Ascension Place
Sarah suffered from schizoaffective disorder, and both her mental and physical health were erratic and dangerous. Because of this instability, she was denied housing at a facility for people with mental illness, but Ascension Place admitted her in March of 2008. She came to Ascension Place on a “mental health commitment” requiring her to live in supportive housing and follow her psychiatrist’s recommendations. When Sarah first came to Ascension Place, she didn’t like it. She would always say “I’m not one of these crazy people.” She only attended our mental health support group because she was required to, and she never participated in any activities. Nonetheless, both the staff and her fellow residents continued to invite her to activities and talk to her even when she didn’t want to bother with any of us. Over time, Sarah started to adjust to life at Ascension Place, and in September (3 months after her commitment had ended), she successfully moved out to her own apartment. Since then, Sarah has been surprised at how the door at Ascension Place has remained open. She comes back every now and then to shop at the Ascension Place Mall and chat with staff and residents. This winter, she even attended our Alumnae Holiday Dinner. That evening, she thanked staff and residents for helping her get stable with her mental health, and for never giving up on her, even when she was hard to deal with. Sarah now has her own apartment in south Minneapolis and has a stable income through Social Security Insurance and part-time employment.

St. Anne’s Place
Mary is a 36 year old bi-racial woman who came to St. Anne’s after leaving an abusive relationship.  She came with her son who is 4 months old.  Mary grew up in foster homes and moved many times.  She graduated from high school and went to 4 years of trade school.  She is a journeyman electrician and served in the US Army for 6 years.  During her stay at St. Anne’s place, Mary kept a very positive attitude.  She participated in parenting group, women’s group, and utilized the computers for her employment and housing search.  Because she is a veteran, Mary was able to access benefits from the VA and moved out of St. Anne’s Place into subsidized housing.   She recently was hired into a training program with a local company, and will be a cable technician upon finishing the training program.  Mary is a participant in the St. Anne’s Place Aftercare program and will be working on childcare, budgeting, and therapy and would also like to get help for her memory problems, which she feels may be due to a head injury.