I recently had the opportunity to represent Summit ILC at the state mental hospital on June 10. I doubt any organization other than Summit would have the vision to send a former mental patient to represent it at the very institution he was once a patient in.
It was cathartic to return there as a free man who was not bound in shackles and led by a policeman. My presence there was testimony that people who are in an institution can have the opportunity to turn their lives around. Summit helped me do that. Words cannot express how joyful it was to represent the spirit of independent living while talking with patients, family and staff members. I did not hide the fact that I was once a patient there and it seemed as if most of the people I spoke with felt more at ease talking to me after I told them that.
Some people who know about Summit are not aware that it also helps people with invisible disabilities. My presence at the state mental hospital showed that this organization encompasses more than just those with visible disabilities. I want to thank Summit for giving me the chance to represent it at the state mental hospital and all those who believed in me.
