It was a dark stormy night when I first found out about NorthStar. Okay, thats a lie, it was a fine spring evening. I was at the first class of NAMI’s Peer to Peer course and was  just a little bit nervous. Then a sunny face started talking about NorthStar Clubhouse and little did I know this information would soon change my life. Skip forward a few weeks, I had gone through orientation and become a member. I was attending meetings, answering phones, working on special projects, getting help with employment, and building relationships. And I was having a blast.  For weeks I could not stop talking about NorthStar. I would go on and on with friends and family about what a great place I found and how happy I was.

 For years I had felt hopeless, episodes were frequent and got in the way of  getting a job. And the longer I went without a job, the less hope I had. Then NorthStar came into my life, and infused me with hope. I started to see myself in the eyes of the people of the clubhouse. I started to see my skills and strengths. And most importantly I started to realize that with help I could get a job.

Now my life has structure, I come to NorthStar and work, I go home and work on creative projects. I feel more social and happy and hopeful. Next month I will be in a Peer Support Specialist Training, and we are looking for Transitional Employment for me. I have a future, and it involves NorthStar.