| The Gordon Family
Ms. Gordon admits that upon entering the Dignity Housing program two years ago, she and her family were resistant, as they had just completed a 9-month drug and alcohol treatment program with Gaudenzia. After a 16-month period of sobriety, Ms. Gordon had made significant steps towards recovery, but still recognized the need for the structure of a transitional housing program in maintaining this progress. After all, as Ms. Gordon eloquently put it, “recovery is a life sentence – it is something you have to work on every day."
Since the Gordons joined the Dignity Housing community, they have made impressive progress in areas of education, self-sufficiency and household maintenance, just to name a few. While Ms. Gordon praises the incredible resources Dignity offers its tenants, it is clear that the Gordon family has been enormously active in advancing their own life situation.
One area in which all the Gordons have made great advances is education. Prior to her time at Dignity, Ms. Gordon attended two years of community college before leaving as a result of her addiction. She is now completing her Bachelor of Arts in Behavioral Health at Alvernia College, a process that Ms. Gordon says “has been a wonderful experience, and still is." Her ten-year old son, and eight-year old daughter are in elementary school, where they have adjusted beautifully and continue to make improvements. Her son is thriving in his studies and her daughter made honor roll last year and won a scholarship to attend Allen’s Lane Art Center. Ms. Gordon is very proud of the progress her children have made in terms of their education, and also in their capacity to work hard in achieving a healthy family life with their mother.
In reflecting on her time as a Dignity tenant Ms. Gordon commends every aspect of the program, but emphasizes most the value and effectiveness of the life skills and resource training. “The most important aspect of Dignity Housing I think, no I know – are the workshops – they are part of our tools that we can take with us forever – and they consist of housekeeping, finding housing beyond Dignity, childcare, education, social services, and just being compliant with the program and keeping up with things that need to be done."
Ms. Gordon is also adamant in her appreciation of the case managers at Dignity; in her own words – “they are WONDERFUL!" It is a working combination of this wonderful staff, the programs they implement and a strong desire to succeed which have transported Ms. Gordon and her children to where they are today. Ms. Gordon also acknowledges the presence of God in her life as an ever-motivating force and source of strength without which her achievements would not have been possible.
After she completes her goal of graduating from Alvernia’s Behavioral Health program this summer, Ms. Gordon plans to enter a career in counseling for recovering addicts and enthusiastically asserts that this is where her heart is – “I find that I have a lot to offer, and I don’t see myself going down another path." Ms. Gordon indeed has a lot to offer, not just to those she will help in her future as a counselor, but to all those whose lives she will touch. Her own words most appropriately capture this spirit: “My stay at Dignity has been a beautiful, wonderful experience – something that I will keep in my heart and take with me and continue to learn from, and hopefully I can help someone else with what was given to me."
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