This is the 13th in a series of columns written by staff from the Lighthouse to help the community better understand people experiencing homelessness and those who support them. This column will appear every other Monday.
Operating the Lighthouse takes 70 staff and more than 80 volunteers involved in daily operations, in addition to volunteers involved in event committees.
Like our participants, each staff and volunteer has a story that leads them to The Lighthouse. When we asked Lighthouse staff if they would be willing to share their stories, Sarah decided she wanted to show participants that “many of us (staff) aren’t so different from those we help.”
Her life experience, along with her education, give her a strong foundation for her work.
“I’ve been in some of the places you’ve been,” she says, “and if I haven’t been there, my other half has probably been there.”
Meet Sarah, one of The Lighthouse’s program support workers. Sarah works in supportive housing, and her role is to provide housing-focused programming for chronically homeless participants who are living there. Sarah supports participants as they develop healthy habits, increase their skills, and reach their goals, ultimately leading to independent housing.
While Sarah started working full-time in the social services field about a year ago after testing the waters in part-time roles, she has always been involved in caring for other people. She grew up at a family resort that her grandpa owned, and her childhood allowed her a lot of opportunities to meet people from a variety of backgrounds.
Sarah describes herself as a bit of a “social chameleon.” She’s able to connect with people who have had diverse experiences, and this allows her to support participants well.
In her early teens, Sarah started to experience some difficulties. As a result of a complicated family dynamic, she recalls not always getting the support she needed for her mental health.
Sarah went through what she describes as a rebellious phase, and she started to hang out with a “rougher” group of friends. Her friends started to experiment with various substances, and throughout this time, Sarah struggled to find her place. But nearing the end of high school, Sarah realized she wanted to finish her education. She wanted to set herself up to be able to support others the way she wished she had been supported.
Although it took an extra year, Sarah met her goal and finished high school. She was told that she wouldn’t be able to get into college, but this motivated her all the more. “I was like ‘I’ll show you,’” she says with a smile.
Sarah successfully completed a diploma in Community and Justice Services. “I liked the program,” she says, “but I realized I wasn’t an enforcer, so I went into mental health and addictions. This taught me everything. I was hungry for more, and that’s when I decided to go to university.”
Throughout her time at college, Sarah’s determination helped her to thrive academically. Other areas of her life often suffered, however, as a result of untreated mental illness. The challenges Sarah experienced during this time led to periods of depression and self-doubt.
While at university, Sarah was diagnosed with borderline personality disorder. She was able to get herself on a waiting list for a dialectical behavioural therapy (DBT) program, but due to the waitlist, it took two years before she was able to start the six-month DBT program.
As she waited for the program, Sarah struggled to maintain some aspects of her life. She moved back to her hometown and dropped out of university during the COVID-19 pandemic. She was fortunate enough to still be able to complete the DBT program when it became available for her despite the changes in her circumstances.
It was around this time that Sarah met her partner, Zach. When they first met, he had recently left an unhealthy relationship and was between homes, living in his car and couch-surfing. Due to the trauma Zach had experienced combined with a difficult upbringing, he was also living with addictions and mental illnesses. Although many had given up on Zach, Sarah knew he had potential. Sarah saw value in him, and she and Zach connected.
Looking back, Sarah recognizes that Zach was in a similar situation to what many participants are in. She was able to support him in walking through the steps he needed to take, including navigating his recovery and finding a place he could truly call home. Together, they moved into a trailer on Sarah’s family’s property. This gave them the time and space necessary to determine where they would go next.
The next step in Sarah and Zach’s housing journey was to find a suitable rental before winter.
“Trying to find an apartment was an absolute nightmare because I didn’t have credit and the cost of an apartment in our hometown was way out of our price range,” Sarah says.
Eventually, they found a place in Orillia. Although it wasn’t where they had planned to move and the apartment wasn’t in the best part of town, they decided to give Orillia a chance and have a fresh start.
“I always had this theory that if you give someone enough compassion and support and love them as another human being, it has enough power to spark the fight in them that they need for the battle ahead,” Sarah says. “Someone believing in you goes a long way.”
She’s seen this through the changes that have been made in their lives over the last couple of years. In May of 2023, after a lot of hard work and determination, they moved into an apartment located in a better area of town, giving them both the stability they needed to pursue and maintain full-time jobs in their fields.
This isn’t to say that their lives are without challenges.
Since moving to Orillia, both Sarah and Zach have experienced job loss. At one point, Sarah unexpectedly lost her job as a support worker in a group home. This inspired her to start searching for a role that would allow her to advocate for others in a way that was more meaningful for her.
Through Sarah’s two months of unemployment, even with Zach’s income, they had to max out a credit card to cover expenses, and they’re still working through these effects. Zach is also experiencing physical and mental health challenges that they’re currently navigating.
When asked how the similarities between her personal life experience and her work at The Lighthouse impact her, Sarah shares that what she has been through is her inspiration.
“Sometimes when I’m talking to participants, it triggers memories or flashbacks,” she shares, “but I don’t think it’s negative.” She’s able to take her experiences, process them, and use the knowledge she has to support participants.
Sarah loves working at The Lighthouse because of the ways it allows her to encourage people, advocate on their behalf, and help them navigate systems that can be difficult to figure out on your own.
“We want people to be housed, and that’s what we focus on, but we do so much more than that. We help with crises, talk about substance use, get them resources, and tailor our support to their unique situations. I find that so fulfilling.”
Sometimes it can be challenging to see the difference being made when changes appear small, but every little bit counts. “If I can touch one person’s life and let them know that they matter, it makes it worth it,” she says.
Sarah thinks it’s important that everyone understands that “just because you’re where you are now, doesn’t mean that’s where you’re going to stay.”
People can find their way out of what seem like impossible situations, just like people can find themselves in situations they never thought they would be in. Sarah sees the ways that persistence and resilience has been significant in her and Zach’s lives. She is grateful for how far they have come, and Sarah and Zach look forward to their future together.
Linda Goodall is the executive director at the Lighthouse. You can reach her at [email protected].
Rosemary Petersen is the assistant director at the Lighthouse.