The one I call Michele — October 24, 2019
Written by Scott, Writer & Clare Housing Resident
Recently Michele Boyer, the director of supportive housing, was honored with an award to add to her other honors this year. It was awarded for her dedication to serving residents housed by Clare Housing, the first one of its kind the Clare Housing Hero Award. In my opinion, it’s a more than overdue award to recognize her endless efforts to support residents!
I am happy to say that Michele and I have known each other since 1995. The first role that Michele played for me was my case manager. Her support was vital to me, and she and I worked together for some time. Michele then left to take a position a position as director of housing for what was called the Minnesota AIDS Project (now JustUs Health).
In her new role, Michele found me a place in a community that housed four residents who lived independently. Michele came by often to check in with each of us. Each time I saw her, she would always have an infectious smile and have good advice on how important the goal would be to find an apartment on my own. I was able to move on after some time at the are home.
Fortunately, that didn’t mean I stopped seeing her. I started volunteering at MAP in the Life Enhancement Program. So I saw her often in those small hallways of the old building that housed MAP. That program then ended so at that time I moved on.
Time went by and things were going well. I went back to college and got another degree. Things were going well. Unfortunately, mental health challenges led me to fall onto hard times. I lost my stable housing. I can’t remember how many couches I saw during this time. After some time, I found my funds running out, as well as the number of friends I could call on to stay with for a time. I was admitted to the hospital.
During my stay there the days on a psych ward grew. Until one day a new case manager came to talk to me about possible housing. He talked about this place Clare Housing. But I had to put my name on a list because there were no available openings. The time passed and so did dashed hope for housing. The day came word of housing was found. But it was in Stillwater. Where I lived in the adult foster care home by the name of Hope House I lived there for two years with the hope that a place would open up through Clare Housing.
Finally, that day came. My prayers were answered. That day I felt that I had won the lottery. My things were packed and I was driven back to Minneapolis. As we drove up I saw the house. I could not believe it! I was moving into the Taj Mahal — my name for Grace House II. As I was sitting on the porch so alone and wondering what next, I saw a familiar face. Michele appeared, and just like that she and I were reconnected.
During all these years of her working with me, there were times that she was working harder than I was to help me meet my goals. While I was struggling with my own challenges, she always had a smile and motivational words for me. Even on her busiest days, she stopped by to say “Hi”. After all these years, she still is the Michele I met in 1995.
Not too long one day this spring I said that she was one who walks through the storm not around. This was before she did walk or snowshoe through a storm to work where I was living! She will always be the woman with the long dreds to me. The one who never gave up on me. The woman with the infectious smile. The woman who I call one of my mentors. The one I call Michele.