I was homeless and living in an abandoned camper behind a house down in south Provo, The trailer wouldn’t lock, I had to go to the bathroom in a bucket or outside, there were chickens everywhere, and I didn’t have a place to shower or bathe.  I was using Meth and Vodka in an attempt to cope.  I canvassed the streets of Provo to find money to support those habits.  I was miserable and felt completely hopeless.  I even tried to jump in front of the frontrunner a few times. I didn’t want to live that way anymore, but I also didn’t see a way out. I was making bad decisions and had been in some really dark places in my life.

How did your stay at the Food and Care Coalition impact you?

I heard I could go to the Food and Care Coalition and get an emergency room.  Instead, I found out that they had a transitional housing program with built in support systems.  They have so much there (housing, medical, mental health support, 3 square meals a day, case management, and a very supportive team).  They quite literally saved my life.  Everybody was so loving and caring. It all goes back to the toothpaste, to the water, to the toilet paper, the things that so many of us take for granted. I had more than what I needed. Overall, it’s an amazing place and they helped me get my footing and believe in myself.

How have things changed since you left? 

I stayed at the Coalition for 6 months exactly. I was looking for an apartment, working at Deseret Industries, and participating in several self-improvement classes.  It was at this time that my case manager notified me of an available unit and would I like to see it.  It was a studio unit in Provo.  When I walked into it that first day, it immediately took my breath away. I loved it.  I moved in and have lived there for almost 2 years now.  I never ever thought when I first walked through the doors of the Coalition that I would be moving into my own home in 6 months. Now I have a wonderful job at DI and I’m going to school. Miracles happen. Literally, anything is possible. I’d heard that my whole life, but I didn’t really start believing it until the past year or two.