Nadia

The Haitian town of Belladère rests more than 80 miles from Port-au-Prince, along the border with the Dominican Republic. In the center of town is the restaurant Chez Emie, where Nadia Fleurimé works as both a cook and a server. If you ask her about her daughter Narlie, she will smile, and ask you if you’d like to meet her—she’s playing in the yard at the side of the restaurant. They are together, and in the aftermath of the January 12 earthquake, this scene would have been hard to imagine.

Nadia was living in Port-au-Prince and running a quick errand when the earthquake struck. She rushed home to find Narlie seriously injured. Part of the house had fallen on her as she lay in bed. Family members were able to pull Narlie from the rubble, and she was taken to a hotel being used as an overflow hospital. After a few days she was taken to Haiti’s General Hospital. Nadia was with her daughter day and night.

Doctors soon realized they were ill-equipped to deal with the severity of Narlie’s wounds, which included a badly injured leg and a severe head injury that caused so much swelling only one of her eyes opened. Doctors told Nadia that Narlie would be transferred to the USSNS Comfort, an American ship docked off the coast of Haiti and operating as a hospital for the most severely injured, but that she wouldn’t be able to accompany her daughter.

Narlie was discharged from the Comfort three weeks later and placed in another hospital, where she continued to receive treatment—but her family believed she was still on the ship. The hospital had no information on Narlie’s family, so the center director called Heartland Alliance.

Heartland Alliance led the UNICEF-funded Family Tracing and Reunification Project, which worked to identify thousands of children separated from their families after the earthquake. Our child protection officers were able to get several key pieces of information from Narlie about her life: the name of her school and her teacher, the church her family attended. With this information, Heartland Alliance child protection officers were able to track down Nadia, who had left the capital to live with her cousin in Belladère, a town undamaged by the earthquake.

Nadia was overjoyed to finally learn news of her daughter. Narlie and Nadia were finally reunited on April 9, nearly three months after the earthquake. They received a reunification kit from Heartland Alliance with clothing and household items, and they returned to Belladère.

Narlie lost part of her right ear. She will need plastic surgery in the future, and she continues to walk with a pronounced limp. But she is alive today and has been reunited with her mother. For Narlie, as for many in Haiti, there is a long road to recovery ahead. Thanks to Heartland Alliance and our local partners, many children will face this road with their parents at their side.

Being back in the workforce is what mattered most to Myra Jordan, a trainee worker in the billing department at Fox & Obel. Myra had been in and out of the workforce for over a decade. “I’ve been really blessed to receive this opportunity; it makes me feel better because I’m back in the workforce. I missed that,” she says. “I just love getting up every morning and going to work.”

Starting with a new dinette set and then adding living room furniture, Myra has finally been able to afford things she hasn’t been able to before now, creating a more comfortable home for herself and her family. And her new furniture was not purchased on credit, but purchased outright.

“Thanks to Put Illinois to Work… every time I look at the new furniture, I can say that this came from putting people back to work.”

With the new skills and self-confidence Myra has gained working at Fox & Obel, she is more certain than ever that by Christmas she will be in an unsubsidized job. All she needed was for one employer to take a chance— Put Illinois to Work made that possible.

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

Donate » Help Us End Poverty

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.

Mark: A New Home That’s All It’s Own

Four months after Mark Pringle moved into Hollywood House, he still can’t believe how his bad luck turned to good fortune.

For 14 years, Pringle lived in the same apartment in the Rogers Park neighborhood. After being hospitalized for two months, however, he returned home to find his things boxed up in the basement—he had been evicted. Living on a small Social Security check, with no money for a security deposit, he moved to a transient hotel near Wrigley Field. A month later, a friend who was storing Pringle’s possessions stopped by with more bad news: a fire had destroyed it all.

“I said to myself, ‘I don’t have anything. I’m going to run out of money. I’ll just be sleeping in the streets,” the 62-year-old Pringle says. “I was asking God if He could just let me die. I said, ‘I can’t live like this.’”

