Voices A Consumer Council Newsletter

ShelterCare shelters and supports families and individuals, providing

each an opportunity to live the fullest life possible in an environment

that fosters well-being and success.

To my ShelterCare angels,

I want you all to know how much I appreciate all the things you

have done for me. I have a Life again, a Home. I’m safe and warm

and away from the dangers of life... I can’t even explain how you

have changed my life and got me out of hell. And you all do make

me feel special and happy: things I haven’t had in a long time.

While I want to give special thanks to Patricia for going on and

beyond, making sure I have every-

thing I need; I love you girl. And Nick,

Laura, Elizabeth, Bridget, Dan, and

everyone else. You are all the most

Special People I’ve ever known. Love

you all and God Bless you. You all

have extra points at the Pearly Gates.

You definitely safe lives.

Love you all,

Diana Schuhmacher ~ painting by Lauren Ofriel

Employee Extraordinaire

Lucy Vinis, Development Director

About six years ago Lucy interviewed me as a

part of her job. Now a consumer gets to inter-

view the leader of the Development team!

VOICES: What exactly does your position entail?

LUCY: Making connections between Shelter-

Care's work and the public, and developing the

public’s understanding and support for our work.

VOICES: How long have you worked here?

LUCY: Almost six years.

VOICES: Why did you choose to work with our

population?

LUCY: There is no history of mental illness in my family, although I experienced ex-

treme sadness, with the loss of my husband. I've worked for non-profits all of my profes-

sional life.

VOICES: Why ShelterCare?

LUCY: I value ShelterCare’s mission.

VOICES: Tell us a little bit about your background.

(Continued on page 3)

LUCY: My father was a journalist. When I was fifteen, he took our family on an exten-

sive vacation to the Middle East, traveling to several Arabic speaking countries. While

in Lebanon, I decided then and there that I would do my best to go to the American Uni-

versity of Beirut, against all odds. I studied at the American University as a Junior, and

earned my B.A. in Religion, a year later. My other degrees include an M.A. in Arabic

and an M.S. in Entomology, specializing in agricultural insect pests. I've worked for non

-profits in development, advocacy, and public speaking. For seventeen years I worked

with the environmental group EarthShare of Oregon. I've known Erin Bonner, current

Chief Operations Officer at ShelterCare, for twenty years; our friendship led to my find-

ing out about ShelterCare. My skills, my being in the right place at the right time, and

the approval of those, on the panel that hired me, got me into my present job. I truly love

working here.

VOICES: What about any immediate family?

LUCY: I have two sons, ages twenty six and twenty three. One lives in Eugene and the

other one in NewYork.

VOICES: What do you enjoy doing, recreation wise?

LUCY: Hiking and camping. I also like reading and movies.

VOICES: Leave us with a laugh, Lucy: what's the funniest thing you've seen while

working here?

LUCY: That would have to be the sight of Brad (of Development) hauling five thousand

pumpkins for the Jack O' Lanterns on Broadway Festival.

VOICES: I can about imagine; that sounds seriously amusing. Thanks, Lucy, for your

time and sharing your story!

Contributor's note: Lucy was chosen as our first ShelterCare Employee of the Month because of

her involvement with the Council, which led to the formation of "VOICES." And on a personal

note; she's quite a teacher, and chose not to edit either of my speeches given beside the two

city's Mayors.

-Kevin-

(Continued from page 2)

In My Heart

Doesn’t it hurt

Its like diving in the dirt

You look clean but you wonder if you missed a spot

Isn’t it hard saying goodbye to a friend

I look at what I'm holding and it’s a promise I forgot

Won’t forget this one, without friends there is no specialty

How do I come up to say what you mean to me

I already miss you even though you haven’t gone

That’s because there is a little thread of life between us now

That thread travels on and on from dark until dawn

Everything is stardust and I’m like a raindrop in your gentle storm

Brrrr losing something that kept me warm

Somehow I know we will meet again

There is a special place for those I could call friend

You may think "did he really know me from our few talks"

Well I remember, maybe right after the first storm

Something's missing, so I take some walks

I want to keep it simple, I want it to be kind

I want you to know you have touched my heart and

mind

A warm prayer on a cold night comes right from me

What I hope is I don’t use my illness to build a wall

You see when that feeling appears it will still be Fall

Autumn I been up all night painting leaves

The lady of my heart believes

I have to know that, so when you feel a gentle touch

Think of me I wish I could promise more but I promise that much

I feel we feel because it’s what creates that spark

So please it never is goodbye, it's just you being missed by Mark

~ by Mark Wallenbrock

“Art means a freedom of

creative expression...

