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More than 25 years ago, Maria Palmer arrived at Interim looking for stability. Today, she walks through many of those same doors as the person offering support.
As a Community Support Worker, Maria helps residents navigate appointments, transportation, daily needs, and the challenges that come with rebuilding a life. It is work rooted in compassion, but also in experience. She knows what it feels like to need someone to believe in you because she has lived that journey herself.
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“I feel like a part of a team and a part of a community,” she said.
Maria first connected with Interim in her early twenties after a social worker referred her while she was experiencing housing instability and behavioral health challenges. What began as a search for support gradually became the foundation for a new life. Through counseling, housing, and employment opportunities, she found not only stability, but confidence. Looking back, she says one of the greatest turning points came through work itself. “Employment for me really helps,” she said. “It keeps me on a routine. It helps build my confidence.”
Maria spent many years on Interim’s landscaping crew, where she developed practical skills while discovering strengths she never expected. As her experience grew, she began training new crew members, sharing the knowledge she had worked hard to gain. Teaching others became one of the most rewarding parts of the job. “I really liked teaching what I had learned,” she said. Without realizing it at the time, Maria was already becoming the kind of person others could rely on.
When physical challenges eventually made landscaping more difficult, Maria transitioned into residential and community support. The role changed, but the purpose did not. Every experience she had gained as a resident, employee, and member of the mental health recovery community became something she could now share with others.
Today, Maria helps residents coordinate medical appointments, grocery shopping, transportation, and other daily needs that support independent living. While those responsibilities are important, she believes the biggest difference often comes from simply being present and encouraging someone to keep moving forward. During her time working in street outreach, she saw firsthand how much patience mental health recovery and housing can require. Replacing a lost phone, locating a birth certificate, or obtaining identification may seem like small steps, but they are often the foundation for much bigger changes. “It takes a while,” she said. “You just keep helping them, supporting them, and keeping them hopeful.”
The Support She Received, Shared with Others
Watching someone move from homelessness into stable housing remains one of the most meaningful parts of Maria’s work. Seeing confidence return, routines develop, and hope grow reminds her how far a person can come when they have the right support. “It’s really rewarding,” she said.
Earlier this year, Maria received the Corey Miller Award, recognizing her commitment to compassionate, client centered service. The recognition came as a surprise. “I don’t do anything special,” she said. “Just treating people good. The way I would want to be treated.”
That simple philosophy says more about Maria than any award ever could.
Throughout her own journey, people encouraged her, challenged her, and opened doors that helped her build a different future. Today, she does the same for others. Whether she is helping someone navigate services, teaching a new skill, or simply reminding a resident that progress takes time, Maria carries forward the support she once received herself.
Her story is a reminder that mental health recovery is rarely defined by one life changing moment. More often, it grows through opportunity, meaningful work, and a community that believes in a person’s potential before they can fully see it themselves. Years after arriving at Interim as a resident, Maria has become one of the people helping others take that next step.