Surround yourself with support, whether it is in a program like this or somewhere else. There is always someone willing to listen and to help you. No matter what situation you are going through, there is always someone there to help.
I had been living in a shelter before I came to Federation and I had been receiving services. But it wasn’t really enough. I didn’t understand what I was going through and I wasn’t dealing with my mental illness very well. I was going to therapy and was pregnant at the time. When I was able to secure housing and leave the shelter, I was overwhelmed with all the things I had to do. I was juggling being a young mom, with two small children to care for and maintaining a household on my own. It was a lot for me and I found myself slowly breaking down. I knew I needed to find another outlet that would help me; that would reinforce that I was doing a good job and that I could achieve the goals I had too. Because I knew… the more I took care of myself and my needs, the better I would be at raising my children. Finding Federation’s PROS program has been a blessing. I’m not alone now because I have a good support network here. Now, I’m in school to become a social worker and I am working on learning to drive and get my license. I still have my moments where I don’t feel good about myself and I feel like I’m not doing enough. But now, in the back of my mind, I know I’m doing a pretty good damn job. When I met the people here at Federation, it just made me feel so much better about myself. Now I have the support of everyone here when I am at my best, and when I am not at my best and that has made all the difference.