5 years sober, former client of Barbara Weider house shares 'life-changing' impact of shelter
Collingwood Today featured former Barbara Weider House resident and Home Horizon youth Jessica Gateman along with Home Horizon Executive Director Steven Pelletier. Excerpt from the article:
When Jessica Gateman walked through the doors of Home Horizon’s Barbara Weider house in 2017, she had no idea how much the organization would change the trajectory of her life.
In 2017, Home Horizon offered transitional housing for both women and children.
“I’m sitting here in my executive chef chair, thanks to Home Horizon,” Gateman told CollingwoodToday.ca.
Gateman was 27 years old when she first came to the Barbara Weider House, seeking help to recover from an addiction to alcohol, life-long experience in abusive relationships, and a housing situation where she was couch-surfing.
“I had life struggles. It left me homeless. I arrived in Collingwood in 2017 and my cousin suggested to me that I should look into a transition house,” said Gateman. “I needed the medical help. That started with having a safe place to go to sleep.”
“That first night that I arrived there and I rested my head, I felt peace,” she said.
Having a place to shelter gave Gateman a sense of relief. She didn’t have to worry about where she was going to sleep at night or how she was going to afford her next meal. She was able to work at getting her life in order, which included getting help for her addiction, applying for government ID, getting a job, getting her GED and making preparations to find her own place to call home.
