Gerri's Journey

On paper, Gerri had it all. She was an executive at a global investment bank, living in a high-rise apartment and traveling internationally.

But the stress of her job, coupled with the death of her parents, led to mental health challenges. To cope, Gerri turned to alcohol and her life started to unravel. She lost her job, her apartment, and everything she owned. She eventually entered a homeless shelter. “I didn’t know life could be that low,” she says.

In 2007, after receiving support through detox programs and Alcoholics Anonymous, she secured an apartment at Project Renewal’s Geffner House supportive housing residence. Gerri has now been stably housed at Geffner for 15 years. She meets regularly with her case worker, who helps her arrange doctor appointments, manage her medication needs, and set healthy goals.

She has also found community and a social life through Helping Older People Engage (HOPE), Project Renewal’s on-site occupational therapy group. “As I was coming out of shelter, I was just trying to survive,” recalls Gerri. “When I got to Geffner, I slowly got comfortable, and I realized there were things to smile about again.”