“I really like it here,” says Chris. It’s a simple statement, but it reflects the multifaceted blessings one man has found at Jacob’s House—for himself and for his sister, who cares for him.
Chris, now 50, has dealt with mental health challenges all of his adult life. He was diagnosed with schizoaffective disorder around age 19, when his family noticed that his behavior was changing.
“He was a normal kid,” his sister Nicole recalls. “He was athletic. He participated in sports and social situations. He was real big in church and he would do all those activities. And then when he was diagnosed with the mental illness, things changed for him. … He became more reclusive.”
Since being diagnosed, connecting with others has been a challenge for Chris. Nicole observes, “He’s not a social person. It’s hard for him sometimes to go in those social settings and be around other people and be able to communicate that his mental illness gets in the way, and then he kind of gets paranoid that maybe people didn’t want him to come along on the trip or something like that.”
“It makes it difficult,” Chris says about his illness. “Things that normal people get through very well and have fun with can be debilitating to me, like the television, the radio, internet. … I think it’s directed at me, or I read too much into one little factoid and then disregard the rest of the program. I get real scared sometimes.”
For years, Chris lived with his parents, who served as primary caregivers. But after they passed away, Nicole stepped into that main caregiver role. “It’s challenging, but it’s also rewarding,” she shares. “Sometimes it takes us a long time to get to a good place or get to our goal, but in the long run, we had so much fun trying to get there. … And as long as he’s happy, I’m happy. And I just try and do the best that I can to make sure that he does have everything that he needs and that he’s taken care of.”
A significant piece of this caregiving role has been helping Chris find a suitable place to live once he could no longer stay in parents’ home. At first he moved into an apartment, then tried a group home—a place that brought numerous challenges. Food was inconsistent there, and Chris faced animosity from some of the other residents. At times, he was confined to his room.
Nicole put in a lot of legwork looking for a better place for her brother to call home. “I wanted to know as many options as I possibly could.” Years before, she had heard of Jacob’s House, but at the time Chris wasn’t ready to move there. But now he was. “I looked again and there just happened to be a vacancy here at Jacob’s house, which from what I understand is very rare,” she shares. Men tend to stay at Jacob’s House for the long term due to the ongoing stability, safety and community it provides, but thankfully a room was available when Chris needed it.
Chris moved into Jacob’s House this past October, and he’s grateful for the privacy the house provides. “Having my own room now is a real privilege. I went six years, I think, in South Dallas, two people to a room. It was difficult. And it’s a real blessing that I have my very own room.”
Since October, he’s become part of the rhythms of his new home. Like each of the men who live at Jacob’s House, Chris is responsible for pitching in on chore day. He helps with tasks like collecting trash and sweeping the upstairs hall. And, though he’s an introvert at heart, Chris enjoys talking on the porch with several of the other men, sharing meals and drinking coffee with them.
As many Jacob’s House residents have shared, the food at the home is a huge benefit. It’s the first thing that Chris mentions when asked what he likes about living there, and he quickly lists several favorite meals, include House Manager Anthony’s spaghetti. “There’s no comparison,” Nicole says. “They are fed so well here. They get a balanced meal. I like the fact that they do get dessert sometimes. … They get their protein, their vegetables, they get fruit. And then like I said, they get dessert. So, I’m very thankful that he is getting a well-balanced meal here.”
She’s also grateful that her brother lives in a place where staff, including the Well’s Executive Director Alice Zaccarello, truly care. “We are so thankful for Alice … and how she cares for everybody at the house and makes sure that they have what they need, and she doesn’t want anybody to go without. … This just been a true blessing—how much she really cares. And that makes a huge, huge difference in how the program’s run.”
Nocole continues, “Everyone cares so much. And I love the fact that they’re watching out to make sure that everybody’s okay, that everybody’s fed, that everybody stays warm during the winter, stays cool during the summer and has their wellbeing as number one. Other places he’s lived, that definitely was not the case. … I feel much more at ease knowing that he’s getting fed. He’s got a roof over his head and people are watching out for him and he’s staying safe. And that has really helped us a lot.”
The Well Community offers support and shelter from stigma for those dealing with serious mental illnesses. Your gift to The Well will help address underlying issues that lead to housing challenges among these individuals, as well as assist them in taking steps toward stability.