Creativity is unlimited. It’s a

release of my expression. I

know a lot of people use it to

escape…I live in it and ex-

press myself.” ~ Robin Waltz

by Robin Waltz

Consumer Council Corner

Upcoming Year Presents New Challenges & Opportunities

Cynthia Price is a ShelterCare consumer and survivor of two brain surgeries for a pituitary tumor. She grew

up in Stockton, CA, and has lived in Seattle and Portland. After moving to Eugene to enroll in the agency’s

Uhlhorn Program nearly a decade ago, she has been an active council member, previously holding positions

as secretary and treasurer. She was recently elected to her second term as council president for the 2015-16

fiscal year.

As I start my second term with gratitude for the opportunity, I look forward with excitement to the

challenges ahead. If the theme for my first year was “communication,” the theme for the upcoming

term would be... “more communication.”

My goal continues to be one of establishing open lines between ShelterCare consumers; between

consumers and ShelterCare staff; and between consumers and the community at large. Authentic

communication means understanding, and understanding often translates to positive action.

Internally, the council hopes to help organize and host a party for ShelterCare’s Uhlhorn Program

this summer for all ShelterCare consumers. The program — which houses and supports adults with

acquired brain injuries — is celebrating its 25th year, and we want to show our appreciation. As a

longtime Uhlhorn resident, the program has changed my life and I’m so grateful for its support!

Regarding community involvement, I’d also like to establish regular volunteer outings for consumers

with groups such as Habitat for Humanity (as we have done in the past). At some point, we would

also like to engage Mayor Kitty Piercy in conversation with consumers and ShelterCare staff, per-

haps in an informal Q & A session. In my estimation, this type of outreach is critical.

In addition to communication and outreach, I hope to establish a

“Pet Resource Center” for individuals who are homeless or indi-

gent and have pets. As someone who has a rescue cat, I know how

important pets can be for people in recovery. They are more than

just pets: they are friends, family and warmth on a winter night.

While this goal is only in the conceptual stage, my hope would be

to establish a place where consumers can go to get vaccinations,

medications and food for their furry loved ones.

Finally, we are working actively to find volunteers — perhaps

college students or retired professionals — who can help consum-

ers with transportation.

So much to do, but so much to look forward to in the coming year.

~ Cynthia Price, Consumer Council President

Getting to Know...

Number one in a series of articles about the expansion of ShelterCare's clinical services,

since the opening of the new Center for Programs & Service.

"Getting to Know" would like to introduce: Patricia, our new Community Health Worker,

for consumers in Supportive Housing.

Internship Experience: Patricia's internship locations

were arranged under the aegis of Mid Lane Cares, who

offer services to the elderly in Veneta, Oregon. While

there, Patricia was mentored by Donna Courtney, Care

Coordinator, and through her, gained a lot of knowledge

and experience. Interned with:

The E.R. at Peace Health Hospital in Florence, OR

Volunteers in Medicine: Springfield, OR

She completed her internship at Springfield Family Phy-

sician's Clinic

Education Background: Patricia holds a state certified license after completing course-

work in Community Health Worker Training, that included subjects like, Disease, Pharma-

cy, Mental Health, Communication, and more at L.C.C.

Job Duties:

Can schedule, set up doctor appointments and will sit in on visits.

Can arrange for transportation and for medical equipment.

Medication and help you with your health insurance.

How to Reach Patricia: Go through your primary case manager. Patricia will call you

back promptly.