Then Pringle heard about Hollywood House, an apartment building in the Edgewater neighborhood that provides affordable housing for seniors. Pringle moved into Hollywood House at the end of a massive, nearly two-year renovation that put all new appliances, paint, and carpet in every one of the 197 units and installed heating and cooling upgrades, energy-efficient lighting, and more.

Hollywood House is part of Heartland Alliance’s plan to provide more services to seniors. “We understand the needs that come with an elderly population, especially at-risk seniors,” says Michael Goldberg, executive director of Heartland Housing.

At Hollywood House, Heartland Alliance takes the lead on planning events for residents and helping coordinate services for those who need them, from help with shopping to connecting residents to in-home medical care.

Pringle moved in last April, and he says everything has been improving ever since. He’s gotten furniture, clothing, and pots and pans from the staff at the front desk and from a local church where he’s become a regular. While he was fearful of leaving his room at the transient hotel, he now goes out daily and spends time on the terrace, talking with other tenants. “I leave my door open here. I never could do that before,” he says.

“It’s like I’m not afraid here,” Pringle says with tears in his eyes. “I never would have thought I could have a place like this. I worked three jobs at times in my life, but I never had enough money where I could afford a place where I could see the lake. It’s been so wonderful.”

How You Can Help

Donate » Help Us End Poverty

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 Mark.

When she finnished telling her story to the Chicago Tribune, Luz didn’t think much of it. A participant in several Heartland Alliance programs, she had been asked to speak with a reporter about the hardships that come with raising a family on an uncertain income. Unable to get more than part time hours at her retail job, she was soon unable to keep a roof over her son Marvin’s head. They ended up in a shelter.

“I tried to make things normal for him,” says Luz of that time. “I made my son do his homework, found a quiet spot for him to play a game.”

When Heartland Alliance found her a small studio in Edgewater, she couldn’t believe her fortune.

“This is my mansion,” she says, laughing as she spreads her arms in the living area.

So when Heartland Alliance asked her to speak about her struggles, Luz used her voice on behalf of others like her – those who worked hard, but couldn’t count on a roof over their head. She did an interview with the Tribune and laughed as she saw her picture in the newspaper. She went to bed that night feeling she had done something good by sharing her story.

“Mom. I Love You With All My Heart.” Luz spells the words slowly and looks at her son, Marvin, 12, who is clearly embarrassed. He made it for her in school for Valentine’s Day, and she’s proud to say she has somewhere to hang it.  Photo by Bob Black

It wasn’t long before things changed in a big way.

“People really felt for her,” says Carmen Jimenez, Employer Partnerships Manager with Heartland Alliance, who helped Luz make a financial plan to live on her income and keep herself housed. “She worked so hard, and I think people sympathized with her struggling to make it in these tough times.”

The outpouring of support was overwhelming. One man paid her rent for a year. Dozens wrote letters to the Tribune with checks enclosed. Most importantly, though, one call led to a full time job.

“I looked at my last check from [my retail job]. It was for $70. My first check from my new job was so much bigger. It was a shock,” she says. “The gifts, a good job. I don’t know how to thank everyone.”

After such a windfall, though, Luz found herself wondering – what now? What’s the best way to use this opportunity to change my life for the long term?

“Carmen helped me figure out some goals and how to move towards them,” Luz says.

And what are those goals?

“Bedrooms!,” Luz says excitedly, laughing. “I also want to fix my credit. In five years, I just want to be stable and comfortable.”

And, of course, to see her son reach his goal of becoming a surgeon. He’s well on his way – attending a preparatory program for a prestigious high school in the city and busy with music lessons.

But after so much struggle, Luz found herself wondering – how many others are like me? How many people struggle like I did? And just like that, a woman who just a year ago was homeless became an advocate for those in need.

“[Politicians] have money for big stores and houses but not for people in need,” she says passionately. “Something has to change.”

Until then, though, there’s dinner to prepare and, although it’s spring break, she’s assigned her son reading to keep him sharp.

“We have a future now,” she says. “But I want more for him. [Thanks to Heartland Alliance], I can help him get it.”

