Colette was diagnosed with bipolar disorder when she was 13, but because her disability wasn’t easy to see her family did not seek treatment for her.
As an adult her untreated mental health issues made everything harder — to get and keep a job and to be a mom to her two children. At 39 she is finally getting the help she needs.
“It’s been a hard road, but it’s been worth it because I’m changing a cycle that’s been going on for three generations,” said Colette.
Colette is grateful for the people who have helped her along the way, people who “care enough to reach out to the people who really need it.”
She’s especially grateful for the help she’s received from Laurel Hill Center, Lane County Behavioral Health, the Eugene Mission, Options Counseling and FOOD for Lane County, which stocks a small pantry at Laurel Hill Center. Collette receives $200 a month in SNAP benefits. SNAP helps, but those benefits only last about three weeks. By the end of the month she needs help putting food on the table.
“A lot of people try to do it on their own. If they’re not reaching out, they’re going to have a hard time. The pantry has been really helpful. People who come in here, a lot of them withdraw from the community. They’re really isolated. They can come in here, get into their appointment, get their medications, get their bus passes and now thanks to FFLC they can even get food.”
by Denise Wendt
Laurel Hill Center is one of 150 programs that partners with FFLC to distribute food in Lane County.
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