From: Laura H
To: Mary Gourley; Diana Rich; [email protected]; Neysa Hinton; [email protected]; Sarah Glade Gurney Subject: Safe Parking and Humanitarian support
Date: Tuesday, February 01, 2022 10:50:53 AM
Dear Mayor, City Council Members and Community:
I am a registered voter and a community member in Sebastopol. I am very concerned with all our community members who are currently “unhoused” and looking to secure “safe parking” and affordable housing, sanitary living conditions, and assistance meeting our human needs.
I have personal experience with homelessness and mental health conditions, as well as having a reputable paying job and social status. I have a college degree, worked as a teacher, office manager, and various other respectable positions. Homelessness can happen to anyone. I am currently ‘unhoused,’ but hopefully on my way to a better life as I continue to heal and progress.
Having a safe place where I am welcomed, wanted, accepted, and loved was the “game changing” factor in helping me transform my life. I am still “unhoused” and have a road ahead of me to continue my path towards wellness, recovery, and stability. I have however, made significant strides and progress since having a support system and “safe parking” support.
I have been without residence for 4+ years. I spent much of those years traveling and running away, desperately seeking safety. Once I found a safe place and safe people who love and care about me and believe in me, I miraculously began to improve.
Since finding safety in Sebastopol, I have:
-No more legal issues and actively made steps to clear up and rectify all wrongs from past -1 yr out of hospital or legal issues
-Maintain a healthy, vegan, clean, drug/alcohol/chemical and cruelty- free lifestyle -obtained legal CA drivers license, ID
-began a healthy recovery path through Santa Rosa Community Health, Whole Person Care, ACCESS behavioral Health
-Created a treatment plan/goals and make regular weekly appts with my psychologist -Actively pursuing more treatment support to continue growth and progress -Learned to self-advocate, know my mental health signs and symptoms, ask for help when needed, and support others whenever and wherever I can
-Learned self-care and self-sufficiency/independence while living alone in my SUVconverted into a mobile home where I traveled in nature living off-grid and learned lifesustaining survival skills -continue to make progress steps to better myself, receive the needed support, so that I can become a successful and productive member of society, help people, and fulfil my dreams
Thank you to my support system. The following community members and organizations, businesses, and teams gave me a chance, looked out for me, and believed in me. Thank you to all my wonderful advocates in the Sebastopol community and surrounding area. (including, but not limited to-)
Thank youSupportive groups and community members
Sebastopol Library
Sebastopol Police Dept and Mobile Support Team
Whole Foods
Safeway
CVS
Rite Aid
Sebastopol Fire Dept./ Cal Fire
St. Stephens Church
Community Church of Sebastopol
Sonoma County Public Works
Sunday Farmers Market- and Drum Circle
Ragel Park
Cal-Fresh
St. Stephen's Food pantry
Christ Church
ACCESS Behavioral Health, Whole Person Care, and Santa Rosa Community Health Humane Society
7Eleven
High Tide laundry and car wash
Bank of America
Retrograde Coffee
Sonoma County Bus and transit
Rosemary’s Garden
Milk&Honey
Parks Services- California State Parks, County Parks, and Park Rangers Ive’s Park, Ives Pool and Sebastopol Center for the Arts K-Tech Automotive
Greg’s Tires
Western Auto Body
Langerman’s Gym
Sebastopol Inn
Outside of SebastopolFriends, family, and relatives
Site for Sore Eyes, Santa Rosa
Living Room Center in Santa Rosa
Catholic Charities
Wellness Center
Other food banks, churches and support centers
Center for Spiritual Living
Arleen Francis Center
Bohemian Market
Police Dept- Santa Rosa, Rohnert Park,Mount Shasta Police, San Bernardino Sheriff, Bodega Bay Rangers
CHP- Sonoma County Sheriff
Fairfield Inn-Rohnert Park
Good Night Inn-Rohnert Park
Extended Stay America- Santa Rosa North
24 fitness
Lifetime fitness
Anytime Fitness
Planet Fitness
Thank you City council for continuing to move ahead with the SAVS agenda and “safe parking” and “affordable housing” community to help give others like me a fair chance to get back up and get on a better path!
I’m happy to share more details or discuss my experience further, as a way to spread awareness and illumination on the wonderful gift that can grow into a beautiful garden of flowers when one human helps another human for the sake of helping to better humanity. "Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much.” - Helen Keller Thank you for your time and consideration. I look forward to getting to know you and helping with the SAVS project in any way I can. It is my wish and human responsibility to “give it forward” and to help others just as humbly as those who freely helped me.
Thank you kindly.
Sincerely,
Laura Hauspurg
“Live simply so others may simply live.”
-Gandhi quoting St. Elizabeth Seton, the first American saint “Life’s most persistent and urgent question is, ‘What are you doing for others?” Martin Luther King Jr.
“The destiny of world civilization depends upon providing a decent standard of living for all mankind.” Norman Borlaug
“For to be free is not merely to cast off one’s chains, but to live in a way that respects and enhances the freedom of others.” Nelson Mandela “Overcoming poverty is not a task of charity, it is an act of justice. Like Slavery and Apartheid, poverty is not natural. It is man-made and can be overcome and eradicated by the actions of human beings. Sometimes it falls on a generation to be great. You can be that great generation. Let your greatness blossom.” Nelson Mandela
“Adjusting to inhumanity is crime against humanity.” Abhijit Naskar “The power of human empathy, leading to collective action, saves lives, and frees prisoners. Ordinary people, whose personal well-being and security are assured, join together in huge numbers to save people they do not know, and will never meet, unlike any other creature on this planet, humans can learn and understand, without having experienced.
They can think themselves into other people’s places, we do not need magic to change the world, we carry all the power we need inside ourselves already: we have the power to imagine better.” J.K Rowling