Khadijah Puckett
May 2008
Khadijah Puckett never had anything in life handed to her on silver platter, but that has certainly not stopped her yet. Growing up in the Philadelphia Housing Authority Developments, Ms. Puckett witnessed firsthand the effects alcohol, drugs, and an abusive relationship had on her family. “My mom always took care of us and wanted to give us something better, sometimes she just didn’t know how,” said Ms. Puckett. Without the presence of a father in her home, Ms. Puckett stated she developed low expectations for other men involved in her life. And after a series of unhealthy relationships, Ms. Puckett realized something had to change. “I had put up with enough abuse, both physical and mental. I was afraid for my kids and most importantly I realized I wanted them to have a better life than I did.” So she left the relationship and went to an emergency shelter. “I was only in that first shelter for four months but during that time I got my mind and my sanity back. I learned how to really receive peace from God,” said Puckett.
She was so committed to reclaiming her life that she was accepted into Sojourner House, a transitional housing organization providing support to domestic violence victims and their families, after a few short months in the emergency shelter. At Sojourner House, Ms. Puckett stated that for the first time in her life she finally felt like someone was looking out for her. “We had 9 pm curfews at first and a lot of the other women would complain about it, but I kept thinking this isn’t so bad- I don’t have anywhere else to be -that I really should be- anyways,” said Puckett. She also credits the weekly women’s meetings to being a huge part of her success, “every week we would share our stories, we’d cry together, but mostly we grew together.” While there Ms. Puckett continued saving, something she had never really done before entering the shelter, and obtained her CDL license through her Welfare to Work program.
As her two years at Sojourner House slowly began to come to a close, Ms. Puckett and her case worker searched diligently for further housing options. They came upon the Dignity Housing Future Homes Program, into which she was accepted in October 2006. The Future Homes Program is a joint effort established in 2006 between Dignity Housing and the Philadelphia Office of Supportive Housing with the goal of placing formerly homeless families in homes that they will purchase from Dignity Housing at the end of the 18-24 month program.
Since her acceptance into the Dignity Housing program, Ms. Puckett has taken huge steps to becoming a first-time homeowner. She started paying utility bills for the first time, opened a credit card account, and applied for direct deposit with her employer. Ms. Puckett said, “Before I came to Dignity I always thought that having a credit card or getting direct deposit was only for people with a lot of money. The staff really uplifted me and made me realize I too can do any of those things.” Ms. Puckett has worked at Avis Car Rental at the Philadelphia Airport for the past year with a recent promotion in her work schedule resulting in day-time shifts. She continues to save, as part of her monthly savings plan, and has accumulated over $5,000 during her year and a half in the program. “This is the first house I’ve ever lived in. I want this house! I’m willing to work for it. I’m one of those people that if I need to do more just tell me and I’ll certainly try as hard as I can to get there.” said Ms. Puckett.
As she gets adjusted to her new work schedule, Ms. Puckett hopes to enroll in adult education classes to help her obtain her GED. She is also looking forward to learning how to garden and decorate her new home. “I want to keep this stability up for my family. We’ve moved around so much before it’s just nice for my kids to have a real home this time.”
May 2007
When you ask Innocent Turner, age 18, what she wants to be when she grows up, she looks you right in the eye and tells you “a pediatric dentist.” She has a comprehensive life plan that involves attending Ursinus College in the fall to major in chemistry, and later pursuing dentistry at the University of Southern California. It will not be easy, but Innocent will do it. She has already conquered many difficult things in her young life.
While Innocent explains that she is "one of four children born to a troubled, drug-addicted mother,” she does not allow it to define her life. Several years ago, when her family entered the Dignity II transitional housing program, Innocent says she began to feel her horizons expand in a positive direction.
Through her participation with the After-School Program she was granted experiences she may have otherwise never encountered. The Awbury Arboretum and local horse stables were a few of her favorite field trips. Not only did she learn about different trees, and the proper way to groom a horse, she also learned that there were all sorts of exciting things to be discovered beyond her difficult family situation.
