Celebrating Community: Meet Verna
When Verna arrived at Kettle on Burrard 12 years ago, she finally found a place to call her own.
After a mental health crisis and eviction, Verna had nowhere else to go and had been sleeping on her mom’s couch. At The Kettle, she found a bed, privacy and peace knowing she had a safe place to call home.
When she first joined our supportive housing program, she kept to herself.
But when she started wandering down the hall to the lounge, Verna realized the true value of what she had found at The Kettle: a community that embraced her.
In the lounge, she met other people like her — those that found a home at The Kettle and no longer face the scary reality of crashing on couches or living on the streets.
Reflecting, Verna remembers: “That’s basically where everything turned around for me, because I wasn’t alone anymore.”
Over the past 12 years, Verna has taken part in counselling, nature groups and coffee walks and talks. She is exploring her spirituality and maintaining her recovery, one day at a time.
Verna also enjoys weekly meals with The Kettle’s community meal program. She loves having access to a variety of hot, healthy meals at low-cost. Plus dining together with neighbours offers an opportunity for positive social interactions she can count on.
While there have been ups and downs, Verna has found a home where her people know and appreciate her. With the practical, loving support of The Kettle community, Verna is stable, confident and optimistic about her future.
This holiday season, Verna is excited to join Kettle on Burrard’s annual Christmas meal where she will celebrate among neighbours, now friends, being nourished by the community she holds so dear.