Kindness Overcomes

Alice enjoys tending to the garden at UTSH. August 2025.

In the US, 21.1% of individuals experiencing homelessness also have a severe mental health condition. Serious mental illness (SMI) can majorly interfere with life activities and create unique obstacles for the people dealing with SMI. People like Alice.  

Alice, a resident of Uptown Safe Haven (UTSH) since January, is known for her kindness, generosity, and dedication, but mental illness has created challenging obstacles along her path. “I am bipolar schizophrenic affected,” Alice said. About every two years, she has a severe mental breakdown. Alice has long followed this pattern of breakdown, to hospitalization, to stabilization, and eventually a return to her typical life routine — living at her parents’ house and working. 

After nine years at the same job, Alice suffered a severe breakdown that resulted in six months of hospitalization followed by six months of care at a crisis house afterward. During her time at the hospital, Alice’s sister and brother-in-law convinced her parents to reject any attempt Alice made to return home. And, because she was under care for a year, her position at her job was no longer available upon her release. Alice was homeless with no one to turn to. 

The crisis house could not keep Alice any longer, so they sent her out with nothing but the belongings she arrived with and a $5 bus pass.  

Art gifted to Alice by friends hangs on the wall of her room at UTSH. August 2025.

Still, Alice was resourceful. After a difficult night spent sleeping on the trolley for safety, she took action. Alice was able to access her savings, acquire Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI), and through those funds, complete her associate in accounting. Finally, her life was back on track. Until she was hit with yet another breakdown. “I'm good when I'm good and then I'm not when I'm not,” she said. 

After that, Alice lost her SSDI and hopped from one job to the next between breakdowns. “I was so unstable,” she said. After a particularly bad breakdown, she returned to her parents’ house only to learn that her brother-in-law, in an effort to keep Alice and her breakdowns at bay, had obtained a restraining order against Alice with both of her parents listed on it. She violated the restraining order in a state of psychosis and promptly turned herself in.  

After five challenging months in jail, Alice was released and placed in an independent living facility where she began psychiatric therapy. “I learned how to identify my mental illness, which is something I never knew before,” Alice said. “I learned how to calm it down; I learned how to overcome the mental illness.” Alice practiced techniques and found a better medication plan to help manage her symptoms. “I was impressed because everything was working. It wasn't panic attack, hospital, you know, it was panic attack, grounding techniques, medication, back on track,” she said. “It was a whole different path than what I was used to.” 

While at the independent living facility, Alice got a new job. However, as her hours increased during the holiday rush, she was told she no longer qualified for free housing with that program, and the rent was more expensive than what she could afford. Just as she felt hope dissipating again, she learned about an opportunity to move to transitional housing at Uptown Safe Haven.  

Life changed for Alice after moving to UTSH. She continued therapy, managing her mental illness more day by day, and participated in support groups led by Keith, an UTSH staff member. The staff offered her continuous support and kindness. “The staff is so nice to me. I mean they’re the best,” Alice said. “I realized that not all people are bad. There are people who are good, there are people who understand, there are people who work with you to make it better for you. And that's what I found here.”   

Alice praises the compassion of the staff, but their admiration for her thoughtfulness shines just as bright. Alice frequently goes above and beyond her mandatory chores, ensuring that the facility is in perfect condition for her fellow residents and she volunteers with Voices of Our City Choir. But the kindness that Alice is perhaps best known for is her birthday cake tradition. 

Alice keeps a box of cake mix in her room so she is prepared for upcoming celebrations. August 2025.

“When I was little, my birthday was overlooked a lot,” Alice explained. That lingering feeling pushed her to ensure no one at UTSH ever felt that way, so she started baking cakes for everyone’s birthdays, and even for some residents’ sobriety anniversaries. “I've done cakes for everybody... I think people like to be recognized and make sure everyone feels special.” 

UTSH brought stability to Alice’s life. It also gave her a clean slate, helping to clear her criminal record. A few months ago, Alice went before a judge to address the charges on her record from violating the restraining order. During her court session, the judge pulled out a letter written by Raul, UTSH’s Program Manager, vouching for Alice’s character. “I feel compelled to write this letter to support Alice because she has been one of the most outstanding residents we've had during my time as program manager,” the letter read. “Her positive energy, reliability, and eagerness to grow makes her a valuable member of both our program in the broader community.”  

“[The judge] asked me, ‘do you know what this letter says?’” Alice recalled. “I just nodded. I couldn't even speak. I was too busy crying. And she says, ‘this is the kind of letter that sways me.’ And she expunged my record.” 

