Consumer Stories

My name is Patrick R. I am 47 years old. I was diagnosed “Paranoid Schizoaffective with Depression” when I was 34. That was when I had my first suicide attempt. I had 4 more suicide attempts after that. I started drinking at 12, and started smoking pot when I was 13. I started using harder drugs when I was about 21.

I’ve been in the hospital for my mental illness so many times I’ve lost count. I’ve only been in one rehab and that was for alcohol. In the final days of my using drugs I was smoking cocaine everyday. This was about the time I had my last suicide attempt. I was 38 years old. I had lost everything and I was addicted to crack cocaine. Feeling very paranoid and depressed I felt that there was no other way out but suicide. So I took a bottle of my mom’s prescription pills to kill myself. The next morning I was still alive. My mom got up to take her meds and they were gone. I told her what happened and she called crisis. They took me to the hospital, pumped my stomach and I stayed there for 3 weeks. From that hospital I was sent to Essex County Hospital. I was there for about 5 months.

My mother had found out about Project Live. Two people came to the hospital to see me from Project Live and asked me if I was interested in living in one of their houses. I said yes. I moved in February of 2001. By May of 2001 I relapsed on alcohol. I was drinking everyday for 3 weeks. The counselors at the house found out and they put me in rehab at Bergen Pines for a month. It was there I discovered not only was I a drug addict but also an alcoholic. I started doing better when I got out of rehab. I got a sponsor in AA, a home-group, lots of phone numbers and went to a lot of meetings. I also got a job with Project Live Maintenance Crew working one day a week.

Today I am working full time 5 days a week. I am off of Social Security. I have my own apartment in Bloomfield NJ. I just bought a new car. I still have the same sponsor in Alcoholics Anonymous. I still make meetings every day. Life is good. I don’t think I could have done any of this without the help of Project Live. They showed me and taught me that I could live without the use of drugs and alcohol and be happy most of the time. I thank God that they rescued me from a life of misery and despair.

My name is Jose S. and I am a resident of Project Live Efficiency Apartment Building. Let me first start by saying that I am very grateful and forever appreciative to Project Live. I believe that there are heavenly angels, but when I came across Project Path and Project Live I was convinced that human angels exist.

A few years back I found myself in a very bad predicament in my life. My self esteem was as low as it can get. I lost my confidence in myself and I was going through some major depression. My self worth was so far gone that at one time I almost ended all. I had hurt myself pretty bad and was taken to the hospital and was cared for. After the doctors took care of me one of them came up to me and said “Mr. Santos, we have taken care of you and now you have two choices. You can leave and continue to live your life as you have been, or you can stay and get yourself the help that you need.” After hearing how the doctor expressed herself to me, stern but yet in a caring way as if saying to me that I have a second chance in life, I started to think that there’s a reason why I was given this chance, so I agreed to get myself help.

After a few days in the hospital someone from the behavioral health center came to my room and asked if I would like to try their program there. The person explained the program to me, and then I said yes. After being released, the next day I started the program. The program was really working well for me but I still had obstacles to overcome. I had to keep my sobriety and I also needed a place to live. I was living in a shelter and it wasn’t easy.

My time was also limited but while at the program my case manager introduced me to a couple of ladies from Project Path who then explained to me that they were there to help me out in obtaining housing. They said that it my take a while and that I should look at other opportunities for housing in the meantime. They had me fill out some paperwork to get the process started and then told me that they would get back to me when all the information had been verified. I looked at the other avenues and was not having luck but I was determined not to give up. I kept attending my program and kept my sobriety.

After a few months, Project Path came back and visited me and told me that they were going to take me to Project Live and meet with some other people. To my surprise, when I got to Project Live, they had told me that they had just finished reconstructing a building and that there was a vacancy and if I would like to move in.

I said yes, and I was thanking God and everyone else involved in helping me. Not only was I asked to move in, but I was also offered a Superintendant’s job which I accepted honorably. I am now going on three years of living in my apartment and I can truly tell you this, Project Live has helped me tremendously. I have been able to take on a job in the mental health field, which is my way of also giving back to the community and I am presently the Chairman for the Consumer Advisory Board at University Behavioral Health Center, involved with the Newark’s Mayor Cory Booker’s Homeless Task Force. I am also a volunteer for the New Jersey Mental Health Players, a group that goes out and does skits to educate the public on mental health. Thank you Project Live. I would not have been able to do all these wonderful things if it wasn’t for your help because now I can come home each and every day give thanks to God and each and everybody that came into my life and helped rescue it. You guys are truly earth’s angel. Thanks! Oh by the way, as of September 2011, I had 8 years sobriety.

