Loneliness. Isolation. Depression. PTSD. Anxiety. Suicide. Mental Health. These are all words that we are all too acquainted with. More than likely it has directly or indirectly affected your life. These issues are quickly becoming an epidemic. They are words that we would rather not talk about and yet we need to make an effort […]
As the youngest of seven, Mario Gonzales was 11 years old when his parents left he and his siblings and went to California for work. Mario recalls that that season was filled with new experiences–both good and bad. He began experimenting with drugs and alcohol yet tried to form relationships and find community with peers at the local teen center. “I would do whatever it took to get to Chelan and go to the teen center. I’d sleep at Don Morse Park to be somewhere else or be with friends. But no one knew I was sleeping at parks alone.”