Through counseling, community activities, and pitching in with chores, Alice has prepared herself for independent living. Just a few weeks ago, Alice was approved for her own apartment. Her goal is to take that next step toward her future by living on her own and eventually using her degree to get a job as an accounting assistant or administrator. 

UTSH helped Alice suppress her fears, regain her confidence, and prepare for independent living. August 2025.

Because of her mental illness, Alice used to live in constant fear. She had to pick herself up and start over all alone, time and time again. “But with the support that I have, especially from Uptown Safe Haven, it's really different,” Alice said. “If it wasn't for programs like this, I wouldn't have an opportunity to have my own place. And to actually be in an environment where you learn to live in your own place makes it so that you have a better outcome when you do get there.” 

Alice expressed immense gratitude for the UTSH staff, ECS donors, Downtown Impact, San Diego Housing Commission, and God. 

To learn more about the incredible work of UTSH, visit ECS Uptown Safe Haven. 

Never Going Back

Mark was exposed to alcohol at a young age and began drinking regularly at just 13 years old. After being bullied as a child, Mark was desperate to be liked and to belong; drinking allowed him to fit in. “I thought I was the fun, party, crazy guy, but eventually it started killing me as I got deeper into it,” he said.     

CERRC gave Mark a fresh start. *July 2025.

As Mark got older, his substance use disorder (SUD) only grew. His use of alcohol as a social crutch also became a coping mechanism for his mental health. “I had a lot of depression, anxiety, anger, and I didn't treat it. I didn't have any coping skills. My coping skill was alcohol,” he said. His alcohol use and the negative influences he saw growing up turned him down a path of destruction. “I saw people cheat and lie and steal around me, and that's what I did. That's how I lived my life.”   

By 21, Mark received his first of four DUIs, although he admitted there would be hundreds had he been caught every time he drove under the influence. “Luckily, I didn't kill someone. Luckily, I didn't kill myself. Luckily, they were just DUIs,” he said. Mark’s life became littered with jail time, lost friendships, and broken family relationships.    

Despite the harm occurring around him, Mark was in denial of his SUD. His family and friends tried to talk to him, but he shut them down. “My idea of an alcoholic was the cliché; there's a guy with a paper bag sitting under a bridge,” Mark explained. When he looked at his life – a car, a job, an apartment, an education – he did not see an alcoholic. “The thought of having a problem didn't even cross my mind. Not even close. Even after the DUIs, even after the close calls.” 

SUD and its consequences finally caught up to Mark in February of 2024. He was depressed and unemployed due to an injury. “I was so depressed, everything was dark, and I didn't want to live anymore,” he said. One day he texted his girlfriend, telling her that he planned to commit suicide. The police arrived and Mark barricaded himself in a closet on his balcony, yelling that he had a weapon in hopes that the police would kill him. “They could have shot me. They could have killed me. And by the grace of God, they didn't. They teargassed me. They flash banged me... Finally, when they teargassed me twice, I had to give up because I couldn't breathe,” he said. 

Mark was taken to jail and began to slowly sober up, but as he did, he realized that this situation was no “slap on the hand”; this was serious. “When I went to my first court date, I was looking at some serious charges because of the threat of life on a police officer. There were five counts of that. Nine total felonies after it was all said and done,” he said. “They didn't want any probation... ‘we want him to go to prison. He's a menace.’ That's what the DA said. ‘He's a menace.’”  

While his lawyer looked into recovery programs, Mark turned to God, praying that his SUD be taken away. “I started thinking and I was like, ‘Lord, you know... I want to get help. I'm asking for it. I'm begging for it. For the first time I'm saying, I'm an alcoholic. I am an alcoholic,’” he said. “‘I want help. Please help me.’” Hoping against all odds for help and for mercy from the court, God answered Mark’s prayers. “The judge overruled the district attorney and said, ‘I'm gonna give him help,’” Mark said.    

Mark was sent to CRASH and then to ECS Central East Regional Recovery Center (CERRC). By chance, his CERRC counselor, Charles, graduated from CRASH, as well. He knew where Mark was coming from and how to best continue his recovery journey. “For me, it was life and death. I need someone who's going to tell me how it is, not tell me what I want to hear, but tell me what I need to hear,” Mark said. 

Mark shared that the entire CERRC team – from the front desk associates to the case managers and counselors – was wonderful and saw his progression. Stephanie helped him get his EBT card, set up a dentist appointment, and work on his resume. Rachel helped him find a sober living in which he could thrive. 

