Thankful for Community & Recovery

SAN DIEGO — Every year the ECS community comes together to give thanks and celebrate the recovery journeys of our clients with a Thanksgiving Recovery Lunch.

The event was held at St. Mark’s Episcopal Church. Volunteers from parishes, schools, and organizations across San Diego showed up to serve the food, facilitate activities, and enjoy the afternoon with ECS clients from Central East Regional Recovery Center (CERRC), Uptown Safe Haven (UTSH), Community Harm Reduction Team (C-HRT) Safe Haven, and ACCORD. Guests enjoyed an array of appetizers, Italian soda made by volunteers from The Bishop’s School, and a classic Thanksgiving meal, complete with pumpkin pie for dessert.

Summer Kahoonei, the program coordinator for CERRC, commented on the importance of bringing Thanksgiving to ECS clients. “My favorite part about this event is being able to look at some of the clients come in and share Thanksgiving,” she said. “A lot of them won’t have that kind of situation with their own family members so being able to still see that there are places that help out with this kind of stuff makes me really happy to see.”

The Thanksgiving theme went far beyond just the food. Each table was decorated with artwork made by CERRC clients which featured messages of gratitude; from family to sobriety to music, the art created an atmosphere of optimism. The hopeful energy was also felt through a communal art piece — the Gratitude Tree. The project, which was run by volunteers from Christ Church Day School, allowed any guest or volunteer to write what they were thankful for on one of the tree’s many paper leaves.

The afternoon closed with the Chip Ceremony. Those in recovery were invited to stand and receive a special chip indicating their recovery time. Whether someone was 20 years clean or 20 days clean, the room was filled with applause and celebration for every individual.

Before the Chip Ceremony, Embrie Tapia, ECS’ director of behavioral health services stated, “This is a really special time that we get to come together and celebrate recovery and also acknowledge how important behavioral health services are to our community.”

The significance of the event was felt by the guests, too. Tiana, a current UTSH resident remarked, “It makes me feel important that I’m welcomed in a group of people that are helping me reenter into society.”

Thank you to Blue Shield California Promise Health Plan for making this event possible and to all of the wonderful volunteers whose support and care created a beautiful display of community.

Visit ecscalifornia.org to learn more about ECS’ behavioral health services and ways to get involved.

Finding Silver Linings

*Content Warning: This article discusses sensitive topics including sexual assault, domestic violence, and drug use. 

Despite the challenges she has faced, Maria maintains an optimistic attitude. April 2024.

When you meet Maria, you’ll find a lively and optimistic person, but life has dealt her an unfair hand, beginning when she was just a child. At seven years old, she was molested by a family member and, at 10, learned she was adopted, which shifted her world as she knew it. At 18, she got pregnant and moved to California where she had her baby and soon got into the first of several abusive relationships in which she was physically and mentally abused and raped.  

She described one of her relationships, saying, "he beat me up for five years... black and blue, black and blue.” Maria tried her best to escape her situation at home by teaching aerobics and pouring her energy into fitness, but at 23, her coping mechanisms took an unhealthy turn when she was introduced to drugs, quickly destroying everything she had.  

She had two children in her late 30s, but both were taken by *the Child and Family Well-Being Department. “They were taken from my arms; I never saw them again. I tried to get them back, but I was too heavily on drugs,” she said. 

After couch surfing for some time, Maria found herself homeless on the street in San Diego. Maria described that experience as “dirty all the time, trying to find places to use the bathroom, horrible.” During that time, Maria overdosed. It took three doses of Narcan to bring her back. The employees at the hospital asked Maria if she wanted to go to rehab. “I said ‘nope.’ My friends were there waiting with the dope, and they picked me up,” so she continued doing drugs.  

However, everything changed when Maria went to the emergency room for an extreme infection. During her recovery, she figured that since she was off drugs, she might as well stay off.  

After years of tragic experiences, she began to take her life back. “I know what I want. I want to be happy. And drugs did not make me happy, it took everything I ever loved from me.” 

Maria went into sober living and eventually met the criteria for ECS Uptown Safe Haven (UTSH). She has been living at UTSH for 10 months, and it has given her the ability to reshape her life with strength and intention. Maria said that UTSH has given her a positive environment where she can work on herself and feel safe. “They [UTSH] have good programs I participate in, the staff is wonderful, I’m very happy being here,” Maria explained. “They help me a lot here by working on myself... This is a new chapter in my life, and it has been the best year of my life.” 

UTSH has also helped Maria take better care of her physical and mental health. The impressive array of running shoes neatly lined up in her room at the safe haven proves her dedication to exercise, but her room is also full of clues to her mental health journey. On her desk rests a journal filled with daily intentions that Maria writes every morning. One of her latest entries lists things she is thankful for — the UTSH staff, her mom, her health, and her sobriety making up a few items on that list. 

Maria’s vision board keeps her on track toward achieving her goals. August 2024.

