Pam

OREGON OR BUST: STABILITY LEADS TO HER DREAM

Before she was a St. Patrick Center client, Pam was a donor. But her life wasn’t always stable. A victim of a lifetime of mental and physical abuse, Pam has been battling emotional demons. After her last eviction, she turned to St. Patrick Center and joined our Women’s Night Program. “The program has given me stability. I was able to do what my doctors wanted me to do.”

“I’m supposed to be smart but I do really dumb things.” A history of depression and anxiety can do that, and without stable housing, Pam, like many clients, didn’t always keep up with her medication. “I’m clear-headed now. After much trial and error, my psychiatrist and I believe we’ve hit the right medication therapy.”

Women’s Night Program clients often find permanent housing sooner, but Pam has a goal: Oregon or bust. Her best support system—her two adult children—are in Portland. Because of Pam’s persistence, she is realizing her goal. A nurse at the Veteran’s Administration Medical Center, she applied for and received a transfer to the VA hospital in Portland.

“I wanted to get better, and getting better means following the rules, no matter how much you don’t like them. It doesn’t make sense not to take advantage of the programs St. Patrick Center has to offer.”