“I was blessed!” Dawn found hope with us.
When tragedy touched Dawn on a visit to Colorado, she had to regroup fast.
Dawn had traveled from her home state of Louisiana to visit an old and dear friend in metro Denver. Despite many past health challenges, including bipolar disorder and past bouts with homelessness, Dawn felt she was ready to enjoy her visit. Then, without warning, her friend died. The shock sent Dawn sliding back into a mental health nightmare.
“I hospitalized myself in a facility called Stages that helps people with mental illnesses,” she says. She called her doctor back in Louisiana, who was unsympathetic with her plight, and snapped, ‘Dawn, you are homeless; there is nothing else wrong with you!’
A life-saving idea
At that point, the case manager at Stages had a suggestion.
“She told me about the Julia Greeley home for women, and that it was a faith-based ministry. I told her that it was right up my alley!”
Dawn applied, prayed, and was accepted. That was the opening of a new chapter in Dawn’s life.
“I was amazed at how God used the Julie Greeley home to give me a new lease on life,” she says. “I met some amazing women there. I absolutely loved Mrs. Glenda – a precious woman who taught us about the bible and Jesus ..; She prayed for us and was genuinely concerned for us.”
Dawn settled in, and quickly became a beloved member of the Julia Greeley family. Residents and staff alike appreciated her gentleness and sweet eagerness to help others. Within a few months, she felt strong enough to return to Louisiana.
This past summer, Dawn contacted the Julia Greeley Home to say that she was hoping to return to Colorado at some time in the future, and she would love to come out to the house and tell the rest of her story, happy ending and all.
In fact, Dawn is reconnected with family and living on the “other side” of mental health issues — she is a champion and advocate for others. (She’s shown here with her dad, Robert.) Dawn works for a nonprofit organization called Focus Clubhouse, whose mission is to assist people with mental health challenges. Dawn works as a client advocate and uses her experience daily as a special education teacher . Knowing first-hand the deep sadness of homelessness, she is sensitive to the public trends she sees today:
“There are so many people on the street now,” she says. “I feel so much compassion for them, because I used to be one of them. I know so many of them are praying to God for help …”
As for herself, Dawn can’t forget how she was helped at the Julia Greeley Home. “We came together and helped one another and prayed for one another. I was blessed.”