Above her desk, hangs a vision board which helps Maria actualize her dreams. The vision board includes everything from an iPhone to a cat to actor Jeremy Allen White. Her wall is decorated with countless inspirational phrases such as “I didn’t just survive, I thrived” and “I’ve never felt stronger.” Maria’s current goals are to save up for a new bike and her own apartment.  

Maria’s journey to recovery and finding herself has also helped her family relationships. She shared that she and her oldest daughter used to do drugs together, but six years ago her daughter got sober, encouraging Maria to follow suit. “We’re the tightest, she’s my best friend. She’s my biggest supporter and biggest cheerleader,” Maria said.  

Maria has faced countless obstacles, but she has found the strength to push past those challenges. Now, she wants to take the negative experiences of her own journey and spin them into something positive by helping others. Currently, Maria volunteers feeding the homeless every week, but her dream is to talk to other victims of domestic violence. She wants to inspire others to work on themselves, strive for sobriety, and reclaim their lives, turning the darkest parts of her life into silver linings. “Everything happens for a reason... It’s a beautiful life being sober,” she said. “It’s a beautiful life waking up and knowing you’re not getting beaten anymore... I’m so happy now.” 

With the support of programs like UTSH, Maria was able to turn her life into something beautiful. “I wake up proud of myself. I wake up alive and thank God for another day,” she said. “Becoming an independent woman is the best feeling ever. Working on yourself, knowing you can make it by yourself is the best feeling. I mean look at me, I’m about to have my own apartment for the first time. I’m so blessed and thankful for every day, for this roof, the staff, the food. I am so blessed.”    

UTSH is a residential facility that provides transitional housing and supportive services to chronically homeless single adults with moderate to severe mental health issues. To learn more visit ecscalifornia.org/uptown-safe-haven-1. 

*Formerly called Child Protective Services (CPS).

Hanna Transforms Trauma into Art

Hanna, an Uptown Safe Haven (UTSH) resident since February 2022, is a true inspiration. Coping with her past, Hanna is overcoming the severe trauma of surviving human trafficking. During this ordeal, she was transported to different states before escaping to the highways, where she lived on the streets, selling flowers, necklaces, and bracelets to survive.

Hanna hasn’t let her traumatic past define her. Instead, she channels her energy into creating beautiful crafts and building her own motor bike.

Crafts designed by Hanna. January 2023.

Hanna has been diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder and has reported being “very literal,” having trouble understanding body language and other emotions. Her English was limited when she arrived at UTSH; however, she has made significant progress thanks to her classes.

UTSH has been dedicated to ensuring that Hanna has everything she needs to thrive. They connected her with Lucia Rodriguez-Ramos, an ECS Spanish-speaking Resident Assistant, to help her with her language barrier. Additionally, Downtown Impact also provided a translator to support her. Hanna described her time at UTSH as a sanctuary, saying, “UTSH made me feel safe, and I am more stable, learning new things about myself.”

Motor bike put together by Hanna. January 2023.

Hanna’s crafts and motor bike attest to her resilience and determination. She found a bike frame, ordered parts from Amazon, and built a motor bike herself. Very resourceful, she only used four adjustable wrenches and an Allen’s wrench to complete the project. And despite her limited resources, she never approached the staff for tools.

Hanna remains at UTSH, working diligently to complete the program and secure an apartment. She’s a self-achiever and continues to take classes to improve her language skills. Hanna’s story is a powerful reminder of the strength and resilience of the human spirit and the importance of organizations like ECS in providing support and resources to those who have faced trauma.

*Caption date may not be exact.

Big Win for Former Uptown Safe Haven Client Tanya

For the first time in years, Tanya is spreading her wings in a major way. With a renewed lease on life, she has secured a place of her own to call home. Before Uptown Safe Haven (UTSH), Tanya was homeless, in and out of transitional housing and shelters, and struggling with schizophrenia. She used drugs to self-medicate, was off her prescribed medication, and had no support to make a change.

Tanya found the support she needed at the ECS Uptown Safe Haven homeless transitional housing program in Bankers Hill. After two years at the Safe Haven, Tanya is on her path to recovery, working part-time in the kitchen at Scripps Mercy Hospital, taking her prescribed medication, and moving into her own apartment! We’re incredibly proud and excited about Tanya’s new journey.

“I live with people who understand where I’ve been and what I want to do. The staff try to make our days fun and interesting; they are supportive and easy to talk to. The program gives so much to the residents, and right now, I am able to save for my own place,” said Tanya.

A “Safe Haven” is housing designed for individuals experiencing homelessness and living with severe mental illness and/or substance use disorders. ECS has been on the front lines of the homelessness crisis since 2001 and will continue to raise awareness about the need for services tailored to individuals experiencing homelessness.

 If you’d like to support a neighbor in need, please visit www.ecscalifornia.org/donate to learn more.

*Caption date may not be exact.

Former Uptown Safe Haven Client Tanya and Timothy Whipple, Associate Director of Development. *October 2022.