Kevin Finds Happiness

A little support has gone a long way in helping Kevin Yates realize that he has a life worth living. When we first met 43-year-old Kevin over two years ago, he was experiencing a rough time in his life. He had numerous behavioral challenges, including difficulty dealing with large crowds and processing sensory information. Life had become frustrating, even daunting, for Kevin, who suffers from schizophrenia and audio-sensory disorders. In a constantly changing, fast-paced society, without the right support systems around him, Kevin saw only the obstacles and not the opportunities.

His situation changed suddenly when he discovered Winnifred Stewart Association and its services. After several months of hard work, supportive programs and pure determination from residential staff, Kevin's transformation was like night to day. He now understands how to take control of his life: learning to adapt within his sensory boundaries and dealing with large groups of people in a more comfortable way. Before his work with WSA, Kevin was limited by what he thought he could do and this prevented him from participating in the things he enjoyed.

Today Kevin plays on the WSA's Strike Force soccer team, attends dances and gets together with other WSA residents for monthly "socials", where they discuss current events, cook, do crafts and catch up on all the latest gossip.