My soul ached, and I felt lost. I was told I couldn’t go back home, and I was angry, for everything in my life had seemed to have gone wrong. . . . Or so I thought.

I was still in Marlboro Hospital, after one whole year. Seven months more than when the hospital’s “court” had said I could go home. But my Step-Mother said “No.” She didn’t want me coming back home. So I was in the hospital “pending placement.” There was no suitable housing out there for me.

Then Project Live came into my life. Marlboro was trying to shut its doors for good, and Project Live was looking for some of its patients (later to be called “consumers.”) They sent down two men from Newark, who wanted to interview me. They were very “impressed” with what they saw in me. So I was offered a place in one of Project Live’s new “Group Homes.” After seeing the house and meeting some of their people, I was SURE I had found the answer to my prayers, and a couple of weeks later, I moved into my new home.

Project Live was wonderful to us (I had 3 other roommates in the house then) from the very start. Although we were all scheduled to attend the day program at the “Guild” we had to wait a month to settle in, for it was all so different than being in the hospital.

Project Live took us to our doctors, food shopping, social gatherings at their other residences, and even for occasional drives here and there. I began to feel a part of life again. . . not such an outcast.

Several years later, after I had lived a in couple of other places, Project Live had turned my former group home into their 1st house in their “Independent Living” program, and offered it, as such, to two other ladies and me. We had the whole 3-bedroom house to ourselves. It was like being free again. I am still here, and it is now considered the 1st house in their “Supportive Housing” division. They have added about 20 other projects since.

Although I thought I’d never be able to work again — even at a volunteer job — in 2003, a new drug was placed on the market. My “old” medication had stopped working, and so I had been in the hospital for a week when the doctor there introduced me to this new “med.” One week later I returned home feeling much better. I have steadily gotten better, and in 2006 I found a part-time job. Six years later, I’m still working for that insurance company, and have come to believe that “the sky’s the limit.” Anything is possible.

Project Live continues to take all of us shopping, and whenever I need a ride to a doctor appointment, or something else important, our case worker tries to fit me in. (This applies to all of us, too.) The “MTM” (maintenance crew) is constantly working either in our house fixing things that need repair, or outside cutting the grass, shoveling snow, or doing some other necessary project to keep our house looking and operating at a top-notch level.

What would I have ever done if they had not come down to Marlboro way back in 1992? I have no idea. Where I’d be? . . . I don’t know that either. But I DO know that I am forever grateful to Project Live. Thank you, Project Live . . . and God Bless!

I was asked to give a Bio on how I came to Project Live, and the influence PLI has had on my life, especially those that touched my life to help me grow in PLI. I came to PLI in 1997 from a boarding home. Things then looked very dark for me because I didn’t think my life would go any further in a positive direction. First I want to thank God for meeting Mrs. Underwood. She was the one that did my intake for supportive housing. Once I came to PLI, I met Johnnie Mae and Sherry. I spent a lot of my time at that group home because of a good friend that was in that residence. Mrs. Underwood encouraged me to take some courses on mental Illness and behavior, which I did. At the same time, I helped out wherever I could when I could. She introduced me to Raul who helped me to get my license back. I didn’t think I would ever work again–that it was hopeless to think that I would. But Raul took a chance on me.

While working at SHP, I learned a lot and some of that I use in my personal life as well. I’ve been working for PLI for 11 years. I’ve had fun and met many good people along the way. Even though I may not say it a lot, there are those whom I have come to respect. The advice they have given me has helped me tremendously. Some became more then just co-workers. Some have become a big part of my life like Raul, Sylvia, Sherry and Johnnie Mae. They became my family and helped me to reconnect to my own family. PLI has done a lot for me in so many ways. I will be forever grateful for PLI and what it stands for. I hope it will never stop helping those who are not able to help themselves. THANK YOU PROJECTLIVE!

I found myself homeless around June of 2007. I went to Newark Emergency Services and they referred me to a shelter called Real Families. That became my residence for more then a year. During my stay in Real Families, I was referred to Project Live Inc from my Welfare case worker. She thought I would benefit from their services due to my mental illness and my need for residency. I met with Debbie Underwood of the PATH program and she had me fill out all the necessary paperwork. She also let me know that they were in the process of building a new apartment building and that I was eligible for that building.

