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.