Reclaiming Life Through Art: Jose
If you take a look at our website and social media channels, you'll find many mentions of our goal of helping participants reclaim their lives. Our Housing First model doesn't mean housing only; we provide comprehensive wrap around services to ensure that someone remains safely in their home, including primary care, behavioral health care, medication-assisted treatment, and community inclusion services. We empower our participants to make their own decisions and support them as they build the life that they want. Some of our participants focus on finding employment or continuing their education, some will reconnect with family, and others may discover a new passion or hobby.
Jose is a multi-talented participant on Team 2 at Pathways. He is currently working hard to enroll in a GED program and recently completed his resume to branch out and look for employment. Jose has decided to focus on working towards some exciting career goals and his team is there beside him if he wants help.
Jose has a lot of experience in mechanical work and home remodeling. When he completes a project, he always saves the before and after photos of his remodeling and auto work on his phone to document the transformation and to share with others. His keen eye for remodeling and giving things new life has led him to creating unique pieces of art in his free time.
Jose creates his pieces by turning everyday items into original pieces of art or completely transforming broken or tossed items to give them a new life. Take a look at the broken footstool he recreated into a checkers board:
Jose's passion for the creative arts is showcased all around his home; there are pieces in different corners showing his talent in creating homemade art that is also inspired by his Puerto Rican culture. A few pieces that Jose highlighted in his video were creative characters he made out of terracotta pots. He even transformed one into a scent diffuser that you can use in your home. Jose continues to create pieces and grow his creative talent because it has become a way to help him manage his depression and to create serenity and calmness in his life. 
We strive to help all of our participants, including Jose, live in the community and be valued for their uniqueness and abilities just like everyone else. Our staff walk alongside participants, wherever they are on the path of life, and support them in the places they want support. Ultimately, we want to empower participants to make their own decisions. Our hope is to provide all manner of opportunities for participants to reclaim their lives on their own terms. Jose's creativity is just one example of how we do that.