Better Health, More Independence: A New Life for Louise

 

Louise gets up with the birds for her hour-long walk on the treadmill four, sometimes six days a week. Her 5 am strolls could put anyone to shame, but for Louise, they’re simply a symbol for how far she’s come on her path to independence. With her daily walks, Louise, 73, manages diabetes while she rehabilitates from devastating illnesses. She has done so well, she no longer relies on medicine to keep her blood sugar levels down.

Her success, she said, comes in large part from Heartland Alliance’s healthcare services. “It really empowered her – it gave her her sense of independence back,” Louise’s daughter, Diana, said.

A few years ago, the future wasn’t looking this bright. She’d suffered an aneurysm, which caused a cascade of health problems for her, and for awhile, her doctors and family weren’t sure how she was going to fare. But Louise slowly recovered, and as she did, she struggled with the stress of her illnesses and the mounting costs that chipped away at her spare senior citizen’s budget. It was a rough cycle: The illnesses and stress aggravated her diabetes. The diabetes made it harder to recover, and kept her spirits low.

But at her local health center, she attended a six-week diabetes management course, desperate to find a way to get her diabetes under control once and for all. As the course ended, she knew that controlling her diabetes was more than a six week long endeavor and she knew she’d need ongoing support. Health professionals told her about Heartland Alliance’s healthcare services.

On a fixed income and battling a potentially life-threatening illness, Louise came to Heartland Alliance as many seniors do – with a variety of complex needs. But through Heartland Alliance’s services and connections to community groups throughout Chicago, she quickly began to receive one-on-one help, whether in need of utility assistance or prescription drug aid, medical services, or ongoing diabetes management.

It made all the difference. As she learned more about her disease, she changed her life, learning that exercise, making proper food choices and portioning her food are critical for keeping her blood sugar levels normal and stable. She learned how to manage stress – something she never realized would exacerbate her condition. 

Today, Louise is medication-free, many pounds lighter, singing contralto in her choir – and racking up miles on her treadmill. “I used to think diabetes was a death sentence,” she said. “But then Heartland [Alliance] helped me, and I picked up, and I am not going to stop. “I’m going to keep going as long as I can.”

 

 

 

 

How You Can Help

Donate » Help Us End Poverty

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 support our work to help people like Louise.

Despite her long-term general awareness of the work of Heartland Alliance’s Marjorie Kovler Center, it was not until Holly Birnbaum read a Chicago Tribune article by a volunteer interpreter that she realized, “I could do that!” This revelation led to a relationship with Holly serving as a French language interpreter for a Kovler participant and a volunteer psychotherapist in 2007. Since that time, she has accompanied the participant through the process of healing, of winning asylum, and the discovery of a disappeared spouse. Even though the participant’s English has improved to the point where she no longer needs an interpreter during therapy, the bond between the two continues, as Holly now meets with her regularly to coach her in her job search.

Holly describes how much she has learned about the amazing resiliency of torture survivors and the personal impact she feels from her soulful connections with Kovler participants. She served on the Advisory Council, assisted with annual Kovler benefits as chair of  the Silent Auction subcommittee to generate money for participant support, and continues to provide interpretation for French-speaking participants. “I am grateful for the opportunity to help ease the transition into the next chapter of life for participants of the Marjorie Kovler Center. It has become a deeply cherished part of my life,” beams Holly.

 

  

Dorothy: Helping Women Just Like Herself

You could say she’s like a big sister. Dorothy Collins serves as a mentor to seven women in one of Heartland Alliance’s programs. “They’re happy to have someone they can call upon who won’t just say what they want to hear,” she says. “And sometimes we just get together as a group and have dinner or a fun night.”

The program helps women with children who are homeless and have experienced desperate situations, including using prostitution to support their children. The women are now on the road to a better life, but they’re also fighting against problems that range from addiction to a lack of job experience. In addition to housing, the program provides a range of services, and Dorothy and the three other mentors are critical.

