Sharon’s Story (BHS – Community Supported Recovery Program)

Sharon, who has been receiving therapy services for several years through Interact and now is part of our Supported Independent Living program, sums up her experience this way, “Interact saved my life.” That sounds like a dramatic statement, but this former suburban mother’s undiagnosed mental health challenges caused a rapid downward spiral ending in homelessness on the streets of Philadelphia. When she landed in a shelter at the Salvation Army in Roxborough, Sharon started coming to Interact for outpatient therapy. “From the minute I walked through the door, I felt safe. I wasn’t judged by my therapist, I was supported. And through group therapy, I found support and acceptance from others. I realized I wasn’t alone in my struggles.” Sharon knows that the road to recovery from her mental health challenges is an ongoing process, but she also recognizes how far she has come in her recovery. “You don’t get better unless you learn to love yourself and learn to let go of things you can’t control,” she says. Sharon credits learning journaling as a helpful tool that has enabled her to “let it out and then let it go.” And when asked if she’s learned to love herself, her whole face lights up, “Oh, yes!” Sharon likes to participate in Interact’s Carriage House Caterers, which generates program income to support some of the activities of the Community Supported Recovery Program. “I feel like I’ve been given so much though this program,” she says, “this is my way to give back.”