Last week my Social Work class had a guest speaker, Robert Czaplicki, a man who has experienced troubles both in his personal life, mental health and within the "System." He explained that he is building a place for those suffering from addiction, mental illness, homelessness, and anything that disrupts their ability to go through each day. He coined it "Hope Grows" and his mission is to create a farm, for people in adverse situations to go - to garden and tend to plants, then feed those who need food. Hope Grows is a place for those suffering from homelessness, addiction, or mental illness; It is a place for those who want to better themselves and to become well. It is a beacon of hope for those who need it most. I was moved, instantly intrigued, and wanted to know more. I sent him a email, and set up an interview with him to write an article about his mission.

To better understand and appreciate Robert's work in Hope Grows, it's important to learn where he came from. Robert was first introduced into counseling and the "system" at age 6, where he was diagnosed with ADHD, which in the following years would reveal other disorders that need specific attention and support. Robert spent time in residential facility at age 17 when his diagnosis advanced and worsened. The "system" refers to social workers, mental health hospitals and counselors, and any government assistance. He has always been high functioning and can get by on his own, but needed support from both personal relationships and professional guidance. He explained to me that his main problem was that the system viewed him as a checkmark - a sequence of questions and his answer of "yes" or "no." Having a mental illness essentially dehumanized him, he wasn't treated as a person who needed help or guidance, he was just a checkbox to social workers, who didn't tend to his personal needs. I asked when his first adverse experience was with the system, and he couldn't point out a pivotal moment because he was unaware it was destructive at the time. Robert said that "from the very beginning I was being told I was different, that there was something about me that was not the way a kid was supposed to be...I required attention in some ways, but in other ways I was smart and capable. But I was told that none of it was right. I was labeled into confined boxes of what I was, and it made me rebellious, it confused me, it made me feel broken, and it shaped me." In his early 20's he was homeless living under a freeway underpass for 16 months as struggled with addiction, during this time he had been in jail multiple times. He begged inpatient care hospitals for help, to help get him off drugs, and to get him on the path to recovery. He was rejected multiple times because his drug test must come up negative before they would see him, when in reality - how could a suffering addict go through withdrawal and stay completely clean with no support or guidance?

Robert's most recent negative experience was with social workers, in the past year I asked him how many he had seen in the past year, and he said that there was 3 that he physically saw. Months had passed where no one contacted him and wouldn't return his phone calls. His biggest concern on the issue of the Social work system was that there are tons of seriously mentally ill people who are unable to function on their own, and they are not being looked after. They have to search for a social worker to listen or pay attention, while most of those who are incapacitated aren't going to actively search for help.

Hope Grows was started when he was at home trying to come off the drugs, and he had relatively nothing to keep his mind busy. He started watering dying plants around his broken-down house that had been left during his time in jail, and he noticed that "over the next few months the plants started to look better, and I started to look better. These plants started to feel better and I started to feel better. And these 7 small plants, became my daily mirror of wellness...I began planting gardens and learning about how to prepare a garden and create a place for these plants. A natural process of nurturing occurred. I immediately recognized the wellness I was receiving from this, as well as this powerful thing of recovery that I was and am going through, that I want to share. It all started with me building the house and fixing it up, all these things becoming better. Watching the plants grow full and the house look better, it all started to look better. My world started looking better and I was better than I had ever been. I want to share it. I just want to make a place for people who want to get well; to be better. This is my process of wellness, and I want to share it for those who want the same. This is about growing plants and growing wellness, my hope for Hope Grows is to plant a thousand plants in the spring with whoever wants to and to grow food for hungry bellies." The land that Robert has been working on started off empty, he has built his own house and has had no water and no electricity, but is working tirelessly towards a full functioning farm.

Robert wanted those who are struggling and want to be better to come to Hope Grows and his message is: "I don't want to talk about what drugs you like, what gang you're in, or what crimes you committed. As long as you are seriously interested in developing your wellness, you can dig in the dirt and plant some plants, with only the idea that you are planting plants and feeding empty bellies. You can do it for as long or as short as you want. If an addict or someone suffering comes with desire to plant and feed people, I will defend their time and ability to do this for as long as they want, I will defend them. I'm not here to fix you, but I will support you."

I asked Robert what his message to those who are in the place he was in with addiction or mental illness and he said, "There is hope. In one of the corrections classes I spoke to, someone asked what was needed to make change in the system, I said Hope. I want people to believe and know that if they do what is necessary, then there is hope. You want hope, you need hope, Can this be a different life? Can it ever be different? Yes it can. If you work hard enough and you simply believe that it can be better: accept nothing less, know in your heart that you won't have to suffer the way you have in the past. We need to create a culture of hope and that is what I am trying to do."

To stay up to date with Robert's journey in Hope Grows follow his Facebook page

https://www.facebook.com/healingdesert/

If you have any donations or old wood, tools, anything really, please contact Robert: robert.a.czaplicki@gmail.com