Community Wellness Stories

Jeremy was in great despair with several pressing needs. He was recently diagnosed with HIV, just broke up with an abusive partner, and was living in a tent. He called Alliance for Living to access its HIV Medical Case Management services. 

The Ryan White Coordinator met him that same day to complete intake. 
Jeremy was engaged in medical care and was provided with transportation 
to appointments.
 
The agency helped Micheal locate an apartment that fulfilled 
all of his needs. Within twenty days of the program intake, 
Jeremy signed the lease for an apartment he felt proud to call 
home. He has easy access to his providers and can take care 
of his basic needs. 

Since he is safely housed, he can focus on employment, 
education, and his health. 

Parents signed up for School Based Health Center services as soon as they found out about it. Their son was having a difficult time last summer, and the parents struggled for a long time trying to find someone accepting new patients. 

Their School Based Health Center therapist helped him understand his feelings and how to express them in better ways. 

She helped the family get the support needed in the classroom, 
and helped the parents understand how to better help their son at home.

The parents are very thankful for the program. 

The Senior Connections group enjoyed a special luncheon recently. Everyone was excited to be together in person. Brenda and Marilyn both became widows recently and were feeling alone and isolated.  

As they chatted and shared their stories, they provided critical companionship and support to one another. Marilyn was delighted to be back in person at the Senior Connections lunch 
surrounded by old friends. She was finally able to grieve and mourn the loss 
of her husband with people who remembered the significant impact 
he had on this community. For Brenda, a spark in her eyes returned 
as she found comfort with the group.

Both Brenda and Marilyn had extremely difficult years filled with 
medical challenges and the loss of their husbands. 

The Senior Connections lunch group provides them with a
reason to get out of bed. They give each other strength to 
stay healthy and look forward to the future.
 

A mother came into Madonna Place asking for help with diapers. She stated that she was struggling with substance abuse and untreated mental health and might be losing custody of her infant son. Staff gave her diapers and wipes and resources for mental health services. They encouraged her to join the Great Beginnings program.

As the Great Beginnings home visitor learned more about the mother,  
there were several areas in which she could use support. She had a 
difficult relationship with her mother resulting in childhood trauma. 
After several weeks, she shared that she wanted to stop using 
heroin. She described having severe anxiety and depression. 

With the weekly encouragement from the home visitor, the
mother made an appointment with a substance abuse and 
mental health provider. Her anxieties and depression began to 
decrease. The mother learned about child development
and activities to increase positive parent-child interactions. 

The mother was recently approved for a mortgage and purchased 
a home for the family.
 

The Pawcatuck Neighborhood Center (PNC) provides community lunches for anyone over 54. Mary was new to the area and started to stop by for meals on a regular basis. She enjoyed talking with the staff and using the PNC library to read novels. The staff noticed that Mary would spend time in her car and fall asleep on the PNC couches. 

By building trust over several months, Mary shared that she had a 
place to live, but not one piece of furniture. The staff explained that 
PNC had access to furniture and household items and would be happy 
to help her. 

PNC bought a bed to be delivered to Mary's apartment, as well
as blankets, sheets, and other household items. Mary said, 
"It's probably seems strange to you that someone my age 
would not have furniture, but these things happen." 

Beyond the free lunches and furniture at PNC, Mary met 
people whom she could trust and share her story. She was 
treated as a valued and unique person, who was simply in need 
of a community. 

Cathy is a mother of six children. On Fridays she participates in the Weekend Backpack program, which provides weekend food for school-aged children. At Christmas, Cathy participated in the Donor Angel program, where she received gift cards to buy Christmas gifts. 

This year has been especially difficult for Cathy's family. Cathy faced cancer 
treatments and became quite ill. A family friend would come to PNC to 
pick up food because Cathy was too weak. During that time, PNC 
provided direct financial relief so that Cathy could continue to pay 
her housing bills. The PNC caseworker also helped her apply for 
heating assistance and provided direct financial relief to keep 
the heat running in the home. 

Cathy shops upstairs at "Unexpected Treasures," the PNC 
thrift store, where she finds children's clothing, household 
items, books, and toys. Cathy knows that these are available 
at no cost if she does not have the funds to pay. 

Five days each week, the Pawcatuck Neighborhood Center's driver transports people over age 
54 from their front door to their desired destination. A typical morning is described below: 

At 8:30 a.m. a husband and wife are picked up at their home and brought to the Pawcatuck Neighborhood Center, where they participate in a chair yoga class. 

