Meg: Finding Comfort and a Place to Belong

A privileged upbringing in one of Chicago’s wealthier suburbs couldn’t keep Meg — who started using cocaine at age 16 — safe from the problems of drug use that would rule much of her adult life. Battling mental health challenges, including bipolar disorder, from an early age, Meg struggled with bulimia and anorexia and turned to drugs as a way to make herself feel good, even if, as she says, it was only for “fifteen and a half seconds.”

Meg has experienced sporadic homelessness over the past decade and today, in her mid-40s, she still struggles with occasional drug use. But, she says, the support she receives from Heartland Alliance, both permanent housing and mental health and addictions treatment, is helping her get to a point where “every day, drugs become less desirable.”

To help care for Meg’s physical and emotional needs, a nurse practitioner from Heartland Alliance visits weekly to ensure she gets adequate nutrition and support while she battles her eating disorders. A psychiatrist and therapist help her with mental health issues, including food phobias and healing from domestic violence. Case managers oversee her care and help her apply for the government support and medical care for which she is eligible due to her disabilities.

But, Meg says, she gets more than services from the people who work for Heartland Alliance. She gets a sense of belonging and comfort she hasn’t known most of her adult life.

“I know now that I am not alone in this crazy world,” says Meg.

How You Can Help

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Heartland Alliance—the leading anti-poverty organization in the Midwest— believes that all of us deserve the opportunity to improve our lives. Each year, we help ensure this opportunity for nearly one million people around the world who are homeless, living in poverty, or seeking safety.

Please consider making a donation today to help others like Meg.