25 Weeks of Gratitude: Our House, Inc.

An Open Bed at Our House Changed Everything

Jennifer Bridgeman

“I wouldn’t be where I am without Our House. Going homeless was always one of my biggest fears.”

Tammi Upshaw, who has been legally blind since birth, was living in the dorm at World Services for the Blind in Little Rock, where she was enrolled in the I.T. Specialist program, when the organization funding her withdrew support. A long-time friend offered a place to stay, but Tammi soon realized the situation was unstable. Her friend did not disclose that she had a serious mental disorder and that she was not taking conventional treatment for it and began behaving in alarming ways.

“Something told me, ‘Get out now,’ so I packed my things in the middle of the night and went straight to Our House.” Fortunately, a bed was open.

“My first thoughts were, ‘How is this going to work? I was legally blind in an unfamiliar place that wasn’t set up for low vision or blind people. I had to find a job, which is difficult when people see the white cane. I was always good at advocating for other people, but not for myself.”

Tammi has some limited vision, but no depth perception and limited peripheral vision and uses a white cane while walking. “My peripheral vision is absolutely shot from my perspective, although I know it could be worse.”

At Our House, Tammi met Ezell Breedlove, a disability coordinator whose position was funded in 2022 by the Blue & You Foundation for a Healthier Arkansas. Although the position was initially funded for one year, Ezell’s role proved so valuable that it became a lasting part of the organization. He helps residents with physical and mental disabilities apply for benefits and find jobs that match their skills and abilities. Ezell brings personal understanding to the role because he also has a disability.

“Immediately, I knew that he understood what I was going through. The coolest thing about working with Ezell is I could bounce ideas off him. He knew what it was like with a disability.”

While searching for a job, Tammi worked at Our House and continued building her confidence. “The whole staff at Our House are amazing and it’s beautiful thing,” she said. “Every person has your back. I felt like I was part of something bigger than me and the sum of all the staff. That is humbling and empowering at the same time. It made me want to succeed.”

Four months after moving into Our House, another friend asked Tammi if she would like to move into their old house. As she continued working with Ezell and the Our House team, Tammi began to see just how important the training and therapy she received had been in helping her transition back to independent living. “It was a lot harder than I thought it would be, and I’m so thankful for Ezell and the rest of the Our House staff and the programs they offered”

“The goal of immersing yourself in the job search on day one is to immerse yourself into getting out of homelessness” she said. “The therapy makes you take a hard look at yourself because the goal is to give you coping skills keep you from being homeless again when you leave”

After several job interviews that didn’t fit, Tammi applied for a job as a Patient Access Representative at Arkansas Children’s Hospital. Which at the time meant she was going to be placed in the call center.

I was like, ‘Let’s talk about this,’” she said, recalling how she lifted her cane during the interview, “I know you can’t ask, so I’m disclosing that I am legally blind”. She explained that success in a call center role depends on strong communication skills. “I thought I bombed the interview. Two weeks later, I got a phone call, and they were like, ‘Hey, you’re in.’”

Because of the accommodation that she needed, the call center was not a good fit. She now works in one of the departments as a Patient Access Representative, ensuring insurance is set up correctly so the patient has a little less to worry about. “ACH was great with adapting my role to fit my disability accommodations. I don’t think I would have found a job like that if Our House and Ezell had not been in the picture.

She has been with Arkansas Children’s Hospital since August 2025 and, with their accommodations for low vision, is doing well. She has moved from the friend’s house and now lives with two cats and gets to work using Rock Region Metro’s Links paratransit services.

“I will tell anybody and everybody, for me, going homeless is actually the best thing that has happened to me as an adult outside of having my children. Our House gave me employment support, mental health support and disability support. There are things that I learned from Ezell and other staff members in Our House that I still do in my daily life. That’s what they’re there for, to teach you how to move from homelessness to stability.”

*The Blue & You Foundation was established in 2001 through an initial gift from Arkansas Blue Cross and Blue Shield. Since its inception, the Foundation’s financial base has grown through wise and prudent investment strategies. This has enabled the foundation to support its mission by making grants funded by the interest earned on those investments. In celebration of the 25th anniversary of the Blue & You Foundation, 25 Weeks of Gratitude spotlights 25 stories of Arkansans whose lives have been impacted by Foundation-funded work.