At 9 a.m. a mother and daughter are picked up at their home. They 
complete various tasks, such as going to the grocery store and and the 
bank. Although they do not own a car, they are able to live on their 
own with the assistance of the Senior Transportation program. 

At 10 a.m. the driver picks up a cancer patient who will be 
dropped off for a chemotherapy appointment. 

At 11 a.m. the driver picks up a man who will be visiting his 
wife at a nursing facility. He would not be able to see her at all 
if the Transportation Program did not exist.

At Noon, the driver picks up a woman for an appointment with the 
PNC caseworker, who will help her apply for heating assistance. 

Maria endured years of emotional, physical, and financial abuse, until one evening her next-door neighbors overheard Maria’s abuser threaten her with a gun and contacted local police. When police arrived, they used the Lethality Assessment Program hotline at Safe Futures to connect Maria with an advocate to ease her anxiety about getting help. 

Though she returned home, Maria had a safety plan and Safe Futures 
24-hour hotline number. However, the abuser returned and verbally abused Maria. 

She entered the Safe Futures emergency domestic violence 
shelter and worked with the Civil Family Violence Victim 
Advocate to file a Temporary Restraining Order. She was 
connected with an attorney from the Pro Bono Temporary 
Restraining Order Project to represent her. The judge granted 
Maria a Full No Contact Restraining Order, gifting her a true 
peace of mind. 

Maria offset her growing medical debt from injuries caused by 
abuse by submitting an applications to the Office of Victim 
Services. She continues to work with Safe Futures and 
other agencies to secure her long-term safety.

Neil is a World War II veteran who attends TVCCA's RSVP (Retired Senior and Volunteer Program) Mystic and Pawcatuck Veteran Coffeehouses at least twice a month. Neil who is 97 years old and an Army and Navy veteran shares his military experiences with others during the gatherings.

Neil has been attending Veteran Coffeehouse for the past seven years, and was 
one of the original supporters. He said he found out about the program
in the newspaper.

This past year Neil has had health issues and he was not able to
drive himself any longer, so he attends the Coffeehouse with a 
caregiver who drives him and stays for coffee and conversation 
with the group of veterans.

Neil looks forward to attending the Coffeehouse with the 
camaraderie and social engagement they provide. "I am 
impressed with the efforts that the coffeehouse provides 
and the communication," says Neil. "It's good to recruit and 
invite veterans and set aside time to talk about funny times." 
 

Elizabeth was referred to Outpatient Services through the Treatment Pathways Program (TPP), a partnership between treatment providers including SCADD and the Court system to expand options for pretrial diversion while also ensuring public safety. Elizabeth was referred as a low risk individual with a substance use disorder who was charged with a non-violent offense. 

Elizabeth participated in individual and group counseling. In addition 
to clinical services, she also received recovery coach services. Her 
coach helped her to find women’s meetings and access non-clinical 
services in the community. During her treatment Elizabeth was 
able to work on how she reacts to difficult life circumstances,
including the loss of her husband. 

Elizabeth has learned skills to adapt her approach and become 
more positive. She learned more effective communication 
skills and is making healthier decisions. 

Elizabeth has competed her TPP required treatment and she 
continues to be engaged in voluntary treatment. She recently 
celebrated fifteen months of recovery. 
 

The last time Donna used alcohol was in May 2020. She completed a detox treatment episode and immediately began attending a grief and loss group to help her cope with the unexpected death of her son thirteen years ago. 

She had been cycling in and out of treatment programs for many years, but this 
time the connection was different. 

Since engaging in Outpatient treatment, Donna has developed skills 
and coping strategies that helped her manage her grief without 
using alcohol. 

Her recovery led her to take on a new purpose in life, working 
with families who have lost a loved one to homicide. This 
new mission is one that honors her son and helps her as
much as it helps others. 

Joe is a veteran and tradesman who had been in a long-term relationship and has two children. Joe’s addiction to alcohol was a gradual progression that began in high school and worsened during his military service.

Joe's journey to recovery began like it does for many, in a withdrawal 
management program. At the end of his detox episode, Joe accepted 
the clinical recommendation for further treatment. Joe spent the 
next three months in a residential setting where he focused on 
his treatment and his recovery. 

Joe recently received his six-month medallion. He recognizes 
that his recovery is still very fragile, and it will take years to 
repair the damage he caused in his relationships. But he now 
has a community of support. 

