From Wounds to Healing

Over 20 residents are gathered in the community room at Project HOME’s Kate’s Place residence in a late afternoon. They have come from a few of our different sites to share a couple of hours of mutual support. It is one in a series of Recovery Cafes, an initiative envisioned and run by several resident leaders. Kim shares wisdom about finding the truth of who you are, despite all the negative voices and experiences. She is animated and passionate as she speaks. Heads nod throughout the room as some common core of woundedness is touched – as is a spark of hope for healing.

As a Project HOME resident on her own journey of recovery, Kim has unique and powerful gifts, as do many of our residents and former residents who are sharing those gifts in leadership roles. They share hard edges of experiences, deep empathy and understanding, a fierce and hard-earned hope that our lives can change. They model perseverance and determination which can be the catalysts for transformation – both personal and societal.

Several residents and alumni sit on our Board of Trustees. A group of residents are part of a core team in our strategic planning process. Numerous residents, as Certified Peer Specialists, provide invaluable support to fellow residents making progress in their lives. Residents share their gifts – and advance our mission – through advocacy, art, the Speakers Bureau, or volunteering. Those who have deeply felt what it means to be without a home are invaluable guides for all of us on the road home.