Dorothy’s advice is so welcome in part because the women know she’s fought through her own troubles. More than a decade ago, she lived in housing operated by Heartland Alliance for a while to keep from being homeless as she came out of recovery. “I’m a recovering alcoholic and addict, and I have been for fifteen years,” she says, “I share my experiences, my strengths and hopes, and I raise the bottom for them, so they don’t have to go there.”

Mentors like Dorothy are an important segment of Heartland Alliance’s group of volunteers. Last year, more than 900 volunteers provided service hours at Heartland Alliance, valued at more than $16 million. Part of that is “the Heartland Alliance Way,” a four-step program to help move participants out of danger and poverty to social and economic success, and so individuals who were helped by Heartland Alliance give back to the community and help others.

Each month, Dorothy meets with the women she mentors in a group, and they also come to her home in West Garfield Park to talk to her one-on-one or call her cell phone whenever they need to. “One woman calls me every day; sometimes three or four times a day,” Dorothy says. “They talk with me about everything, relationships, their troubles. I don’t let them get away with anything.”

How You Can Help

Donate » Help Us End Poverty

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 Dorothy.

Dr. David Goldberg has been a volunteer physician with the Heartland Alliance Marjorie Kovler Center for so long that he barely remembers how he got started. When the Kovler Center began in 1987, David was there documenting the physical signs of torture, increasing access to health care for survivors, and recruiting colleagues to join him. He continues to document torture for asylum claims and train physicians on how to conduct a trauma-informed physical exam.

David has also developed a protocol at John Stroger Hospital to evaluate traumatic brain injury, common in so many survivors. He accomplishes all of this and more with remarkable grace, sensitivity, and light- heartedness. David recognizes the discrepancy that exists between the stories people tell about their scars and what the wounds describe. With a physician’s knowledge and inquiry, he helps a survivor describe not only the physical abuse but the harsh and extreme conditions that compound the wound. A participant’s foot has too much scar tissue to be explained by a door having been slammed on it. David asks more and learns the wounds became infected and were not treated.

David states, “The wound is not just a wound but is linked to the extreme cruelty and harsh conditions. To make it believable to the judge, I have to enter into a dark, unbelievable story and describe it without hyperbole. It always blows me away when survivors thank me after we’ve gone through a grueling, retraumatizing forensic exam. When I get a call and am told that someone was granted asylum, I feel great!”

In 2008 Candace was living on the streets; she suffers from bipolar disorder and, at the time, was not taking her medication. She had lost several family members, including her mother and brother, and felt she was alone in the world. 

Then, a friend told her about Heartland Alliance Health, the health care partner of Heartland Alliance for Human Needs & Human Rights. HAH provides a broad range of mental health and addiction services, including outreach and case management for homeless adults who are mentally ill or struggling with addiction. At first, Candace wasn’t overly excited about the program; being in unfamiliar surroundings took some time to get used to.

“It felt kind of strange,” she says. “It was so new to me. But it didn’t take long to get used to; everyone was just great.” The “everyone” Candace refers to are her HAH caseworkers; she credits them with helping her get back on her feet.

“I’ve being doing pretty good since I’ve been in the program,” she says. “I started going to my psychiatrist every other month and am back on my medication. This has helped me to start thinking of myself more than I had been.”

Candace says the program provided her with much needed emotional support and helped her start thinking about her life in a new way. “With the program, I didn’t feel alone because I had people to talk to and who would listen to me,” she says. “I didn’t have that before.“

Candace, who recently turned 52, now has a positive outlook on life and is looking forward to the future for the first time in years.

“My caseworker told me about a program that would help me find a one bedroom apartment,” she says. “I’m excited about that and looking forward to moving and decorating. I’m strong enough now to move on. Two years ago I wouldn’t have been able to say that.” Her goals for the future don’t stop there: Candace looks forward to going back to school to earn her GED and wants to take a few basic courses. She says Heartland Alliance Health helped her find her way again and, for that, she’s extremely grateful.

“If it wasn’t for the program, I wouldn’t have made it this far,” Candace says. “It helped give me my confidence back. Now, I’m happy and excited about what is to come.”