In October of 2008 I moved into the SRO, and the rest is history, or I would say “my story”. During the past three years I’ve attended UBHC program and graduated from their partial care program. I am currently attending their outpatient program. I also finished the Peer Advocate Program through the Mental Health Association. I am not currently a peer counselor, but I do plan on using my new skills in the future. With the help of case workers and support staff, I was able to acquire a safe place for my daughter to visit, which later helped me to get back partial custody of my child. Without my own place it would have made it more difficult to establish a closer bond with my daughter. Together we are now continuing to grow and getting to know each other, as mother and child.

During my many years with Project Live I have attended events held by Project Live such as the Wellness Conference, health fairs, community meetings, social/family events and educational workshops, which I have benefited from greatly. At Project Live we are all family, consisting of consumers and case workers working towards a common goal, which is to educate, advocate, and support the mental health consumer to help them with their recovery.

I don’t know where to start, so i guess I’ll start at the beginning. I’ve spent the better part of the last twenty years struggling with mental illness. Just being able to function on a daily basis became a chore. In 1995 I simply walked away from my job and walked out on my wife and two young children, and thus began a vicious cycle of mental instability and several episodes of homelessness. I didn’t understand what was happening to me. I mean, here I was, this fairly intelligent college-educated man whose whole life was systematically falling apart. I struggled to maintain housing or employment. I managed to get good jobs but would just walk away from them. I worked as a supervisor at Newark airport. One day i closed up the business and never came back. I worked for Newark public schools. I dismissed the class one day and never came back. I would walk away from housing to live in the streets eating out of garbage cans because in my mind this is where i belonged. I always felt alone and unwanted. It was like being in a dark room with no windows or doors.

It wasn’t until 2003 that i was first diagnosed as suffering from bipolar mania with psychosis. I began outpatient treatment but was unable to sustain any level of compliance due to living in the streets. I tried staying with family and friends. Things would eventually fall apart as it was hard for others to understand my illness. The thoughts running through my mind had me convinced that the only safe place for me away from criticisms and hurt feelings was the streets. The toughest part of being homeless was trying to maintain employment.

My mental health continued to deteriorate, until in 2006 I attempted to take my life. I felt that if I can’t live “normally” then I didn’t want to live at all. I was hospitalized and then discharged into another living situation that didn’t work out. It was after I was hospitalized for the third time within that same year that I was able to get into a mental health-housing program thru East Orange General Hospital. There I was able to gain some sense of control over my life. Upon completion of the program I was urged to seek a job where I can help others who were going thru the same experiences that I had gone through.

I came to Project Live in 2007 as a part-time outreach worker for PATH program. Here i was able to reach my full potential as an individual and worker. Staff was very supportive and caring. Being part of the Project Live family is an experience I will always see as a life changer for me. I regained my confidence and continued to grow. To make a long story short, through Project Live I was able to share my experiences with members of Congress in Washington, D.C. as well as meet with Senators Menendez and Lautenberg to lobby for more funding for programs that help the homeless and mentally ill. I was appointed by then-governor of New Jersey, Jon Corzine, to be on his state commission to end homelessness.

I am now a consumer with Supportive Housing. My counselor has been great. She sees me on a weekly basis and is sincere in addressing needs and concerns and helping me establish and reach my goals. This has enabled me to maintain a high level of consistency with treatment. My housing is stabilized thru Project Live. I have a wonderful relationship with my children and life is worth living again. I could write a book on my experiences but I choose to speak about my time with Project Live because it has made such a big difference in my life. I am working full time now with the outreach team. I am now also a SOAR trainer, meaning I train staff from other agencies how to complete the social security application process for their consumers. All this was made possible thru the understanding and guidance of staff and administrators here at Project Live.

Hello, my name is Raymond George Thomas. I was born March, 31st, 1949 in a little town in North Carolina called Wilson. I was raised by a mother who was schizophrenic and alcohol dependent, although in the 1950s, no one was aware of this condition. I recall playing with some old newspapers around what was then called a pot belly stove. Just in case you’re wondering, yes, I did burn the house down. I was all of 18 months old, but that’s when I started experiencing sounds that no one else could hear. Many times in my life I acted on what I heard in my thoughts. By the age of 10, I was incarcerated in the New Jersey State Home for Boys. My mother said that I had the devil in me, and she set out to beat him out of me. By today’s standard that sort of beating of a child of 10 would be regarded as abuse. Back then it was “that’s just what he needs, a good whipping”. Of course in didn’t work then and some fifty odd years later it still does not work.

