September 19, 2022  COMPASS CAREER SOLUTIONS

Hello, my name is Tom. Things were not always as they are today.

 

There were many cold nights that I would sleep in my car or shelter. I was depressed and felt hopeless. I kept to myself and was very isolated with very few supports. When I was depressed and needed someone to talk to nobody was there.

 

In March of 2022, I just had enough and I didn’t want to continue. I ended up reaching out to the hospital for supports not knowing that this was the first step to a better life!

 

I was referred to a program called GOSH which stands for The Governor’s Opportunity for Supportive Housing. When I decided to participate, I was assigned to Compass Career Solutions to help me find permanent housing. While working with Compass I was able to utilize a temporary program where Compass paid for a hotel room so I didn’t have return to the streets until housing was found.

 

The housing process took a little longer than we all wanted, due to the lack of affordable housing in Lewis County. In a little over 3 months, Compass was able to connect with a private landlord that was willing to rent to me.

 

August 1st was the first day of the rest of my life. I now have permanent housing with a warm bed, my own bathroom, and all the little things that people take for granted.

 

Compass gave me hope for the future and the energy to overcome my mental health diagnosis by helping me find a place to call home. Thank you, Compass!