Empowering Lives: A Story of Transformation Made Possible by Your Support
Teri, left, with Dana.
Dana was choked with emotion while talking about her new life. In the past few months, she found a satisfying and well-paying job as a food service aide at a retirement center. She also settled nicely into a new apartment in Avalon. She credits her success to Teri Deeds, NHCO’s North Boroughs Service Coordinator.
"I don't know what I'd do without her," the fifty-seven-year-old said with a slight choke. "I'm old. I shouldn't have to keep starting over. But, you know, she (Teri) gave me a reason to live. She made my life so cozy."
Teri oversees our Pathways Program in our North Boroughs office. The program helps individuals overcome obstacles to become self-sufficient. Dana and Teri have been working together intermittently for more than two years.
When they first met in 2022, Dana was on a rough path. She lost her job in the food industry. And the building where she was living was sold to a new landlord who raised her rent. She was quickly falling behind and was about to be evicted.
Having used our services years earlier, Dana knew NHCO was a safe place to turn for help. She met with Teri and the two of them worked together to pay past rent and avoid eviction. NHCO also assisted her with paying utilities, provided her with food and kept her phone working. But every day was still a struggle because she was unemployed. A friend in Florida offered her a place to stay. Dana saw it as her only option to avoid homelessness, so she moved. But she quickly became homesick.
“She realized that feeling content is not about the place you live, but it is friends, family, and relationships,” Teri remembered. “She had those connections in Pittsburgh, and she was determined to come back home.”
Dana made the brave decision to return to Pittsburgh, knowing that she had Teri and NHCO in her corner. She found a new job, but she still needed a place to call home. That’s when NHCO’s Pathways Program truly came into play, offering Dana a roadmap toward happiness and self-sufficiency.
"In the last two months they (NHCO) found me this apartment. Found me dishes. Provided me with food, clothing vouchers. I've been able to breathe again"
They still regularly meet to make to ensure everything is going well. “Maybe she's like my confidant, my sister/friend/angel that saved me,” Dana said with emotion. “I don't know why God put her in my corner, but He did."
Taking care of basic needs is a priority. But doing it with compassion, understanding and empathy is our utmost goal. Dana's story underscores how your generous support enables NHCO to be a community of People Helping People.
‘When some of our clients come to the office, it sometimes feels like they're walking into our house,” said Angie Spess who works with Teri at our North Boroughs Office. “An Everyone exchanges pleasantries; we will make clients coffee or share treats. I feel like it's a really nice, disarming touch that I love watching. Teri has mastered that casual, warm, professional attitude for sure.”
When times are tough, everyone should have a place to turn to for help. That's why North Hills Community Outreach is here.
Clients like Dana have unexpected needs. Will you make a one-time gift?
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