2023 has been another great year of providing housing and hope to those overcoming mental illnesses, substance use disorders and/or other disabilities. For 2024, we wish for more opportunities for health and happiness for those we serve. Your generosity has brought promise to real people who are in the process of recovering their dreams and forging a better life.
Here are people whose lives you’ve touched this year through your investments:
– Margaret is a family law attorney who developed mental illnesses in mid-life and found herself delusional, unemployed, and homeless. Pathway Homes provided housing and caring professionals who helped her regain her life. Today she is recovering, working part time in her profession, and even sharing her story—most recently with Pathway Homes annual breakfast attendees and on our new video, Creating New Pathways to Recovery.
– Ray found his passion. After a suicide attempt years ago left him with a broken back, Ray found his way to Pathway Homes’ assisted living program. With stable housing and health support, he has found joy in living, especially through painting. He formed an art class at Pathways and now participates in Pathway’s annual art show, where he sold seven pieces last July.
– Nick lives in Pathway Homes’ assisted living program. He has many health and mental health issues. He remains unflappable and works hard to get and stay healthy—physically and mentally. Work is a theme for Nick’s journey, who has a part-time job at Wegman’s, which fills him with purpose and pride.
By removing barriers, helping them get housing, access to community-based healthcare, and other supportive services, Margaret, Ray, Nick and so many more have a chance to build their futures and fulfill their dreams. They are engaged in living their best lives—developing friendships, gardening, painting, advocating, working, and growing—which is great for them and our community.
For more than 43 years, Pathway Homes Inc. has enabled tens of thousands of people in Northern Virginia and more recently in Washington, DC with serious mental illnesses and other co-occurring disabilities to access affordable housing and critical supportive services to help them recover their lives. Following the housing first model, Pathway Homes is a partner in preventing and ending homelessness, touching over 2,000 lives in 2023 and ensuring access to affordable stable homes in permanent supportive housing units.
Our holiday wish is to help those we serve thrive—find their voices, have hope, and achieve their potential. With your continued support, we can.
Please see our wish list below that captures some of our needs. Donate below and select Holiday Wish List to designate your gift.
With gratitude,
Sylisa Lambert-Woodard, EdD, LCSW, LSATP, MAC
CEO and President
Holiday Wish List 2023
1) Adopt a Home ($38,325) Adopt a 3-bedroom Pathways’ home for (3) individuals which would cover one year of operating expenses, maintenance costs and supportive services. It costs $35 per day for each person who receives housing and supportive services at Pathway Homes.
2) Maintenance Vehicle ($30,000) Of course having the tools needed for our maintenance crew is just the first step. A maintenance van is also needed so that our four fully equipped maintenance employees are able to work on different properties simultaneously. The goal is faster response and efficiency.
3) Rent and utilities for a month ($1,700) The home is the foundation for recovery. It costs approximately $1,500 per month to lease a unit for an individual we serve. You can provide a safe and secure shelter for those we serve. Utilities cost approximately $200 per month.
4) Vacuums ($50 to $150) Vacuums are the number one item requested by our residents. Whether hardwood or carpet, dust piles up. Many individuals we serve have respiratory issues and dust aggravates their quality of life. A good vacuum cleaner makes a huge difference!
5) Furniture ($250 to $500) There is nothing better than slipping into a cozy bed on a winter night. We continually need new dressers, beds and mattresses for incoming residents. We also have aging furniture that needs to be replaced.
6) Large & Small Appliance Replacements ($500 to $1,000) Many of our residents have retro lime green refrigerators. These decades- old refrigerators are not energy efficient, and food doesn’t keep as long, resulting in higher grocery bills and frequent trips to the store. Other items requiring replacement include stoves, dishwashers, and water heaters. If you can’t cook, frozen pre-made meals are a lifesaver. But they require a microwave oven to be able to heat them. A small, counter-top microwave, a coffee maker, a toaster – are needed and greatly appreciated.
7) Professional Cleaning Services ($100) Even the most fervent housekeepers know that there’s nothing like a good, deep professional spring cleaning. What a wonderful way to support those we serve, many of whom rely on these simple gestures to remind them of the better life that comes with a commitment to recovery.
8) Annual Preventative Maintenance ($200 to $275) An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. ~ Benjamin Franklin. Keeping up with annual maintenance costs helps home systems last longer and run more efficiently. Replacing filters annually also keeps the air cleaner, and of course replacement of fire extinguishers and/or smoke alarms are necessary.
9) Landscaping Services ($100 – $250) Being a good neighbor includes maintaining the yards of our townhomes and single- family homes. To look out on a bed of fresh flowers in the spring or a newly raked yard in the fall provides a sense of pride and stability in maintaining a place called home.
See this list as a pdf that can be printed and shared with others.