He has people that he can socialize with without alcohol and 
tools that he can call upon when he has difficult moments. 
Today, Joe has hope for the future.

Chris has a significant history of drug use and incarceration. He enrolled in the Medication Assisted Treatment (MAT) program at UCFS to obtain sobriety. This program provides medication to assist with detoxification as well as a dedicated recovery coach to help navigate all of the day-to-day life challenges. 

When he entered MAT, Chris was connected to a recovery coach who helped 
him with the steps he needed to get his driving privileges back, since he 
had not had a license in fifteen years. After he received his license,
his next goal was to save for a vehicle, and within eight months, 
he had saved enough to purchase one. 

He is now able to visit with his daughter on a regular basis, and 
he has the freedom of not relying on public transportation
to shop or dine. 

Chris has repeatedly stated that he would not have been able 
to accomplish these goals without the support given to him 
by his therapists and recovery coaches at UCFS. 

John has multiple health problems including type 2 diabetes, hypertension, vascular issues, and gait issues. John’s A1C and blood sugar were high, and his weight was 288 pounds. When John met Dr. Arhin at UCFS, they agreed on implementing small steps to get his health back on track.

At their initial visit, John admitted having difficulty with his glucometer and 
insulin pen. He met with the nurse educator to help him understand the 
importance of monitoring his diabetes. The goal of the first visit 
was to teach John to use the glucometer, take a finger blood 
sample, and how to use his insulin pens. 

John’s care team communicated with each other to keep the 
patient and the providers updated regarding his progress. 
Eventually, more goals were developed as he had concerns 
about his diet, weight, sleep patterns, and lack of exercise. 

Over the past year, John has met many of his goals. His blood 
pressure is stabilized, his A1C and blood sugar are down, and 
he has lost weight. 

Due to severe dental decay, it was necessary for Kevin to have all his teeth extracted. This left him without any teeth and made eating difficult. It also affected Kevin’s self-confidence and his desire to socialize. To make matters worse, this occurred during the height of the pandemic when many dental practices limited access. Kevin was determined to restore his smile, 
and UCFS was equally determined to help him. 

UCFS started the process of restoring his smile, and although it 
required multiple Covid tests and many visits, Kevin finally 
received his dentures and he could enjoy one of his favorite 
foods - corn on the cob. 

Many patients are not able to obtain dentures. The negative 
impact of this is bone loss, lack of eating, and in many cases, 
depression. With United Way funding, UCFS Dental is 
able to provide many patients the opportunity to not only get 
their smiles back but avoid bones loss, eat better, and live 
happier lives.

Eric and his wife Sandy have lived in Norwich over forty years. His wife recalls driving past the Ross Adult Day Center numerous times and never really paid it any mind until she began looking for a supportive and caring place for Eric to go to during the day. When she thinks back on this process, she referred to it as “the start of an amazing experience." 

Eric started the program for three days per week to see if it was a good fit; 
he now attends five days per week.

Sandy knows her husband is safe and well. She shared that having 
her husband at Ross allows her to work and to have time to 
manage chores and errands. Ross provides a tremendous 
amount of stress relief for Sandy. 

Ross has provided socialization and activities that are 
stimulating and engaging for Eric, and that him a sense of 
purpose. 

The program provides an opportunity for Eric to be engaged 
and makes him feel successful.

Jane was an active mother and grandmother until her life changed drastically five years ago when she was diagnosed with lung cancer with bone metastasis. The effects of her disease such as immobilizing pain, shortness of breath, confusion and pulmonary embolism, have led to multiple hospitalizations. Jane had been living with her daughter who is actively involved in her care.

The family was told that because she did not have a payment source, 
she would not be able to go to a skilled nursing facility or receive 
skilled care at home. Upon the last discharge from the hospital, 
the case manager reached out to VNA of Southeastern Connecticut. 

The VNA team determined that Jane was an excellent candidate 
for Home Health. The VNA nurse worked with the patient’s
physician on the plan of care. 

The nurse actively engaged Jane's daughter in education upon 
admission. They also sent in a social worker to help the 
family get insurance coverage for Jane. She has progressed 
well under the care of the VNA. 
 

Janie received counseling through the School-Based Health Center, a program of Child & Family Agency, at her high school. Her home life was difficult, moving frequently between her homeless divorced parents.

