Michael
Hi, I’m
Mike.
“Every person at Philly House has taught me something, they have shown me who I can be… who I should be,” Michael says in a quiet voice.
Michael is an only child who struggled in school; he was easily distracted. He and his mother moved often from Washington D.C. to Jamaica, Australia and then to England. With each move, they stayed with a relative for a short time and tried to find a fresh start. Amid these struggles, his love for his mother never wavered. Unfortunately, they never found the stability that they needed to succeed.
And, stability came to a crashing halt when his mother was murdered.
When Michael was in his early 20s, he returned to Washington, D.C. Without a family to lean on or a reliable support system, he made some desperate decisions. While searching for pure joy and love, a few grave missteps caused him to be incarcerated.
Once released from prison, he was determined to succeed. He came to Philadelphia to escape the grips of negative relationships, including his marriage. When he arrived in the City of Brotherly Love, Michael was searching for a place to stay and found his way to Philly House in April 2019.
He came to Philly House, not expecting much, but he found what he had been searching for his entire life, a loving family who believed in him and supported him. The staff showed him God’s love; they walked with him through struggles and empowered him to grow. While staying in the emergency shelter, he began to volunteer with the Homeless Services Team. He then was invited to join Philly House’s NEXT LEVEL transitional housing program. As a NEXT LEVEL resident, he began to grow spiritually and renew his commitment to learning new skills. This program involved him in various duties such as cleaning the dining room after meals; and with each passing week, the Homeless Services staff saw his potential to grow.
“For a long time after my mother’s death, I cried. I thought I could never live without my mother, but my family here at Philly House proved me wrong.”
Michael started to support the guest’s in-take team, as well as the guest baggage team. He excelled at caring for homeless guests. After a few months, he earned a paid position as a part-time Homeless Services staff member, and in December 2019, he became a full-time team member.
For the first time in his life, Michael is earning a living wage working at Philly House.
Today, we continue to celebrate Michael as he leads our shelter staff as Shift Supervisor. And, he is the only one who is considered a permanent resident at Philly House, because he resides on the our 5th floor rooftop in the 1-bedroom ‘penthouse’. This provides him opportunity to respond to facility emergencies.
God restores his people. This is the world we want to see.
Michael helping to decorate for Thanksgiving 2023 festivities.
“Philly House saved my life. Jeremy, the ‘coach,’ taught me about leadership and to believe in myself. Rich C. has taught me that hard work pays off. Erin has taught me compassion. And, I would like to thank the whole volunteer team because without them I wouldn’t know what a team is.”
God is transforming Michael, and his dreams are coming true every day. He has found his family, and you are a member of Michael’s family too.
As Michael shared his heart, a smile spread across his face as he thought about every person God has used in his life at Philly House.
Jeremy and Erin – “They have played a huge part in my life. They are the ones who made me realize I could do this. Things could be different, and I could be better.”
Julio – “He shows me how to be serious and gentle with people.”
Mark – “Showed me how to decide when to be serious and when I can just be funny.”
Philly House volunteers and supporters – “You never let me forget that with God, all things are possible!”
Providing Unconditional
Refuge and Hope
Help us provide hope to the homeless, hungry and hurting of Philadelphia.