Group sessions and empathetic counseling are a few features of CERRC that uplift clients to recovery. *July 2025.

The group sessions were particularly impactful for Mark. “We're all different walks of life. You know, you can have the meanest looking guy with tattoos on his face and he's breaking down crying,” he said. “I started gaining a lot of empathy in those groups. I cared about some of these people. I literally exchanged numbers with them and would check on them, see if they're okay. And I never cared about anybody. I didn't even care about myself.” 

Now, as a CERRC graduate, Mark is building himself up, taking care of himself mentally, physically, emotionally, and spiritually. “Alcohol was the start of the problem, but now we got to work on ourselves,” Mark said. 

He has a sponsor, goes to meetings, and does meditation each morning. He has a job he loves where all of his co-workers also happen to be in sobriety. He has a good relationship with his family again and just welcomed a new grandbaby. Mark shared how he is committed to demonstrating his new lease on life to his loved ones. “I can tell you all day long that I'm not going to drink for the rest of my life and you can take it however you want to. But if I show you, well then, I'm showing you,” he said. “I'm taking action.” 

CERRC helped Mark achieve the unthinkable and rewire his mindset to find healthy coping mechanisms. “I don't have to drink because I'm stressed. I don't have to drink because I'm angry. I don't have to drink because I'm happy. I can do other things,” he said. Now, recovery is so important to Mark, it’s even apparent in his sleep. “I started having sober dreams where I would tell somebody, ‘Oh, no, I don't drink. I'm sober,’ in my dreams, instead of having the using ones.” 

The cherry on top of all the goodness in Mark’s life? All of his charges have been dropped like they never happened. “I'll always be in recovery. Do I have an alcohol problem now? I don't think so. My problem is just trying to be a better person,” he said. “Doing different and being different, being better.”  

One way Mark has proven his effort to be better is through sharing his recovery story. He has spoken at AA panels, crisis centers, and H&I (Hospitals and Institutions) panels. “It's freeing for me. I'd held all this stuff in for not years, but decades. And I don't have to lie anymore. I don't have to be someone I'm not. I can tell you the good, the bad, the ugly, and, you know, if someone wants to judge me, well then, they're going to judge me. That's not my problem. My responsibility is to help someone else.” 

Alcohol no longer controls Mark’s life. Just a year and a half ago he had totally given up. Now, with the help of CERRC, he has reclaimed and reshaped his life in incredible ways. “It really does work. I didn't believe it. I was like, ‘yeah, you tell me all this crap, but I'm not going to be smiling. I don't smile.’ And I'm smiling. I'm happy,” he said. “This program is amazing. It saves people.” 

To learn more about CERRC visit  https://www.ecscalifornia.org/central-east-regional-recovery-center. 

*Caption dates may not be exact.

C-HRT Safe Haven Gives Michelle a Second Chance

C-HRT provides Michelle a safe place to recover. February 2025.

Michelle, a resident of C-HRT Safe Haven, faced a string of heartbreaks; the frightening reality of homelessness, a debilitating substance use disorder, and the loss of her husband to an overdose. Fortunately, in the wake of these challenges, she found C-HRT Safe Haven, which has given her stability, care, and hope for the future.

Watch Michelle’s video to hear her tell her story and visit C-HRT Safe Haven to learn more about the life changing transitional housing program.

Running to Recovery

ECS CERRC helped create new purpose in Stephanie’s life. *March 2025.

Stephanie, a case manager at ECS’ Central East Regional Recovery Center (CERRC) program, pours her heart into her job. Each client she interacts with is treated with unbridled compassion and support. Her motivation? Stephanie was once in those clients’ shoes, dealing with the harsh reality of a substance use disorder (SUD). 

For many years, Stephanie battled SUD. Her childhood in Minnesota was set in a broken home; her father battled alcoholism, she was molested by a relative as a child, and her parents fought intensely before separating. “It was really unstable,” Stephanie shared. The situation meant that Stephanie and her sisters had to move multiple times, sometimes staying in foster care or at different friends’ houses. It was while living with a friend in ninth grade that Stephanie was introduced to drugs.  

Stephanie used drugs to cope with the childhood events she never healed from. “For a long time, I thought that's how everyone's family was,” she said. “I'm about to be 40 and I can still remember this stuff.”  

