Dignity in Bloom - Helen's Story

During the pandemic, Helen, like so many people, became isolated and overwhelmed as her world grew smaller. She was having difficulty accessing community resources to care for her health and basic needs while suffering from mental health issues and chronic pain.

In 2022, Catholic Charities hired Ellen who began working with Helen through Catholic Charities Supportive Living Services (SLS) In-Home program. Since then, Ellen has supported Helen in establishing care with medical providers, making appointments, managing her documents and even organizing her apartment. Decluttering her home helped reduce Helen’s stress and allowed her to donate some of her items to organizations supporting veterans and domestic abuse survivors.

Like Helen and Ellen, you have the power to plant seeds of love today so that tomorrow they can bloom into a better future. Donate to Catholic Charities today and help us continue to provide critical support to the people who need it most in our community.

During their time working together, Ellen provided support to Helen in accessing community resources and being active in her community. Helen struggled the most with accessing crowded settings like stores and interacting with men due to her anxiety and PTSD.

Ellen accompanied Helen when shopping and worked through strategies to navigate crowds and handle unexpected situations. Ellen encouraged Helen to face her fears and practice initiating communications with others in social settings. With Ellen’s steadfast support, Helen became more comfortable going out in the community. Now, Helen can ask for assistance from employees in stores and even access the community independently using Dial-A-Ride and communicating with her male drivers.

Helen joined the YMCA and plans to take Dial-A-Ride to work out independently at the YMCA. For Helen, accomplishing this will help her feel more independent and have a sense of belonging in her community. Through the support Helen has received from SLS In-Home program, she has begun to realize new possibilities and gain more independence in her life.

Everyone deserves to feel like they belong. Your financial gift is a way to say you support the mission of Catholic Charities. Donate to support people like Helen. Donate to help us cultivate the soil of our community, to plant love that will bloom into a garden of belonging for all of us.