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Green Gardens is a home, sweet home
Topics: Green Gardens, mental disability, bipolar disorder, mental health, Kern Linkage
Posted by citizenjournalist Thu Apr 5, 2007 16:41:30 PDT
Viewed 2035 times
0 responses 0 comments Green Gardens Apartments is located at the corner of South Union Avenue and White Lane. It's owned by Golden Empire Affordable Housing Inc. Back in the 60s and 70s it was a Holiday Inn. There was a motel, a restaurant and a night club. In fact, I met my wife in the night club; she has since passed away from cancer.

In May of 1999, Golden Empire entered into an agreement with Kern Linkage. HUD would play a role as well. Kern Linkage is a division of Kern County Mental Health. Green Gardens became a home for the mentally disabled. There are 104 studio apartments, with 90 being section 8 apartments. I have a section 8 apartment and I pay no more than 30 percent of my Social Security check.

I don't mind not having a kitchen. I have everything I need to cook with. But we are not allowed to have a hot plate. I have a brand new Whirlpool Refrigerator that I got through PG&E's low-income energy program. I have a new microwave that the Wal-Mart on White Lane manager, Harry Fenske, gave me. I have an oven, coffeemaker, electric skillet, crock pot and blender. I have lived at Green Gardens for three years and I love it here.

The Kern Linkage staff consists of eight people. They serve as on-site case managers for the tenants. We have a van that the staff uses to take the tenants grocery shopping and they bring food from the Gleaners every Tuesday. The Mental Health staff holds daily group sessions. Felicia Justice is the Mental Health supervisor. Kern Linkage in Oildale provides an off-site case worker for tenants. They take them to the doctor and make house calls.

I go to Mental Health in Oildale. It's Team 4. My off-site case worker Arnie Garcia works out of his office. He's the best case worker I've ever had. My doctor also works out of Team 4. His name is Dr. Goklaney. Five years ago he prescribed a series of medications and they worked. I have never missed a day taking my meds. I call them Dr. Goklaney's magic bullets.

I'm independent. I ride the bus. There was a time when I was too paranoid to ride the bus. I have bipolar disorder. Thanks to Team 4, Kern Linkage and Green Gardens staff, I live a pretty normal life.

On June 20, at noon, Green Gardens is having our second annual staff appreciation barbecue. I'm the creator and host of the event. Larry Mesa, the Vons White Lane manager, has donated $150 in food for the event. Xavier Garza, the Ranch Market South H Street manager, has donated $100 in food for the event. Wal-Mart, K-Mart and Mervyn's has donated as well.

I have invited local leaders to attend, including Mayor Harvey Hall, Supervisor Michael Rubio, City Councilwoman Irma Carson, representatives from the offices of Nicole Parra, Dean Florez, Jean Fuller and Congressman Kevin McCarthy.

The reason for inviting all of these elected officials is because I want to see more places like Green Gardens established in Kern County and the rest of the state. At this time, Green Gardens is the only complex I know of of its kind in Kern County.

I look forward to this year's event. It will be a pleasure to meet all of these fine officials. It will also be a pleasure to see Mayor Hall again.

Read another article by J.D. Harris about what it's like to live with bipolar disorder.

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