Innocent has turned discovery into inspiration, and run with it. A senior at Girls High, she has immersed herself in a myriad of activities. She maintains a 3.6 GPA and is President and founder of the Caribbean Club, a peer tutor, a member of the Gospel Choir, Ecology Club, and Writer’s Café. She has also been accepted into the National Spanish and Science Honor Societies.
Her hard work has paid off. Innocent was accepted into college and awarded one of Dignity’s Education and Life Skills Scholarships to help offset some of her college expenses. She will also be participating in Dignity's Summer Internship Program, working in the organization's Fund Development Division to restore donated computers and assist with administrative projects.
Dignity’s staff is so proud of Innocent and wishes her the absolute best as she continues to work hard to overcome obstacles and turn her dreams into reality.
THE O'MALLEY FAMILY
After a year and four months, Ms. Denise O’Malley says the most vital aspect of being at Dignity Housing has been her ability to gain confidence in coping with life’s issues. “I had a hard time believing I could do anything, or that I deserved any success" said O’Malley. “But Dignity helped me overcome that."
O’Malley and her 4-year old daughter currently live at Dignity II. They have come a long way since entering the program last April. With the help of her case manager and Dignity’s Education and Life Skills Scholarship Fund, O’Malley graduated from the Thompson Institute with a degree in Dental Assistance. After completing a required externship within her educational program, she secured a position in one of Philadelphia’s periodontal offices. While she admits adjusting to school work and challenging class schedules was difficult, she now wants “to learn everything" about dentistry.
Initially, O’Malley resisted some of Dignity II’s highly structured program requirements, but soon she realized that change was needed and began to keep an open mind about the program and the services it offered. Today, she is excited to be able to provide for her daughter and maintain a savings account. O’Malley credits a large portion of her self-development to the one-on-one case management and counseling provided by Dignity’s programs.
Her daughter is now attending pre-school and has also grown throughout their stay at Dignity II, developing better listening skills and feeling secure in their living environment. O’Malley says she’s learned “how to be a better parent" and is glad her daughter is able to depend on her.
Having experienced homelessness, O’Malley states the hardest part of overcoming its barriers is finding a place that will provide encouragement, assistance and an opportunity to “build yourself."
She is thankful to have found Dignity and believes that without the program she couldn’t have achieved her professional success and stability. She advises those still struggling with the difficulties of homelessness and substance abuse to realize a better way of living exists, and that help is available. “One person helping one person can help a generation," she said.
The family’s current plans include moving to a quiet neighborhood in the northeastern section of Philadelphia. O’Malley is excited for her future and is currently preparing to transition out of Dignity and onto self-sufficiency.
The Gordon Family
August 2005 
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."
The Collins Family
August 2005 Having just finished a spiritually based recovery program, Ms. Collins was reluctant to enter “another" program, but after some exposure to Dignity and a one-week orientation, she was enthusiastic and ready to begin. Through a great deal of effort, communication and team work with staff at Dignity, Ms. Collins and her three children have reunited and come a long way in transitioning back into a family.
Recognizing in retrospect the impact of her past actions and decisions on her children’s lives, Ms. Collins decided to volunteer at Dignity, teaching workshops on anger management for children. In her words, “When families have been separated for whatever reason, in reuniting sometimes parents focus on themselves, and all we think about is that we are reconnecting with our children, and we don’t understand that there can be a lot of anger from them." Attending the workshops helped ease the family's transition.
Leading the workshops is not the only way Ms. Collins chose to give back to Dignity. She is passionate about what Dignity offers its tenants, because she has experienced much personal growth throughout her time here. “Dignity has been a real help for me.... I remember wanting to be a part of going down to city hall and letting them know how important programs like these are, especially for women such as myself."
Lynn was also an intern with Dignity for several months, working with directors Alicia Christian and Beverly Roberts, a job she says she “LOVED!" For Ms. Collins, it represented a unique opportunity to observe Dignity from a whole new perspective.
During this time, Ms. Collins was also taking classes at Alvernia College, for which she received a scholarship. Unfortunately, Ms. Collins suffered an injury and had to take a break from classes and work. She describes this time as particularly difficult for her; she had been at the top of her class, loved her job and enjoyed “feeling so productive." However, this time off freed her schedule to spend more time with her children, which is the top priority in Ms. Collins' life. She is working now and planning on returning to school shortly and becoming the first person in her family to earn a degree.
