Meet Kelly Davis, one of the speakers who will be sharing her story at our live event on May 2: Stories of Gratitude Featuring Returning Veteran’s Project (RVP).
Davis, the Social Programs and Peer Supervisor for FolkTime’s drop-in mental health socialization programs, has been in Portland since 2001. She helps connect people who share the experience of living with mental health issues with peer support and community social programs through rural outreach around Oregon.
Although she works every day providing others with support, Davis never could have anticipated that one day, she’d be the one needing such services. But in 2007, a breakdown led to her attempting suicide twice. It was during this difficult time that her husband, an Operation Iraqi Veteran, found and recommended the support services at RVP to her. This was the beginning of her path to healing. She describes her experience with RVP as a “critical aspect” to her mental health recovery over the following months.
“I am actually grateful for what had happened to me. I am grateful for my inner strength and the abilities to overcome something I never believed I could ever survive,” said Davis. “And I am ultimately grateful for my husband who after three months of marriage never gave up on me, but stood by me. As he always stated in the infantry, ‘You never leave a man behind’; he never left me behind – only helped carry me through the storm to survival.
When asked what she’ll share on stage at the upcoming SuperThank event, she said: “how I slowly began my recovery with the support of RVP.” Davis will also be joined by several other storytellers sharing their gratitude. Bring some tissues, because May 2nd is bound to be an evening celebrating hope, healing and community when we need it the most!