Note: As part of my Day Program, I contribure to the program’s newsletter. In june 2021, that Newsletter transitoned to a monthly basis as much of the elements of the program are back to a in-person status.
Members Share: How do you feel with things mostly returning to pre-COVID levels?
I have had the pleasure of attending some events with the new regulations in place. I have been mindful of keeping my space and masking when policy dictates such activity. Other than that, it is
nice to see things get somewhat back to what they were almost fifteen months ago, although I think I have experienced some trauma as a result of having to stay home in the beginning of the pandemic where I am experiencing a great deal of fear. But, with the services that I am receiving, I am certain that I will be back doing things just as I did before experiencing the stay-at-home orders when the pandemic began.
Getting Back In The Drivers Seat
When a person becomes a member at Union Station, they choose to come with the intent of bettering themselves. As this is part of one’s mental health recovery journey, they are in the driver’s seat of how they want to travel their recovery journey. This summer, I have been attending the Clubhouse on almost a daily basis for the better part of 15 years since on leave for vocational training.
I have been living independently for three years now. I had a situation out of my control at my last home just before the Pandemic, both of these events caused me to move in with my parents for a few months. However, with the help of the Clubhouse and my family, I got back on my feet, and to much luck of a higher power in my opinion. Specifically, with the help of the Clubhouse, they encouraged and helped me in filling applications for housing and I was lucky with the world in the situation its in to get a home suitable for my needs. Getting a home is great, but I had fear of not having it forever. I knew that I had to keep it to a livable standard. With the assistance of the staff at the Clubhouse I have the skills to do the things necessary to maintain my home to that livable standard.
With working alongside the staff and other members in performing everyday tasks in the Operations Unit and more recently the Food Service Unit, I am gaining the confidence I need to keep my home up to a livable standard along with making it a presentable place to live that I want to be proud and happy about.
Clubhouse has shown me that if I want to be happy, I need to be in that driver’s seat of my mental health recovery. The recent pandemic has made me realize that I need to continue to be in that driver’s seat of my recovery and have a delicate balance that may need tweaked here and there. Everyone experiences good and bad days. However, you have to learn to bounce back and be better and not to continue to spiral out of control, a challenge I sometimes have.
Just in cleaning my home this week, as I performed many of the cleaning tasks, I am reminded of how by them being included in the work of the Clubhouse. I have understood the need to do them and keep my home clean like the Clubhouse and be proud of my home as much as I take pride in the Clubhouse.
My advice to my fellow members is if you want something, go for it, because if you don’t try for what you want to succeed at. You’ll never know if you can do it. If you have a setback, that’s ok, just dust yourself of and build the skills necessary to get where you want to go.
Dustin's Dynasty 