In 2020 we got the privilege of meeting a very polite gentleman named Dana. He moved in to one of our supportive living homes. He had gotten himself into some trouble.  Evergreen Elm was contacted to provide supports.   This was all rather new to Dana compared to how he was living prior to coming to Evergreen Elm. Dana has shared that he struggled with things in life for quite some time. He had dealt with problems related to drugs and alcohol. His relationships with some of his family members were somewhat toxic at times. He didn’t always associate himself with very decent people. Dana also had a difficult time getting along with people.  

 This all sounds like a completely different person than the Dana we know now.   Dana is very friendly and easy to get along with. He enjoys being helpful and social. He now has a good relationship with family for the first time in years, especially his sister, Jonie. He is sober and attends AA meetings on a regular basis. He takes his medications daily.  Dana also has his own apartment that he keeps immaculate. 

When speaking with Dana about the services he received from Evergreen Elm and whether or not he found them helpful, he expressed that he did. He said as soon as he arrived everyone was friendly. The staff got him on a routine of taking his meds and going to appointments right away. He said he definitely needed the help with because he wouldn’t have remembered on his own. He thinks that the fact that he was able to stay busy at the house rather he was cleaning, helping cook, or just that fact that there was always someone there to talk to also was very helpful for him. He said, “They sure do treat the boys good up there. They feed us good too!” 

Dana now lives in an apartment on his own. He receives services once a day for med monitoring and on an as needed basis for other needs, such as medical appointments. He stated, “I aint got it down packed yet, but I’m getting there.” He is right, he is. He did an excellent job at regaining the skills he needed to become successfully independent. We are very proud of him and very honored we have had the opportunity to meet and work with him over the past few years.