Why We are Here…
Today, I went to a memorial service for a Veteran who passed away last week at a permanent supportive housing property for Veterans, after overdosing from Fentanyl. Before moving into his apartment, he had been chronically homeless, struggling greatly with mental illness and then addiction. At the memorial, I saw all of the beautiful artwork he made from scrap metal. An excerpt was read from one of his journals, describing in detail the mental anguish he was enduring. I was moved by the pieces I put together from all that was shared. Yet it's what was said in closing by his case manager that I will never let go of. She said that on the day she met Sam, the only item he owned beyond the clothes on his back, was a fan that did not work and he was struggling to fix. Although on this day, it was evident by the stories shared, how much he had gained since that day with his fan. This is why Sanctuary was born; for all of the Sams out there… with only a fan.
