When Central City Concern gave me housing, healthcare, and addiction treatment services, they didn’t change the world. But for my daughter and me, the whole world changed.

In December 2006 I was pregnant, homeless, and addicted to drugs and alcohol. I wasn’t feeling very merry or bright about the approaching holidays.

The gift I wanted more than anything? Change. And I wanted it desperately.

A friend told me about the Letty Owings Center, a program run by Central City Concern that provides housing and healthcare for pregnant women who are homeless and struggling with addiction. I got in, and by March 2007, I was clean and sober. For the first time in a long time, I was living in a safe, stable, supportive environment surrounded by people who wanted me to succeed. In August 2007, I gave birth to a healthy baby girl.

In April 2008, I moved out of the Letty Owings Center and into Central City Concern’s alcohol- and drug-free family housing. Over the next three years, Central City Concern gave me the support I needed to stay sober through their Recovery Mentor Program, get job training through their Supported Employment program, and be a good mom.

Central City Concern gave me the gift of change I so desperately wanted five years ago. Now my daughter and I have our own place. I have a job that I love and I’m off all public assistance. And this year, I’m looking forward to the holidays.

I am so grateful for the support I received from Central City Concern. But I know there are hundreds of people out there who are still struggling like I once did. This holiday season, you can help by supporting Central City Concern with a gift of $500, $250, $100, or whatever you can afford. To make your gift on our secure, online server, click here.

Please make that gift today. The need for your support has never been greater.

 

---

Central City Concern brought an array of service to Salina Perez -- beginning with Letty Owings Center and Alcohol/Drug-Free Family Housing to Supported Employment services. See how we never gave up on Salina and how far she has come.  (This video was shared at our annual Working Our Way Home luncheon.)

http://www.youtube.com/centralcityconcern#p/a/u/0/uJBe4t1HfU0

 

---

Thank you for visiting this website to learn more about how Central City Concern helped me turn my life around.

Arrogant, unstable, unwilling to change.

High school dropout. Cocaine addict. Hustler and thief.

Chronically homeless. A drain on society.

That’s how I’d describe myself up until Thanksgiving 2008, when Central City Concern gave me one more chance to turn my life around.

I’d run away from home at age 10 and starting using drugs at about the same time. Between the ages of 12 and 44, I’d been arrested almost 200 times—126 times in Portland, alone. I’d spent 32 years living on the streets, been through four rehabs, and made countless trips to jail.

I was exhausted. And I was ready for something different.

I first became a client of Central City Concern in the Fall of 2006. CCC offered me a safe place to live and a case manager to help me get pointed in the right direction. I wasn’t particularly grateful for the help, at first. In fact, I continued to cause trouble for two more years. But Central City Concern never gave up on me.

In March 2009, I got a room at The Estate, one of several CCC buildings dedicated to housing people who are newly engaged in treatment and recovery. Shortly thereafter, I was hired on as a “barrel pusher” for the Clean & Safe program, where I started to gain job skills and earn a reputation as a dependable employee. I worked my way up, becoming a janitor through CCC’s Business Enterprises program.

Now I’m the Weekend Supervisor for the Clean & Safe program, a father to my children, and a mentor to other addicts struggling to get clean and off the streets. I’ve got my driver’s license, I’ve paid off my debts, and I’m planning on enrolling in community college so I can continue to advance professionally.

None of this would be happening for me without Central City Concern. I’m in the mainstream for the first time in my life.

I know there are countless other people out there like me who still need help. On any given night, approximately 2,500 adults—some with young children—are sleeping in shelters or doorways in the City of Portland. Nearly all of them are suffering from mental health problems, alcoholism or drug addiction. Some are victims of domestic violence. Some are military veterans with PTSD. Some have had experience with the legal system.

They all deserve the same chance I got to get on their feet.

That’s why I’m asking you to make a donation today to Central City Concern of $250, $100, $50, or whatever you can afford. You can click here to do so.

Thank you very much for supporting Central City Concern and giving others like me the chance to turn their lives around, too.

Sincerely,

Darrell W.

P.S.: For more information on who is homeless and why, please visit the National Alliance to End Homelessness website’s FAQ page.

---

On what we hope will be a sunny Sunday on May 22nd, more than 30 of our staff members, clients, providers and friends from the 12th Avenue Recovery Center will join hundreds in the community for the NAMI Northwest Walk. The National Alliance on Mental Illness is a strong advocate for people with mental illness in the community, working to reduce stigma and isolation, and providing support to family members as well as professionals in the field.

The 2011 event marks the third year of an official Central City Concern team and every year we draw more and more participants. Each walker joining our team will receive a CCC 12th Ave Recovery Center t-shirt. We will provide transportation to and from the walk from the Recovery Center location. Click here to register for the walk today!

There are a number of compelling stories from people in our community about why they participate in this walk - check it out here. Join us!

---

A Complex Case

Click on the above link to view the video.

---