THE LIFE LINK
...Helping individuals and families who are homeless and displaced achieve self-sufficiency through emergency assistance, housing and other supportive programs, including advanced addiction and behavioral health treatment services.
The Life Link is a Licensed Community Mental Health Center and offers services for mental health, substances, and co-occuring disorders. We take medicaid and other forms of insurance.
Down and Out In The City Different
Geraldo Blakemore knows a little something about the ups and downs of life. A soft-spoken man with a polite, gentle manner, Geraldo was raised in Memphis, the only child of older parents. He loved music and children and became the first person in his family to graduate from college. He taught music to elementary school students until he had to stop work to care for his ailing parents.
After his parents died, Geraldo’s stepsister invited him to move to Santa Fe and live with her. After one week, she put him out. Thousands of miles from his home, still grieving from his parents’ death, and unbeknownst to him, suffering from an illness called schizophrenia, Geraldo felt desperate. He stayed with friends - and friends of friends – people he knew from his job at Walgreens. He paid them what he could and moved on when they asked him to.
Breaking up is hard to do (but sometimes it’s the way back)
At times In our own lives, when things seem all right and should be all right, many of us have experienced a certain nagging sensation just below the edge of our awareness: a little voice that whispers something is not quite right. If we recognize that whispering voice, we might choose to heed it. If not, sometimes events will occur that cause the voice to speak louder.
In 2004, Lorraine Acuña had a responsible job as a custodial supervisor at Camel Rock Casino, a steady partner of 11 years and her own mobile home. She had stopped drinking years before and was living a sober lifestyle. But Lorraine knew deep inside that something felt wrong.
The Real Treasure Discovered at the Life Link Parking Lot Sale (Hint: it’s not a crock pot)
It is true that The Life Link holds its annual parking lot sale to raise money to support our various programs; it’s equally true that the real value of this event is far greater than the money collected from the sale of butter dishes and kids’ cars seats: it is the manifestation of Life Link community spirit.
On May 1, our Parking Lot Team gathered in the chilly early morning to set up tables, organize merchandise, put out snacks and welcome our first shoppers (who showed up almost as early as we did).