Parapsychology : the branch of psychology that deals with the inves-

tigation of purportedly psychic phenomena, as clairvoyance, extra-

sensory perception, telepathy, and the like. Courtesy of Diction-

ary.com

Telling the Difference between a FIP, Synchronicity and Simple Telepathy

Part One of a Series: The FIP

Future Influencing the Present (FIP) was coined by British writer and broadcaster, John Boynton Priestley

in 1963. Priestley (1894-1984) is probably best remembered for boosting moral, through a series of inspired

talks on the B.B.C. during the Battle of Britain. He became a member of The Order of Merit in 1977.

Among his interests was precognition. He made a televised appeal to the British Public in 1963 on the pro-

gram Monitor, looking for people who'd had foreknowledge in the dream state or otherwise. As a result, he

got quite a response. Of those who experienced precognition in the waking state, he found a comparatively

rare type in which the percipient emotionally and/or physically feels the reaction to the coming event.

Priestley sites a case of a man who suffered from a condition similar to migraine headaches, where he

would retire to a darkened room. At the end of his attacks, he saw blinding, bright reds, green, blues, and

purples, which sort of flew apart before he would vomit. Years later, during the Second World War, while

fighting in Malaya, he dove into a ravine, while his convoy was being machine gunned by the Japanese, just

as a bomb went off nearby. During the explosion the man claims to have had the exact symptoms of the

condition he'd been living with for years, down to the noise and blinding colors, when the shell burst. He

then experienced severe nausea. His life was not only spared, but the headaches and nausea never returned.

Other examples include a mother who would cry uncontrollably for no apparent reason. When it happened

two days later as she was travelling by train to meet her husband and son, she realized her sense of forebod-

ing was related to her son. Within three weeks he became ill and died a few months later. In 1964 Priestley

wrote an extended essay: “Man and Time,” which was published by Aldus concurrently with C.G. Jung's,

“Man and His Symbols.”

The first FIP I can remember, involved my having phantsmaphobia at around age nineteen. Talk of, or even

dwelling on the thought of, spirits of the dead would frequently cause me to tear up slightly for no discern-

able reason. I never discussed it, until my girlfriend caught on once. There are over a dozen synonyms for

the word ghost, and if spirits didn't exist, someone would make them up anyway. I didn’t know if they ex-

(Continued on page 8)

isted, and hardly gave the matter much thought.. Approximately three years later, I would find myself at

Kansas City's Hotel President; a thirteen story Art Nouveau, Louise Sullivan masterpiece. Both the clerk at

check-in and the security guard who operated the elevator, said that the President was haunted (lights going

on and off, banging noises, and the guard being tapped on the shoulder). I didn’t believe them. A former

owner of the hotel, one Mr. Dean, had been shot dead by a former employee, back in the Fifties. That night,

we experienced nearly everything one could hope for in a Victorian seance and then some. Since I was far

more amazed than anything, the idea of a male "entity" causing me to flee in terror along with my girlfriend

made me, and as a result my girlfriend, want to stay and enjoy the free show. I thought the physical phe-

nomena reported at seances were all mass hysteria. That night my fears were replaced by questions, like

why do these sorts of things happen to me? How did we precipitate whatever it was? And what does happen

(Continued from page 7)

(Continued on page 9)

~ photograph by Michael Loftus

“So much of what happens around us we miss seeing.” ~ Michael Loftus

to us when we die? Mr. Dean started a thirty five year investigation into parapsychology, religion, Yoga,

Vedanta, Mysticism, psychology and much more. The President Hotel was remodeled to the last room and

is now a Hilton, effectively "laying" the ghost.

My last FIP occurred around a month ago and involved my using a line in a conversation, from a

movie I last saw in 1981 (though I had forgotten which one). About four hours later I heard the same

line - "I wouldn't sell you my snot,” said by the irate locksmith in the very unmemorable Belushi/

Akroyd movie "Neighbors." Not a spectacular FIP, but the emotion of laughter later in the evening

was presaged by the same appropriated line from a long forgotten movie.

