Vision is often thought of as part of a business strategy.  But each one of us has a vision for our lives.  Without vision we can get lost or forget who we are.  Don’t you remember when you were young and you imagined your future as a grownup?  Many people have become disillusioned and disappointed, because life doesn’t exactly turn out as we planned.  Some people get stuck and are angry about it.  We need to let go of the past and create a new vision for our today, tomorrow and our future.  Having a vision creates hope and without it, life is difficult to navigate, because we don’t know where we are going or why. 

Hope and vision are the keys to getting through the difficult times in our lives.  Hope is what gets us through when we are struggling.  When we are suffering if we believe the pain is only for a short while and we have Hope for a better tomorrow or if we believe a solution to a problem is coming, we can get through just about anything.  But without Hope we give up. 

In the book “Man’s Search for Meaning” by Viktor Frankl, he writes of how “meaning” and hope got him through the death camps of Nazi Germany, when others died prematurely from just giving up due to hopelessness.

We often mask our pain with substances that help us forget or relax.  We use pleasure to block out the issues plaguing our minds.  We use social media to occupy our minds and hearts and find social justice causes to bring meaning and distraction from our real pain and underlying issues.  Pleasure may be great for a season but is empty and void of true value and purpose.  In the end pleasure can harm you when you become addicted or just don’t address responsibilities and things only get worse.  But, Hope amid pain can help to make it through.

At CSS we offer Hope and a plan for a better tomorrow.  We can help with many of the basic needs like housing, healthcare, financial benefit enrollment, and community connection, to name a few things.  The people at CSS care.  We do not judge or condemn but offer a helping hand and an understanding heart. 

Whether it’s just a helping hand for a short time to get treatment for a painful experience or addiction. Or if coming out of incarceration and need a fresh start and a place to get treatment for time in a housing setting.  Or if coming out of a state hospital for behavioral health and need time to get back on your feet after a trauma or pain, we offer help and Hope so you can create a new vision of yourself.  If you or a loved one, are experiencing a mental illness, addiction, homelessness, and need help, WE ARE HERE.    

If you know someone who needs help and Hope or if you’d like to participate in giving to the mission and assist us in providing help and Hope, please donate or contact us at www.cssbh.org or (330) 253-9388.

LoriLee Stein

Chief Financial Officer