Anthony

Neighborhood Allies received a referral for someone who recently had a stroke due to untreated diabetes. He was in a nursing home and in quarantine, so he was restricted from leaving the facilities, even just to go outside.  He needed to get things from the grocery store, and since he was unable to leave, we were happy to help. The following day, I went to the nursing home to get his list and food card, then went to Kroger. I could tell he was anxious about me selecting the correct items and giving his food stamp card to a stranger. Once I finished collecting his items from Kroger, I delivered them to his residence at the Garden Park nursing home. The staff was accommodating, professional, and handled his items safely as they brought them inside. Anthony called us later to give his thanks and express the impact our service had on him personally. He stated he had trust issues due to bad experiences with health and social service agencies in the past. He went on to talk about his concerns for getting ongoing health services and finding housing upon his upcoming release. We identified his current supports and brainstormed programs that could be helpful for his situation. We also discussed the uncertainty of their intake procedures due to the pandemic. As we continued to touch base by phone, he began to open up about his history with alcoholism and depression. He was experiencing many negative feelings and confessed he had no one to talk to. He reported feelings of loneliness and rejection from his family. I helped connect him to Greater Cincinnati Behavioral Health for a higher level of care. This is a scary time for all of us and an even more frightening and lonely time for others. I am happy to have been able to fill the service gaps for Anthony and I look forward to continue being a support for him!