Her children have made inspirational progress as well. Her son, 16 years old, is enthusiastic about learning, an idea his mother is constantly encouraging for all her children. He made student of the month for March as well as honor roll this semester. Thanks to Dignity staff, her 15-year-old daughter had the opportunity to attend a program which allowed her to visit several historically black colleges and universities. She is now considering her options after high school. Her youngest daughter, age 13, demands the most attention, Ms. Collins lovingly admits. She describes her daughter as creative, talented with hair design, and very driven toward success.
Today, Ms. Collins is actively preparing to transition out of Dignity and into homeownership. This is a natural progression out of the program as Ms. Collins sees it, since, “the core of the program is self-sufficiency." Ms. Collins and her family have come a long way, and upon reflecting, she expresses her appreciation of the holistic approach Dignity takes in their life development programs. It was a “backbone" during each step of the way. Just as Ms. Collins gives credit to Dignity, Dignity extends recognition to Ms. Collins for her incredible determination to succeed.
The Haddock Family
January 2006
In September 2004, Ms. Haddock entered the Dignity II program after a drug addiction left her homeless and separated from her children. Today she is overcoming obstacles and making leaps and bounds toward success and self-sufficiency.
As a mother of four and a student, Ms. Haddock balances a full schedule but says Dignity has helped her learn how to manage everyday life. “This is the first time I really have to be responsible. Real life just showed up,” she said. “I’m grateful that Dignity is here. They were a Godsend for me.”
Having maintained sobriety for two and a half years, Ms. Haddock says it was the support of Dignity staff and friends that have proven most helpful. “Learning how to face [life] without [drugs] to fall back on was a struggle. But because Dignity has such a support system, I got through it,” she said. “There were a couple times I wanted to scream, and I did. I had to reach out and talk to staff. I had to realize it was normal.”
After a difficult period of separation, the Haddock family reunited upon entering Dignity Housing. Three of Ms. Haddock’s four children now live with her at Dignity, while her eldest son lives with her mother and visits every weekend. Even though [the children] were happy to be home, it was an adjustment. We’re learning to trust each other again,” said Ms. Haddock. She says that therapy and Dignity’s emphasis on parenting skills, have both contributed to the family's growth.
Ms. Haddock, proud of her children's academic improvement, believes that participation in Dignity’s After- School Program and better communication as a family, have aided their progress. “My children are wonderful and I’m grateful for the opportunity I have to be in their lives now that we’re all together,” she said.
Not only have her children benefited academically, Ms. Haddock herself was awarded a scholarship through Dignity’s Education and Life Skills Scholarship Fund. Having utilized the funds, she recently received a certificate from Community College of Philadelphia for a course in Phlebotomy, and is currently completing her externship. She hopes to gain employment as a Phlebotomist in the near future.
Reaching this success proved difficult for reasons beyond any educational challenge. Ms. Haddock’s history of drug use threatened her enrollment and completion in the course. She said, “I had to get reference letters and prove myself. I wanted [the college] to understand the person I was, and the person I am today.” She believes, “The person I am today speaks for itself.”
Overall Ms. Haddock says a commitment to change must come from within, but she is grateful for Dignity and its presence in her life. “More than anything you have to help yourself. Dignity lays down the groundwork for you and you know they’re there for you when you really need them. They give you direction and it’s up to you to do the rest.”
Comparing her past struggles and where she is today, Ms. Haddock says, “I’m not saying that I’ve arrived, but I think that today I’m more responsible. I pay my bills, I pay my rent and I understand why I need to, and I’m happy to pay it because I can…Dignity is preparing me for when I leave here.”
As for the future, Ms. Haddock plans to complete school, maintain stable employment and prepare for housing beyond Dignity. While she claims to be somewhat nervous about transitioning out of Dignity this year, she says, “It’s not the kind of fear that’s going to halt me. I know there will always be struggles, but I will become a solid self-sufficient productive parent.”
Success Stories 