Phyllis’s Story
On a cold December night about thirty women busy themselves on the second floor of the First Light Shelter in Birmingham. They shower, do laundry, watch television together. For the last several months this large, open room with its rows of beds and lockers have been home.
First Light is an emergency shelter for women and children in the city. On top of the thirty-some women on the second floor, typically staying about three months, there’s an overflow shelter in what doubles as the lunch room during the day. It is a bright, airy building — the majority of its residents suffering from some form of mental illness. Among them, Phyllis Patterson.
Patterson lived on the streets for twenty-three years. Strung out on drugs she prostituted for the money and, later, just to get a fix. She battles demons from her childhood and major depression. On the street she says she looked to the drugs to make her feel better. Since coming to First Light, Patterson’s been on medication to help her cope with her depression and anger. She’s also slowly coming to terms with her past. She says, for the first time in a long while she feels whole and human. You can hear Patterson tell her story by clicking the audio link above.
Birmingham is 3rd worst in the Southeast for ozone pollution, new report says
The American Lung Association's "State of the Air" report shows some metro areas in the Gulf States continue to have poor air quality.
Why haven’t Kansas and Alabama — among other holdouts — expanded access to Medicaid?
Only 10 states have not joined the federal program that expands Medicaid to people who are still in the "coverage gap" for health care
Once praised, settlement to help sickened BP oil spill workers leaves most with nearly nothing
Thousands of ordinary people who helped clean up after the 2010 BP oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico say they got sick. A court settlement was supposed to help compensate them, but it hasn’t turned out as expected.
Q&A: How harm reduction can help mitigate the opioid crisis
Maia Szalavitz discusses harm reduction's effectiveness against drug addiction, how punitive policies can hurt people who need pain medication and more.
The Gulf States Newsroom is hiring a Community Engagement Producer
The Gulf States Newsroom is seeking a curious, creative and collaborative professional to work with our regional team to build up engaged journalism efforts.
Gambling bills face uncertain future in the Alabama legislature
This year looked to be different for lottery and gambling legislation, which has fallen short for years in the Alabama legislature. But this week, with only a handful of meeting days left, competing House and Senate proposals were sent to a conference committee to work out differences.
