My name is Don Borgwardt, and I started with the Mission a year ago. Back then I was a Peer Navigator with the Hope for Men program. It was a wonderful experience shepherding men in recovery and my confidence had grown in understanding the work of the Mission. But, as in life, all things are susceptible to change, and I was called upon to take on a different program.
That program is the Hope Respite program. A new assignment comes with both challenges and opportunities, so the first important step is to have some idea of what the program does. I found I was lacking a bit in that and soon found I was in for a steep learning curve. I always considered myself to be resilient and flexible, so I was ready to take on the challenge. For those that don’t know the Hope Respite, the program offers people coming from the hospital with medical conditions a place to stabilize during their recovery. It offers a bed with meals, monitoring of their conditions, and assistance in getting to and from needed appointments. In addition, staff sets objective goals so that the participants can get support for independent living and housing needs.
New responsibilities come with building new skills such as learning medical terminology and how to take vitals, introducing myself to relationships with our partners Dignity Health, Sutter Medical, and Central Valley Alliance, and understanding how to provide the best care for our clients. Now I am working on utilizing the information from our medical providers to continue the quality of care that they provide at their facilities and developing new strategies for processing clients’ intake and administering services. It is really about working in and learning from those around me to continue to grow and refine the Hope Respite program. I have called this an adventure because anything that can provide a challenge and help you learn is truly an adventure.
I would also be remiss if I did not recognize the provision that comes from having a servant heart and a relationship with Christ. All these folks are God’s people, and to provide for them requires that I grow in my knowledge and understanding. I am privileged to have the opportunity to serve in this program in the Mission. My desire is to make this the best program I can for the Mission and the clients… until the next New Adventure!
