For this month’s highlight, we met with Matt to learn more about him and his work with Thrive over the years. Matt has lived in Central Oregon for 15 years. He moved from Portland to get out of the big city and live closer to his family. Some of his favorite things to do in his free time include exploring nature, writing, fishing, and reading. Matt considers himself a lifelong student and is currently studying web development. One of his goals is to be able to help develop websites that are more accessible to people with disabilities. 

When Matt first met with Thrive, some of his goals included finding stable housing and furthering his education. “I was trying to get out of the last place that I was living in. I am disabled and I was having some problems with my neighbors. It was also a small apartment and it was hard for me to navigate. I was applying for a seeing eye dog so I reached out to Thrive and they helped me fill out applications for apartments,” he said. Since then, Matt has regularly worked with Britta, a Community Outreach Advocate with Thrive, to complete housing applications, locate resources in the community, and work on financial assistance.

When talking about his experience working with Thrive, Matt said, “It was great. I had nothing but great experiences working with the advocates. I have nothing bad to say. I would recommend them to anybody.” Since working with Thrive, Matt said that his perspective has changed immensely. “Every time I reach out to Britta or others, I feel like I always have an ally to help me and get me through a tough time. I know I’m not alone,” he said.

When asked if he had any final thoughts he wanted to share with the community, Matt said, “I’d like to say that this is a great organization to donate to and fund. Attend the fundraisers. I think that’s definitely important. The community is expanding and there are a lot of people moving in and the word about Thrive needs to be spread more. I know a lot of people that have never heard of Thrive. But Thrive is necessary for this community and it’s expanding. I think the word needs to get out more. I think that if there are more fundraising opportunities, that would be great.” 

Something that Matt learned in college that he wanted to share is:

“You won’t learn until you raise your hand and ask the question. Reach out and ask for help. Don’t dwell on the what-ifs. It’s important to reach out and ask for help.”

Thank you for sharing your story Matt!