St. Joseph center shines light for many

One of Spokane County’s most vital yet unsung resources will get much-needed publicity on Nov.13. That’s when Patty Duke will speak at St. Joseph Family Center Partners in Hope Luncheon.

The Sisters of St. Francis of Philadelphia founded St. Joseph Family Center, located just blocks from Gonzaga University, in 1890. The center functioned as an orphanage until 1982 and has been serving the community as a nonprofit counseling center since 1987.

The theme of the luncheon will be “A Light in the Storm.” In addition to Duke, local resident Arleene Wood will speak about the impact St. Joseph’s has had in her life.

On a recent afternoon, Wood recalled the circumstances that brought her to the center. “I came here to feel again,” she said. “I came here to live again, and that’s what I’m doing.”

Wood is a survivor. She endured an early violent marriage. Her husband left her when she was diagnosed with cancer at age 27, and she worked two jobs to provide for her four children, who were all under 5 at the time. She said she got by on her anger. “I was working to feed my kids and fighting cancer. I just tunneled ahead.”

And then her hard-luck story turned into a fairy tale. The love of her life literally rode up her driveway on a black horse. His name was Ambrose Wood. “He was my knight in shining armor,” she said, her blue eyes twinkling. “He rescued the five of us and took us for his own.”

They married and spent 34 years together, working hard and raising their family. But in September 2004, Ambrose passed away. “When he died,” Wood said. “I was alone for the first time in my life. I’d never lived alone. At the cemetery I felt like half of me was buried with him.”

After the funeral, when the last guest left her home, Wood’s sense of solitude intensified. “It was like I was going down a slide and I couldn’t stop. I didn’t have a name for what I was feeling,” she said.

And soon she faced an additional challenge. Shortly after her husband’s death she was diagnosed with melanoma on the surface of her eye. She underwent surgery that saved her life and her sight but left her wondering, “Why did I survive, and Ambrose didn’t?”

Thoughts of suicide began to haunt her. She lined up her husband’s prescription pain medications on a counter. She said she knew she was in deep trouble as she stared at those pills. And then she made the call that saved her life. She called St. Joseph Family Center.

“I don’t remember what I said,” she recalled. “I just remember a soft voice asking me if I needed someone right away.” She made an appointment with Monica Bauer, one of the center’s licensed therapists. And slowly but steadily she found her way out of darkness and into light.

“I’m a loud, boisterous person,” Wood said. “But Monica talked softly and gently to me.” Together they worked through Wood’s grief and pain. They dug deep and unearthed the anger toward Wood’s ex-husband, which had simmered for so long.

Eventually Wood visited the man who had abused her and forgave him. She was ready to move forward.

“This is a place of safety,” Wood said, gesturing with expressive hands. “When someone is in distress they need to feel safe.”

According to the center’s literature, in Spokane County up to 34,000 children, teens and adults are struggling with mental illness or serious emotional disturbance. Julie Terrell, development director for St. Joseph’s, said the 2005 Spokane Mental Health layoffs have had a profound impact on the center.

“Fifty percent of our clients are low-income,” she said. “We saw a big increase in the amount of new clients after the layoffs.” In 2006-2007, St. Joseph’s served 427 new clients, and the total number of visits was 3,894.

In addition to mental health services, St. Joseph’s offers parenting instruction, respite care for moms, anger-management classes, spirituality workshops and yoga, tai chi and other physical wellness classes. The center focuses on integrating health of body, mind and spirit. “We don’t turn anyone away because they’re unable to pay,” said Executive Director Sr. Elaine Thaden.

Wood considers herself living proof of the center’s commitment to community care. She’s active in promoting St. Joseph Family Center, serving on focus groups and planning committees. The sparkle in her eyes is back, and she’s alive to experience the joy of her seven grandchildren and one great-grandchild. “They don’t hand out Band-Aids here,” she said. “They actually heal.”