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Success Stories
Read the stories of Nick and Tom, describing in their own words the support they found at organizations supported by REDF.
Nick*
My family left Bosnia when I was 11 years old. We moved around a lot before I got to San Francisco. It was hard to adjust and high school wasn’t easy. I wasn’t a bad kid. I just sort of fell into some trouble. It was my parole officer who told me about New Door Ventures (then known as Golden Gate Community, Inc.)¹. I didn’t have anywhere else to go so I applied and started working at Pedal Revolution. I realized I really like building and mechanics. I got more job responsibility and now I help train other interns at New Door Ventures’ (then known as Golden Gate Community, Inc.) bike repair and sales shop Pedal Revolution. I got help from my outreach worker with my resume and with college applications. Now I’m getting my auto mechanics license at City College. I always knew what I wanted to do, but now I have support and help to actually make it happen.
Tom*
After finishing college, I moved to San Francisco to have some fun, meet guys and get high. I found what I was looking for, but after awhile, things weren’t going so well. I had a fight with my best friend — she didn’t want to know me anymore. People said I was hard to get along with. Then I lost my low-paying restaurant jobs. I started working for temp agencies, but they would end my assignments after only a few days and wouldn’t call me anymore
During that time I felt paranoid. I thought people could read my mind. I was so worried about money I was living on five dollars a day, no matter what. I would keep track of every penny. For help, I decided to go to twelve-step meetings because I felt safe there. One day I went for treatment at a place to come down from drugs and alcohol. I would repeat only one thing — “I need help, lots of help” — so the treatment center sent me to psychiatric emergency services at San Francisco General Hospital for over three weeks.
When I came out of the hospital, I entered residential and day treatment programs and was taking medication. I saw people who acted very disturbed, but I could tell they were acting out what I was feeling inside. My fear lessened because I knew I wasn’t alone. I became a client of Community Vocational Enterprises (CVE)¹ and started vocational rehabilitation. After three months, CVE hired me part-time for the clerical training assistant position I had been doing as a volunteer. Later, CVE offered me a full-time job as the Assistant to the Executive Director. Things really began turning around. I had a job and my housing seemed stable. I had been clean and sober for a year, and was receiving mental health treatment. I made a renewed connection with a spiritual community and with myself.
In the beginning, I was afraid my new employer (CVE) would fire me. I had had this problem so many times before. But after awhile, my strengths shone through. My supervisor respected my honesty. I was good at software programs and working with data. They let me be involved in a central way with a big computer systems project, and I have stayed with this kind of work at CVE for over three years. I went through some title changes and pay increases. There were plenty of difficulties too, but that’s the way it had to go for me to learn.
Now, it’s time for me to move on to the next step — a master’s degree program in health care information systems. There is a little of the confusion and fear I used to feel. But my greatest achievement in life has been seeking help for my problems and surrendering to the fact that I couldn’t do it alone. I asked for help from others until I learned when it was safe to trust myself too.
— Epilogue: Since “Tom” wrote his story, he successfully completed his master’s program and is currently an active professional in his field.
* Name has been changed.
¹ REDF Alumni organization.
¹ REDF Alumni organization.
