An Update on Ronni’s Story! 

Ronni is a one-of-a-kind individual who cares deeply for those around them and has a sense of humor and smile that can light up a room. We first interviewed Ronni in 2019 when, with Pathways’ help, they moved into an apartment in Winooski after living out of their van for years. Since our first conversation with Ronni, a lot has happened. After the COVID-19 pandemic began, Ronni had a heart attack and double bypass surgery, and ended up homeless again due to challenges in their housing caused by a bad relationship.

“I felt more prepared to be homeless this time around because I had Pathways as a support from the start.” They ended up staying at the Champlain Inn and worked with Pathways staff to navigate homelessness and their medical care. Ronni cares for others, sometimes above their own needs. They have spent a large portion of their life advocating for others and often refer to themselves as an on-the-streets volunteer peer specialist. “I had to stop feeling like I was a co-worker on the streets and start realizing that Pathways was as much a resource for me as for other people.” When Ronni had their heart attack, they were in City Hall Park and didn’t want to upset those they were helping; that was an epiphany moment.

“I thought, I need to use my own resources. Katie from Pathways was my resource at that time. She took me to get heart surgery, and she showed up at my hospital bed. Katie said, ‘Pathways is not going to leave you. We are still here even though everything seems like a lot right now; we are still here.’” Ronni moved into their current apartment this past February. When asked what their favorite part of the apartment was, they replied, “My live-in aide, Tim, is my favorite part. I knew when I was housed, I would need help; that is a hard thing to admit. It is difficult to have someone move in with you and see the more vulnerable sides of you, but Tim has become the most meaningful part of my apartment.” Now that they are re-housed and feeling stable, they are looking forward to focusing on themselves and connecting to their community as a community member, not as a resource. Ronni still communicates with Pathways staff, who are a daily part of their life. Ronni looks forward to game nights and other events at the Pathways Vermont Community Center, and appreciates the ease of having access to so much within the community.

PVCC Monthly Breakfast! 

The Pathways Vermont Community Center hosts a monthly breakfast, open to anyone in the community. This month’s breakfast featured a variety of quiches, accompanied by home fries and citrus fruits! A big thank you to Haytumble Farm & Vineyard for their generous donation of eggs, which helped make the delicious quiches possible this month. To learn more about PVCC offerings, email [email protected].

Summer Solstice Class for Pathways Vermont Giving Day!

For our June 22nd Giving Day this year, Pathways Vermont is asking health, wellness, and fitness studios that offer group classes (such as yoga, pilates, spin, etc.) in the regions we serve to host a benefit class on the day before Giving Day, which is the summer solstice – June 21st. The proceeds from each designated class on June 21st would contribute to our Giving Day total on June 22nd.

If you know or own a studio that may be interested in participating, please sign up or share the link with them using the button below, or contact [email protected] with any questions!

In this workshop, we’ll talk about how we utilize Housing First values to build a synergetic partnership with the Vermont Department of Corrections (DOC), a practice we think can be replicated. Through this ever-evolving partnership, we support people leaving incarceration to re-acclimate to independent living and reintegrate into their communities, including building (and sometimes reconnecting with) natural supports. Through the power of human connection and mutual relationships between Pathways, DOC, and the individual, we are able to build genuine, dynamic relationships that are transformative for all of us.

Specialized Supports Program
Retreat! 

Pathways Vermont’s Specialized Supports Program (SSP) held a staff retreat this month!

The Specialized Supports Program works with individuals who have experienced extended periods of hospitalization and require an intense level of support to maintain independent housing in the community.

Thank you, Kevin, Jason, Eloise, Corbin, and Heidi, for your passion and dedication!

Celebrating Nine Years of Soteria House!  

This month marks nine years since Pathways Vermont obtained its license to officially operate Soteria House. Soteria House is a Therapeutic Community Residence aimed at preventing hospitalization for individuals experiencing distressing extreme states, commonly referred to as psychosis. Our Soteria House is the only one in the United States. This photo was taken in 2015 at the Open House and Ribbon Cutting Ceremony for Soteria Vermont, one year after we received licensing to officially open our doors.

Thank you to our Pathways Vermont Community for supporting Soteria Vermont and innovative mental health alternatives. 

Peer Respites: A Vital Community Resource

A blog written by 

J Helms, Director of Training & Advocacy

In early 2018, I was in the midst of a deep darkness and struggling significantly to move through the day-to-day experience of being alive. Pretty much everything felt like a chore: I was angry about having to brush my teeth.

Getting dressed for winter and having to deal with snow made me want to scream and break things. Holding a conversation for any amount of time felt absolutely torturous. I didn’t want to feel any emotions and I didn’t want to talk about emotions, mine or anyone else’s. In short, I was mutinous about being alive and I wanted very badly to stop existing.

Back then I worked as a peer support advocate at a community mental health agency and spent the majority of my days supporting people in emotional distress. You can probably understand why my work didn’t feel restorative, energizing, or particularly possible during that time (though it had certainly felt that way before and did again after). Outside of work, I struggled to maintain my relationships with friends and family; I couldn’t keep up with communication and when I did communicate, it wasn’t authentic to my actual experience. Most importantly, I’d fallen short in my relationship with myself: I’d become so focused on trudging through the muck of each day that I’d lost myself. I saw a stranger in the mirror. 

I knew that I needed to create a break from my life in order to keep living: the only way I could reconnect with myself and rebuild my resilience was to take an actual and intentional pause. 

Make a positive difference today!

You can support our mission to end homelessness in Vermont and provide innovative mental health alternatives by making a charitable donation. 

When you give a one-time or recurring monthly gift, you are helping to ensure that all Vermonters have access to the vital programs and services that our staff provides throughout the year.

 

Click here to give online or give with ease via Venmo (this link works best when clicked on the device that has Venmo installed) or this Venmo QR code. When you do, you’ll be making a positive difference in the lives of the many people that we work with and support throughout the state – individuals, families, and Veterans.
They need your support.

Thank you!

We are truly grateful to everyone who supports Pathways! Your dedicated support is impacting people’s lives. Thank you!

Every gift in any amount helps. Use Venmo or click below to make a one-time gift or sign up to become a Pathways Sustainer.