I went on to become a drug addict, alcoholic, robber and sociopath who spent practically my entire life in some form of institution, jail, or prison. When I used to go before those who sat in judgment of me, I was continuously diagnosed as, let me see if I can remember all my titles: incorrigible, border line psychopath, and criminally insane are some of what they said I was. At the age of 57, I was housed in a shelter for homeless men, and I was still having those thoughts and silencing them with crack cocaine, heroin, alcohol, prescription drugs and good old self-pity. That same year I was introduced to an outreach worker. She said that she was from Project Live, and asked if I was interested in having my own place to live in. I scoffed at that because I had never had anything of worth, let alone my own place to live.

The exact date of my new life is April 17th, 2007. I stopped all self-destructive behavior on that day. I’ve progressed through shame, low self-worth and no self-esteem. I returned to school and trained to become a certified recovery support specialist. Today I am a full time employee with Project Live. I have my own apartment, and I have my own office space, but most importantly I have the respect and encouragement of my fellow employees.

So, to answer the question, does medication and a compassionate philosophy work. I am evidence that it does.

Sincerely yours, Raymond G Thomas. CRSP

Hi, my name is Lorene.  I’ve been a participant at Project Live for several years now and I must say it’s been a journey. Over the years, I’ve progressed through the help of Supportive Housing staff.  I receive help with medication monitoring and support when I go to my medical appointments.  I also love the agency for promoting Health and Wellness which is why I continue to take walks daily with the pedometer provided by Project Live.  This year has been stressful for me due to the loss of my daughter, but yet I am hopeful with the support I’m receiving from my counselor.  Even though I lost a daughter, at the same time I feel I gained one through my counselor who has always been there for me no matter what.  Last and not least, I thank Project Live for assisting me with housing. I am blessed for having my own apartment, a place I can call home.  Overall, I am truly blessed and I thank God for Project Live for being there for me.

Project Live has been a blessing in my life since February 2004. That was when I moved into the house in East Orange. It was warm and safe, a big apartment where I could rest my head at the end of the day and not worry about living on the street. The Project Live Supportive Housing Office checks in on me, makes sure that I’m doing well and taking my medications, and that everyone in the house is getting along. The Project Live Newark Office and the Magic Touch Maintenance staff make sure that everything in the house works, from the appliances to the heat and electricity, and they fix things that break. Project Live gave me a place to go, and saved my life. God Bless Project Live!

Hello, my name is Gregory B.  I was born on December 6, 1987 at 10:25 am weighing 4 lbs/6 oz.  My mother had HIV and was addicted to cocaine when she gave birth to me at a Clinton correctional facility for women.  When I was born, I had to be detoxed and stay in the hospital for six months with undeveloped lungs.  I was also born with HIV in my mother’s womb.  I was later tested HIV negative.  My mother and father died when I was young. God has a reason for allowing things to happen.  We may never understand his wisdom.  My life may not be perfect but I am blessed.

After I got out of the hospital, I was immediately transferred to foster care where I spent my early childhood.  I was child molested by one of the children living with me.  I was later transferred to an adoption agency throughout my childhood years till the age of 12.  From the ages of 12-16 I was at a residential home for boys.  From ages 16-18 years old, I was going through foster homes and youth shelters.

Furthermore, between the ages of 18-20 years old, i was going from shelters to shelters and was homeless.  At the age of 20, this is when I received a miracle phone call from Project Live.  It was like winning the lottery!  They were able to assist me with my new apartment, community services and anything I needed help with.  I mean almost anything.  I came a long way.  Project Live has allowed me to grow, learn and recover.  Project Live is truly a lifesaver.  Things always have a way of working out.  I fall, I rise, I make mistakes, but I am here today!  I am stronger than yesterday.  I have seen better days, but I have also seen worse.  I don’t have everything that I want, but I do have everything I need.  Thanks Project Live!

