Georgina Yates continues to have hope
Some of Ukiah’s homeless population are making progress toward employment and transitional housing; others are having difficulties with lifelong issues and their hopes are dim. They all have names, like Jimmy, or Miguel or Rogina or Don.
Homeless, Georgina Yates continues to have some hope, despite being an alcoholic for years. Georgina spends her day first connecting with God and her friends over breakfast and an inspirational message with Tony Huerta at the Center for Hope on Luce Avenue. Then she starts to walk the streets of Ukiah looking for friends, perhaps visiting the library.
Not long ago, Georgina had high hopes as she entered rehab. Huerta began the process which placed Georgina at Mountain of Mercy, a Christian rehab center in Honeydew, California (west of Humboldt Redwoods State Park). Her stay was intermittent over the nine months working the program. Her sobriety has tumbled since returning back to Ukiah.
Yates, 50, grew up in a poor, somewhat dysfunctional family in Fort Bragg; a very beautiful girl, according to multiple sources.
Georgina remembers, “I had horses and was the rodeo queen. I was smart and worked in those convalescent hospitals for three years with old women and earned my CNA (Certified Nurses Assistant). Then I trained to be a phlebotomist at Cuesta College in San Luis Obispo and worked at Santa Rosa Memorial as well as Adventist Hospitals.”
“But my parents owned a bar in Fort Bragg and we hung out there; you can imagine why I drink.”
“And one of my stepfathers had a motorcycle accident with my 3½-year-old brother on the back. My little brother was killed.”
Georgina’s aunt Alice Welsh was born poor and struggled in Fort Bragg as well, but had the strength to hold down good jobs with the Bank of America and Safeway locally and has two “wonderful adult kids.” She serves as her niece’s next of kin, in the event of emergencies.
Georgina was married to Michael Yates, a Teamsters union steward, and they had two children; “the younger one is autistic,” relates Ms. Welsh. After the couple separated, Georgina had money problems and lived in motels with the children. When the kids were taken away, she went to the streets homeless.
“I’ve had a few very bad accidents,” says Georgina. “I was dragged under a car in the back of Safeway (where I hung out) and got a broken leg and I was struck in the crosswalk once by a car also.”
“After my accidents, I wasn’t eating and had a hard time getting my money, but I heard about Tony at the Center for Hope. Tony has grandbabies; I don’t have grandbabies.” The Center’s literature: “What’s different about this ministry is the focus on relationships, drawing volunteers from faithbased communities who want to give their time and resources toward building relationships with the poor and hurting. The treatment of trauma is arguably a very essential issue in the healing of the homeless.”
“I love Jesus, and I’m working on getting new teeth and my own apartment,” concludes Gerogina.
Say her name: It is Georgina Yates, survivor.
Free food programs in Ukiah
Plowshares: M-F at 11:30 a.m.; Saturday, 3 p.m. at Plowshares — Seventh Day Adventists; Sunday, 3 p.m. at Plowshares — Carrie Brigham, Don Damp (Ukiah churches).