At Janie’s health screening she requested a large amount of water after a few minutes – a red flag for the nurse practitioner. Janie was in the obese BMI category for her age and height, so the nurse practitioner reviewed symptoms of diabetes. Janie reported, “I have most of these symptoms!”

The Nurse checked her blood sugar, which was three times the threshold for diabetes, and Janie was connected with the Diabetes Team at Yale New Haven Hospital.

Early intervention and treatment is imperative to protect children and adolescents such as Janie, and this care is effectively and efficiently provided at School-Based Health Centers.

Sandy and Abe, 88 and 91 respectively, are active seniors who still drive. They enjoy socializing with their friends by meeting for meals at local restaurants. Sandy and Abe also are active participants of the Jewish Federation of Eastern CT weekly Kosher Hot Lunch program and the day trips that the Federation takes to local theaters for a movie or pre-Broadway show.

These activities came to a screeching halt with the outbreak of the COVID pandemic. Sandy and Abe went from busy days out to the grocery store, visits with friends, and Friday night services at their local synagogue to being confined to their home with no in-person contact with anyone, even their daughter who lives in a nearby state. The isolation was crushing.

The Jewish Federation came to the rescue during the darkest days of the pandemic by making weekly phone calls to Sandy and Abe and 248 additional seniors they serve to make sure they were alright and check if help was needed.

As people became vaccinated, the Federation offered free lunches to seniors again at a local park to reconnect with their friends. Since this has proven to be a successful venture, the lunches are provided indoors during cold weather.

When John called Pawcatuck Neighborhood Center (PNC) he was at a very low point. He was battling cancer and had no way to get to his cancer treatments. Due to his illness he was unable to drive, and no one was available to give him a ride. He learned that the PNC bus would come directly to his front door and drive him to and from appointments at no cost!

As he talked with the PNC staff, he mentioned that his house was cold because he was trying to keep the cost of the heat down. He couldn’t work, and did not know how he was going to pay his bill. The PNC heating assistance fund filled his tank with oil. John said at the time, “Wow, I’m not going to be cold anymore.”

The bus also brought John to the grocery store to pick up his food and medicine. John had been employed prior to his illness, and was not accustomed to relying on this type of help.

As John becomes better through his cancer treatments, he will be able to use the Senior Transportation program to take the bus to the PNC Senior Center. He will be able to eat lunch, exercise, take writing and art classes, or play games. John won’t be sick, cold, or alone anymore. Instead he will be healthy, fed, and warmed by the fellowship of others.

Stephanie is a 31-year-old mom of two boys. When she began going to Madonna Place, she did not have a license, a car, or a job. She participated in Madonna Place's Great Beginnings Home Visiting program and continued to come to Madonna Place for basic needs such as diapers, baby formula, toiletries, and community resources. At Madonna Place, Stephanie created connections with other families to help her sons be involved in activities.

As a single mom, Stephanie's anxiety was high. Her Family Support Specialist supported her with weekly home visits and connections with other resources.

Stephanie’s goal was to get her driver's license. She obtained her permit and through hard work was able to get her license and buy a car. Her independence allowed her to bring her younger son to Madonna Place each day while her oldest son was at school. She became friendly with other moms and supported them with rides to doctor appointments, grocery store, and other errands. She recognized the importance of socialization and even started a play group for infants and toddlers.

Stephanie is active in the monthly Great Beginnings Connections group and has become a strong advocate for the program.

Through the Reitred Senior Volunteer Program (RSVP) at TVCCA two veterans discovered a new friendship that bonded them like brothers! Paul, a Navy Submarine Veteran spent the last four years visiting with Tom, also a Navy Veteran.

Paul would visit each week with Tom, admiring his extensive collection of medals and model airplanes and ships, showing him his stamp collection, taking him to the RSVP Norwich Veteran Coffeehouse and being there in times of need when his health status changed. At one of the Norwich Veteran Coffeehouse meetings Paul made arrangements through Quilts of Valor to have Tom honored with a handmade quilt during a ceremony, which created a special memory that the two veterans shared together.

As the years went by the two formed a great friendship and Paul was there to visit Tom when he went into the hospital and nursing home, and he even became close with his niece who keeps him up to date on his health issues.

This past year Tom passed away due to failing health conditions and Paul felt like he had lost his best friend, but felt confident in knowing he had made a difference in keeping Tom happy, fulfilled spiritually and physically active through their shared conversations and social engagement with the veteran Coffeehouse.