Hello, my name is Lakesha B. Project Live has been a success. I have a wonderful Counselor from Supportive Housing. I have come a long way through Project Live. When I moved to Nutley I had a wonderful roommate. Her name was Debbie K. May she rest in peace. God has blessed me to get into Project Live. Ever since i have been in Project Live I have been blessed. My new Counselor’s name is Patricia. She is very helpful. Project Live is very supportive when it comes to doctor appointments, medication monitoring and transportation. They taught me life skills that I carry out through my daily living in house and out of house. Thank you Project Live.

My name is Gwen. My association with Project Live began in October 2009. I was attending the Acute Partial Care Mental Health Program at the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey (UMDNJ). My diagnosis is Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), which is commonly associated with veterans of the military. My PTSD was brought on as a direct result of the trauma of finding my son dead due to a massive heart attack resulting from an eating disorder, while simultaneously watching my mother lose her battle with colon cancer.

Not long after my mother’s death, I was sexually assaulted in my apartment. I learned later that I had disassociated myself from the rape, which is different and deeper than denial. I didn’t tell anyone about the attack for almost a year. All of the events I’ve mentioned happened within a one year period. It was only when I began having flashbacks, and regained my memories from the assault that I even admitted to myself what had happen. I attempted suicide twice, and was constantly going to the hospital due to thoughts of killing my attacker and ending my own life. 

I was severely depressed & suicidal, and had lost all willingness to live or participate in my life, when I met two amazing women. Debbie and Tanisha are employees of an organization called Project Live. My counselor at UMDNJ suggested that I meet with them. I only decided to meet with them because I honestly thought that Project Live was an organization that could somehow help me get out of my depressive state and get my will to live back again. I later found out that Project Live was much more. Previously I had a family, an apartment, and a job. But due to my apathy for life, I completely turned my back on everything and walked away. My belief in God had disappeared. I pictured myself living under a bridge and perhaps one day getting the courage to jump off the bridge and end my life. What is now shocking to me is that I was completely comfortable in that state of mind. I’d tried twice, unsuccessfully, to end my life, and prior to being released from the psychiatric unit at UMDNJ, I was already formulating of a new plan. But I didn’t tell anyone because I was actually comfortable being on the psychiatric unit. I felt safe there because I didn’t have to be responsible for myself. It was easy to be there and let life pass me by. I’d talked myself into believing that because I wasn’t noticeably mentally ill, that I wasn’t in fact sick. After all, all I wanted to do was kill myself. I had literally lost my mind and until I became a client of Project Lives’, I had no way of finding it.

After my meeting with Debbie and Tanisha, I felt something familiar. I felt hope. They encouraged me to stay in the Acute Program and follow the instructions of my doctor and counselor. I was so depressed, hopeless, shameful, and felt such despair, that I had convinced myself that no one cared about me, and that I wouldn’t be missed if I died. Project Live has a supervisor named Anne who suggested I apply for unemployment and welfare benefits. For a long time I resisted, and I resented her for wanting me to go. I didn’t realize at the time that all she wanted me to do was be responsible for myself. I finally went and started doing the things Project Live suggested, even when I didn’t want to. Again, thanks to Anne, I applied for and received my unemployment.

God has a way of intervening in my life when I need him the most. It seemed like every time I would have an anxious or depressing situation, either Debbie or Tanisha would call, or I’d see them when they came to meet with another client, and I would tell them about what was bothering me. It was strange because I started to feel better about my life. They would call me when I would least expect it, and always kept their word whenever they set up an appointment. They came and picked me up and took me to the places I needed to go to better my life and living arrangements. They never lied to me about anything! This was new to me because I’d been given the run-a-round by so many people, I had lost faith in mankind. After dealing with the welfare system and its overworked and underpaid employees, I developed a wealth of patience. I don’t know how Debbie and Tanisha did it, but they instilled in me a willingness to live. I started to look forward to the future. 

Project Live has taught me that my mental illness is only a small part of who I am. The UMDNJ staff helped me find my mind, and Project Live provided me with a safe and clean home where I can live peacefully and interact with people from all walks of life in a healthy way. I’d always been resilient, but the assault had me feeling like I was in a commercial – the one where the lady had fallen and couldn’t get back up. I thought that my life was over, and that there would never be any more joy in living. I used to call the 1800NOWPRAY prayer-line and ask for prayers. I wore that prayer-line out! With the help of my peers, and the staff at Project Live, I’ve become a better person. I survived the rape and no longer consider myself a victim. The Project Live staff helped me get back up, and with the help of my amazing counselor Naema S., I believe I can stay up! I love laughter and enjoy being around people that enjoy life. Naema helps me stay positive, and constantly points out the solutions in life, rather than the problems. 

