{"id":913,"date":"2019-07-26T09:31:48","date_gmt":"2019-07-26T14:31:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.zvhc.org\/?p=913"},"modified":"2019-07-26T09:31:51","modified_gmt":"2019-07-26T14:31:51","slug":"robs-story-how-the-homeless-outreach-program-gave-him-his-life-back","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.zvhc.org\/news\/2019\/07\/robs-story-how-the-homeless-outreach-program-gave-him-his-life-back\/","title":{"rendered":"Rob\u2019s Story: How the Homeless Outreach Program Gave Him His Life Back"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
At Zumbro Valley Health Center, we take great satisfaction from seeing our clients live happy and rewarding lives. We can\u2019t help but smile when we hear their success stories, and we thought you would enjoy them, too. Below is one of our clients\u2019 success stories which demonstrate how our Homeless Outreach Program, therapy, and primary care services helped him. \u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n
For Rob*, a man overcoming several challenges\nincluding divorce and mental\nillness, our Homeless Outreach Program made a positive impact in his\nlife. Keep reading to learn more about Rob\u2019s* story. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Some people struggle to paint\nwithin the numbers while others can create artwork only after years of practice\nand a great deal of effort. To Rob, painting, wood burning, and other artistic\nendeavors are just second nature.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cSince I was a teenager,\ncreating artwork has come very naturally to me,\u201d he says. \u201cThe talent to work\nwith paints, carve wood, and develop a range of artistic pieces has come down\nthe line from my grandfather to my father to me.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He explains that painting is a relaxing outlet that helps him cope with his bipolar disorder and depression.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cMy dad encouraged me to\nstart working with paints when I was 16,\u201d Rob says. \u201cIt was a great coping\nmechanism for dealing with my parents\u2019 divorce. My first painting was on a set\nof blinds at my dad\u2019s house.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Rob stopped painting for several years after he was married and worked full-time at his job. However, he came back to it after overcoming several challenges in his life, including a painful divorce, a diagnosis of depression and bipolar disorder, and experiencing homelessness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cFollowing my divorce, it was a very difficult time in my life,\u201d he says. \u201cIt definitely contributed to my depression, and my bipolar disorder led to many ups and downs in my life during these years.\u201d <\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n After four years of homelessness, Rob came to Zumbro Valley Health Center as one of the first participants in the Homeless Outreach Program. He\u2019s been a client since 2010 and currently sees a therapist<\/a>, visits primary care, and has a case manager who assists with housing services.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cZumbro Valley Health Center has contributed so much to my life,\u201d he says. \u201cPeople can come here and get the help they need if they\u2019re willing to work the process. If you do what it takes, things can work out. I\u2019m proof of that.\u201d <\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n