Recently housed and attending college classes, Dorothy is embracing a new chapter in her life
Since her last interview just over nine months ago, Dorothy expressed a desire to continue her college education and find a place to live. She has followed through on both of those goals.
“I am so grateful for my new apartment,” Dorothy said. “I love the neighborhood and there is a park close by.”
She moved into her new apartment in September, although she feels nervous because she has never rented before. Despite her nerves, she still went to pick out furniture to decorate her new place at the Community Warehouse.
“I’m old-fashioned, so I had to have a coat rack,” she said. “I got all the essentials for my new place. I even got a Posturepedic bed, and I haven’t slept so good in a long time.”
One of her favorite things to do at home is her laundry, which wasn’t as easily accessible when she was between living situations. She also has a small TV to watch movies, where she discovered her favorite movies, “Erin Brockovich,” and “Must Love Dogs.”
Dorothy is especially pleased with her desk, where she sits to do her homework for her classes at Portland Community College.
“This fall I am taking two classes; stress management and team building,” she said. “In the spring, I hope to take a writing course and a women’s studies course.”
Dorothy hopes to adopt a dog one day, just like her old buddy Gus, who unfortunately passed away. Gus was half Labrador retriever and half shar-pei. His nickname was Gus Gus, and he was so well behaved. She wants to get settled into her new routine before she adopts again.
Dorothy still has a desire to own and operate her own coffee shop, but she wants to finish school first. She has had plenty of experience in an office environment doing paperwork and has been working with Transition Projects in Portland, who have helped her. She sometimes works 12 hours a day writing emails and letters.
Dorothy is planning to attend a Street Roots Mobile Journalism class soon, a program to better support people with the skills and tools to report their own stories. She hopes to write about her experiences in Portland, and the people she has met in the community.
“The LGBTQ community changed my perception about other people, and it changed my life. I want to write about how that affected me, too,” Dorothy said.
She plans to spend her time discovering more about herself and learning new things, rather than being in a relationship with someone.
“I’m really just looking for someone who meets the criteria, I have high standards, and I’m proud of that,” she said. “They absolutely can’t do drugs, and they can’t drink. I can’t put up with those behaviors anymore.”
She begins to tear up, thinking of all of the people she has lost from drugs and alcohol.
“These people had a place in this life, and one shot took it away from them,” Dorothy said. “I have to hold onto the memories of them now, because that’s all that I have left.”
Dorothy loves to laugh, she values open communication, and she is always wanting to learn from people in her community. She has many friends, and she appreciates every single one of them.
Dorothy made it a point to say how grateful she is for Street Roots, especially for the people in the office who visited her before she had her own apartment.
“Thank you, Street Roots, for starting this new chapter in my life.”
Street Roots is an award-winning weekly publication focusing on economic, environmental and social justice issues. The newspaper is sold in Portland, Oregon, by people experiencing homelessness and/or extreme poverty as means of earning an income with dignity. Street Roots newspaper operates independently of Street Roots advocacy and is a part of the Street Roots organization. Learn more about Street Roots. Support your community newspaper by making a one-time or recurring gift today.
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