Project Live provides more than housing services. Project Live provides all the wrap-a-round services too, such as access to counseling services, transportation, food, clothing, and any other service a person could need to succeed in life. Once again, I have a wonderful counselor named Naema. Naema is different from anyone I’ve ever met. Everyone has a blind spot, and she points out things that I sometimes don’t see. For example, I may be in a depressed state and not realize it and, but because I see her at least once a week, and I’m able to call her anytime, I have someone supporting my growth 24/7. What is truly amazing is that if Naema is not available, Project Live will make sure that a professional staff member addresses my problems and needs. Project Live never puts my problems on hold. It doesn’t get any better than that. I no longer have the fear of being alone because I’m comfortable knowing that Project Live is just a phone call away. I was right in the beginning when I said that I thought Project Live was an organization that would show me how to get my will to live back, because they have done just that! 

I’m once again living a happy and joyful life. It is a remarkable and indescribable feeling to know that people sincerely care. Project Live is an action organization, and is proactive when dealing with me and my peers. I cannot see my life without Project Live being in the forefront. Project Live has provided services to me that allow me to live my life with respect, integrity and dignity. I’ve met people from other agencies and organizations, and I’ve done several comparisons. Project Live is by far the best organization someone like myself, a person who has a mental illness, can be associated with. Shortly after becoming a member of the Project Live family, I was invited to their Christmas Party. I really didn’t want to go because I thought people would judge me once they found out that I had PTSD, and I had the shame of the assault weighing heavily on my mind. Needless to say, I had the time of my life! People were smiling, dancing and having fun. Project Live gave me back my smile at that party, and has continued to do so throughout the emotional ups and downs of my life since ever since. My new recipe is to live my life to the fullest! 

Every day I try to find something to be grateful for. I love people and I believe that not everyone is evil. Project Live reminds me that there are still a lot of good people the world. I’m still in therapy and take medication, which I may have to continue for the rest of my life. I accept this because it helps me. Simply put, it is a component of my mental illness. Project Live has helped me realize and understand that I have to do what’s necessary to face life head on. 

Today I’m still smiling. With the help of Project Live, I’ve come to understand that I can’t solve all of the problems in my life. But with the help of Project Live, I can find out which problems I can solve, say a prayer, and ask God to solve the problems I can’t. My gratitude today is to be thankful to God and the people he uses as vehicles to help me be the best person I can be. I’d like to give a special thanks to the entire Project Live professional team for their patience and tolerance during turbulent times when I needed them the most. I’m sure it wasn’t easy  God Bless!

Hello, my name is Shannon. Project Live has played a great part in my life. When I first came to Project Live 2 years ago I was seeking mental health services. They have been very supportive in dealing with my life issues. I now have a regular Psychiatrist and Therapist. I have a very supportive Counselor. Project Live has brought me a long way. I have attended several functions. They were the holiday party and Valentine’s Day party. They turned out to be nice. If Project Live worked for me, it can work for you.

My life – a roller coaster experience.

Why did I choose this particular title? You may ask. This is how I am feeling about my life and I will try to make you understand why I gave this title. I had an uneventful life up until I turned twelve and my mother announced to me that she did not or ever would love me and that I was a mistake. This, as you might imagine, made me extremely depressed and subsequently started my life in depression with its up and down experiences. At the age of 21, I got secretly married to my first husband, BE. This marriage lasted four years and ended with him trying to take my life and an abortion that left me scarred for life internally. Consequently, I could not have any children. With my mother’s statement, I became very depressed with very dark thoughts, and I made attempts on my life. I could not react to anything, be it bad or good. This is a very real disease of mental illness. Through some periods of my life I suffered with not being able to move.

My life also consisted of forty years of drug abuse. My fifth marriage produced heroin and cocaine addiction. This disease sadly also will last the rest of my life.

I found out about Project Live during the times of intense depression. My life was completely unmanageable and had it not been for the discovery of Project Live, my addiction or depression would have taken me out of here. My experience with Project Live is a very useful and helpful one. After having a relationship with them, I have not had a suicidal event or a drug problem. I have not had a hospital admission since 8 years.

I want to express my love and adoration for the program, and especially two case managers, Naema and Christine, two caring individuals that I can say go up and beyond the level of compassion,

Thank you Project Live.