While there is strong evidence to support their existence, FIPs and ghosts can't be proven empirically,

nor reproduced in a lab (unlike the Duke University card guessing experiments, during the Fifties,

that proved the existence, statistically, of both telepathy and precognition). Try proving Jung's collec-

tive unconscious, archetypes (he wrote an essay on the tarot deck) or synchronicity - yet they exist.

~ by Sarah Tonin

There are a lot of consumers who believe they’ve acquired information paranormally. If you’ve had

such experiences and care to share, it would be kept confidential. rookwerk@gmail.com

Sources:

Wikipededia (verified by E books)

Collin Wilson, “Beyond the Occult”

C.G. Jung, “Man and His Symbols”

C.G. Jung, “Memories, Dreams, Reflections”

J.B. Priestley, “Man and Time”

and my memory.

Next issue: Part 2: Synchronicity

(Continued from page 8)

~ photo by Anna Zeien

"On the Turning Away"

by A. Moore and D. Gilmour

Pink Floyd

On the turning away

From the pale and downtrodden

And the words they say

Which we won't understand

"Don't accept that what's happening

Is just a case of others' suffering

Or you'll find that you're joining in

The turning away"

It's a sin that somehow

Light is changing to shadow

And casting it's shroud

Over all we have known

Unaware how the ranks have grown

Driven on by a heart of stone

We could find that we're all alone

In the dream of the proud

On the wings of the night

As the daytime is stirring

Where the speechless unite

In a silent accord

Using words you will find are strange

And mesmerised as they light the flame

Feel the new wind of change

On the wings of the night

No more turning away

From the weak and the weary

No more turning away

From the coldness inside

Just a world that we all must share

It's not enough just to stand and stare

Is it only a dream that there'll be

No more turning away?

~ submitted by Sarah Tonin

~ painting by Lauren Ofriel

Green Salsa submitted by Sara Tonin

Ingredients: 5 to 6 medium tomatillos, husked and rinsed

Fresh hot green chiles, to taste

(roughly 2 serranos or 1 jalapeno), stemmed

5 or 6 sprigs fresh cilantro, roughly chopped

Scant 1/4 cup finely chopped onion

Salt

Directions: Whether you choose the verdant, slushy, herby freshness of the all-raw tomatillo salsa or the oil-colored, voluptuous, sweet-sour richness of the roasted version, tomatillos are about brightening tang. The buzz of the fresh hot green chile adds thrill, all of which adds up to a condiment most of us simply don't want to live without. For the All-Raw version: Roughly chop the tomatillos and the chiles. In a blender or food processor, combine the tomatillos, chiles, cilantro and 1/4 cup water. Process to a coarse puree, then scrape into a serving dish. Rinse the onion under cold water, then shake to remove excess moisture. Stir into the salsa and season with salt, usually a generous 1/4 teaspoon. For the Roasted version: Preheat a broiler. Roast the tomatillos and chiles on a baking sheet 4 inches below a very hot broiler until darkly roasted, even blackened in spots, about 5 minutes. Flip them over and roast the other side, 4 to 5 minutes more will give you splotchy-black and blistered tomatillos and chiles. In a blend-er or food processor, combine the tomatillos and chiles, including all the delicious juice that has run onto the baking sheet. Add the cilantro and 1/4 cup water, blend to a coarse puree, and scrape into a serving dish. Rinse the onion under cold water, then shake to remove the excess moisture. Stir into the salsa and season with salt, usually a generous 1/4 teaspoon. Recipe courtesy Rick Bayless. From Mexico: One plate at a Time; Scribner, 2000. Read more at: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/salsa-verde-green-tomatillo-salsa-recipe.html?oc=linkback

RECIPES

~ photo by Anna Zeien

We want YOUR submissions!

Ideas: articles, artwork, photography, poetry, fiction stories, non-fiction, thoughts,

employee of the month, events, human interest stories, quotations, movie reviews,

book reviews, recipes, rants, raves…etc.

Remain anonymous, or take the credit you deserve.

To peruse examples of past issues for inspiration, go to Sheltercare.org.

Under the “WHO WE ARE” tab, scroll down to Consumer Council.

Email your submission to Leonie at ldaniels@sheltercare.org,

or give to your friendly ShelterCare clinician.