When drugs were no longer enough to cope, Stephanie ran to San Diego. “I was always running, always running. Every time there was a problem, I'd either run away or run to drugs,” Stephanie said. “They say geographical fixes don't work because you're there; no matter what you're trying to escape, there you are.” This wisdom held true for Stephanie. Once she was in San Diego, her drug use only worsened.  

At the time, she was also in a very physically abusive relationship in which she was manipulated and had her savings depleted. Stephanie half-joked, “I either need to be a nun or I need to have treatment.” 

Stephanie settled on the treatment option. “I didn't think I was going to get clean, but God gave me the gift of desperation,” she said. To ensure she didn’t resort to her old “running” habit, she gave up her car and her residence. “I ended up going to a few programs and I'm not going to lie, I still ran,” Stephanie said. “But this time I didn't run to my house, I ran to another program.” She tried several programs but never felt comfortable. Many lacked the personable support she needed. Others had too much drug use and crime in close proximity. Thankfully, she was eventually referred to CERRC. 

Even at her intake, Stephanie noticed a difference. She felt like she was finally in a good place, immediately supported by staff including her counselor, Summer. “I don't have family out here. Everyone's in Minnesota, so when Summer asked me, ‘who is your support?’ and I said ‘her,’ I really meant it,” Stephanie said. That support came through; “I was able to build a support system of women,” she said. “That walk was very important for me. They were once in my spot, they knew what I needed. They really gave me person-centered care.” 

Stephanie attended the program faithfully. She got the guidance she needed, learning about topics such as healthy relationships, co-dependence, and toxic behavior, which she was able to apply to her own life and leave her abuser. “Growing up, I didn't have a lot of support from my parents. So, when I got here and I got advice that you would typically hear from your parent, it took me to a whole different level,” Stephanie said. She created meaningful relationships and was encouraged constantly by counselors who pushed her to attend AA and NA meetings, get a sponsor, and go to self-help meetings. Stephanie was struck by the example her counselors set by also attending meetings, truly walking the walk.  

Stephanie before beginning her treatment at CERRC. *June 2025.

Stephanie after achieving sobriety and joining the team at CERRC. *June 2025.

CERRC gave Stephanie wholistic treatment. Not only did she achieve sobriety, the stability and guidance ECS provided allowed her to leave her bad relationship, obtain housing, get a job, save up, buy a car, and eventually start a career. “They gave me a foundation of ‘this is what recovery looks like,’” she said. 

About 18 months into her sobriety, Stephanie was encouraged to become a drug & alcohol counselor. She embraced the idea and went to work at a couple of other programs but was eventually called back to CERRC and became a case manager. “ECS is so supportive. My colleagues in general are supportive,” she said. “If I tell them something, they actually hear me out. It doesn't fall on deaf ears.” 

As someone who recovered from an SUD, Stephanie embraces her clients with empathy, often going above and beyond her job duties. She ensures her clients have all the essentials. In her office, baskets of clothes, boxes of food and toiletries, and stacks of self-help books are free for the taking. “How are you supposed to recover if you don't have the basic things,” she observed. “A lot of people when you're out there using drugs, you lose the trust in people, because some of the people that you think are your best friends have probably hurt you or stolen from you. So here, they get to get something without having to give something in return. I just want to see you succeed.” 

Case management has been very rewarding for Stephanie. “I watched a girl get her kids back,” she said. “I get to see these people in public being productive members of society. I feel like God gives me the reward because I get to see the people's lives change.” 

Stephanie with ECS CEO Elizabeth Wilberg (left) and San Diego County District 4 Supervisor Monica Montgomery Steppe (center) at the CERRC Open House. January 2025.

ECS and CERRC stand out from other organizations to Stephanie, both as a client and as an employee. “I'm really grateful that I work here because I feel like we get to do God's work. I feel like we get to do something good; we get to give back to the community,” she said. “I'm glad I get to be a part of the healing of San Diego.” Stephanie shared how important the inclusive nature of ECS is to her and how the extra effort the people within the organization put forth inspires her. Stephanie even spearheaded a Toys for Tots initiative to provide Christmas gifts for CERRC clients’ kids. She was also chosen for an ECS Employee Spotlight, an internal initiative that highlights a different outstanding employee each month. 

Stephanie ran to recovery, and now she is coaching others along their own paths to sobriety. “I just want to uplift them and say, ‘hey, you're worth it,’” she said. “I just want to speak life into them. I don't want them to think that they're alone in this.” 

To learn more about the work of ECS CERRC, visit Central East Regional Recovery Center — Episcopal Community Services.  

*Caption dates may not be exact.