March_2013_Good_Sam.pdf
In Recovery, Rickey’s Learning to Read
Rickey Saunders is a soft-spoken man who has battled alcoholism for years. “Alcohol has always been a bad problem for me,” says Rickey, 55. “I was a black-out drinker; I would wake up places and not know where I was. I had a hard time quitting.”
An Arkansas native, he was living in Louisville when he became homeless a year ago. He went to Texas and found seasonal work picking oranges. Wandering from Corpus Christi to San Antonio, he slept in the streets or in homeless encampments, shelters and rescue missions.
In Austin, he was given a Greyhound bus ticket to come back to Louisville, eventually landing on the doorstep of St. Vincent dePaul’s Ozanam Inn men’s homeless shelter last July 2. He entered SVDP’s DR (Dormitory Residency) Program, which guaranteed him a bed every night, and gave him the support of SVDP’s case management services.
February 2013 Good Samaritan
February_2013_Good_Sam.pdf
Homeless Women Find Hope and Support in SVDP’s New SRO
Vanessa is the first to admit she’s made some serious mistakes. A lifelong addict who “ran the streets,” sold drugs and neglected her son, she served prison time for writing bad checks.
None of that matters much anymore. At 46, Vanessa has peace of mind she’d never known before moving to the campus of St. Vincent de Paul. Last March she was one of the first tenants in SVDP’s new SRO (single-resident occupancy) supportive housing program for homeless single women. The three-story apartment building features 24 private bedrooms and shared common areas, including kitchen, bathrooms and living room.
“It’s a really nice place to be,” Vanessa says. “I like that I have my own room – that it’s mine, that I have a lease, and that I have my own key. There’s quiet time,and everybody respects everybody.”
Case Managers Encourage Client Success
In the past year since completing a campus expansion, St. Vincent de Paul has welcomed 54 new households into apartments for families and individuals. In an effort to better serve those new and existing clients, staffing changes and two new hires were recently announced.
Cory Bledsoe was named director of programs. On staff since 2008, he had previously served as associate editor of programs and as program manager for Ozanam Inn men’s homeless shelter. “Cory brings a unique blend of business acumen and a deeply personal commitment to serving those in need,” says Ed Wnorowski, SVDP’s executive director.
January 2013 Good Samaritan
Jan_2013_Good_Sam.pdf
December 2012 Good Sam
December_2012_Good_Sam.pdf
Housing Stability Provides Transition for Single Mom
In the past year since St. Vincent de Paul first opened the doors to 20 new low-income apartments for families, many different types of people have moved onto our campus here in one of Louisville’s poorest neighborhoods.
These furnished, 2- and 3-bedroom homes, known collectively as a supportive housing program, are designated for families who were homeless or who were on the verge of becoming homeless. These homes offer stability and security for struggling parents as they begin the challenging process of rebuilding their lives.
Megan, 26, is one of these new tenants. An only child raised by “wonderful” parents, she is a former honors student who attended Morehead State University on a full-ride scholarship.This young woman now seems both horrified and humbled by the unfathomable heroin addiction that brought her to our doorstep.
“I still have the needle marks in my arm,” she says, looking at the inside of her left elbow. “I didn’t wake up every day wanting to do this, but I just didn’t know how to stop. I felt I didn’t deserve to live because of the things I was doing.”
November 2012 Good Sam
November_2012_Good_Sam.pdf
October 2012 Good Sam
October_2012_Good_Sam.pdf
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