Where Support Becomes Friendship: My City Voices Experience

It’s Monday morning. I am up and about getting ready to start the day, but I realize that I will be talking to someone I met. It’s 11 a.m., and I am eager to call. However, the individual calls first, and we talk as if we have spoken for a lot longer.

The individual I am referring to above is named Tom, and Tom, like me, is part of the Exchange Program run through City Voices. We were paired through this program because he was looking for phone support, and I was hoping to help another peer in need. Tom and I have continued to speak since November of 2025 and continue our conversations to this day.

Tom and I met at Tea with Gagan, which is another City Voices event where we gain meditative knowledge and experience what it’s like to meditate in a group setting with one another. It really helped that we met through this event, because as always, it is useful to put a name to a face. So, when I was paired with Tom through the Exchange Program, I knew who he was. I feel this has solidified our connection because we are able to recall and talk about the events that City Voices hosts and continue our friendship on the phone through the Exchange Program.

Liza is another individual I have had the privilege of being paired with. On the receiving end, I am so lucky for the skills Liza so willingly exchanges with me. Since Liza is a home cook, she is extremely passionate about preparing meals and the concept of food as medicine. She has provided me with countless recipes to support my need to engage in more meal prep — and healthy ones at that. She also encourages me not to be upset with myself when meal prep can sometimes go awry or not as intended. At times, I even share a photo of an accomplished meal that I am proud to have prepared.

Which leads me to say that sometimes it is not always easy to feel so useful or proud of oneself with a diagnosis. Despite working and living independently, when I achieved the ability to do both, something was left missing. I felt these milestones were not enough to attain. There was a void that caused me to feel as though something in my life had not quite made it to fruition and that I was lacking. I have never been one to feel so comfortable in social situations, but I found something to ease the burden of feeling like something wasn’t there.

As I continue to participate in City Voices events and programs, I certainly feel more successful as a person and feel more uplifted by the people around me. As Booker T. Washington once said, “If you want to lift yourself up, lift up someone else.” I certainly feel that City Voices operates on this philosophy. The community and engagement that it has offered have made a difference in the way I relate to other people and reduce the feeling of stigma.

I also really like City Voices because it gives me a chance to be part of a community of people who are open to helping those in need. I am a firm believer that it is important to give back, as sometimes you never know what something will yield or lead to. For me, City Voices has inspired me to create more connections with people and gives me great joy in giving back.