Kevin Fay
To Kevin, Choices is a place where you can find your Community, free of the judgment many face regarding mental health issues in the outside world.
Kevin says, “I used to sit home, staring at the same four walls all day. It's sometimes hard to make and keep friends when you suffer from mental health issues. What ones I did have had daytime jobs, while I struggled to find work due to having to disclose my diagnosis. Choices not only provided me a place to go during the day, but a safe place to meet others in a similar boat and eventually gave me a place to work and rededicate my life to helping others who suffer similarly.”
Kevin has been a member since the tail end of 2017. His councilor sent him to Choices to work with the now-deceased Dr. Fred Frese, who had similarly done well in academia but struggled with mental health before overcoming and becoming one of the leading experts in the field.
“Choices helped my recovery on numerous fronts. Initially, it gave me a reason to leave the house and a safe place to come to and make new friends who understood similar struggles in life. Months later, it provided an avenue to a job, where other businesses refused to take a chance, ultimately allowing me to save my very home. Finally, it gave me a new purpose in life: helping others so that they would not have to go through all the struggles I had.”
His favorite Choices memories are from trips. “There is nothing greater than getting to go explore the world with some friends, whether it be a Riverboat ride, the Rock Hall or even just shopping and to a new restaurant”.
Without Choices, he cannot imagine his life. “I'm not sure how much of a life you can say I had back then. The isolation made my condition far worse. And then I nearly lost my home while struggling to find employment Choices provided. I really don’t know where I’d be today without Choices.”
Kevin recommends Choices to everyone with similar struggles. “Staying home all day and suffering will almost never make you better. Go to Choices, make friends, play some games, join a few groups, or even just to catch a hot lunch. There is something here for anyone who wants to make a change in their life.”
