Blog
Meet Jenny
From Homeless to Housed…and Very at HOME!When you hear about someone whose life changed for the better with help from a nonprofit organization, do you ever wonder if they stayed on that upward path? Perhaps they were once homeless, then provided a permanent place to live and supportive services to help them change their life. […]
Meet Yvonne
"They give you things you need that you can’t afford...I got towels, hygiene items, a hair dryer, a can opener and even a green vase that matches my green pillow!”
Meet Regina
“I came in and met Miss Clarissa,” she remembers. “She just took me right in, like an angel. She saw my pain and helped me get out of the situation.”
Meet Gilberto
With his unemployment checks, guidance from Syr (his case manager) and anticipated return to work Aug 31, he is making it through this extra-tough period. “She’s the difference here,” he said. "She gives everything of herself to try to help you."
Welcome Home Virtual Tour
Curious about Pathlight HOME? Join our first lunch and learn. We'll go through our mission, our impact, and how you can help your community.
Meet DeAngela
Realizing this was not how she wanted to live, yet being fearful there would not be affordable housing for her, she started to pray. “I’m a religious person…God showed me a sign. He led me in the direction to take that big step.”
Giving Tuesday Now — A Wonderful Success
Thanks to you, we’ve seen tears of joy and smiles of gratitude recently in our Maxwell Terrace and Maxwell Garden lobbies, along with the masks and social distancing practices.
Giving Tuesday Now
Today is #GivingTuesdayNow and we thought it was the perfect time to show you – through the eyes of our staff - how your generosity truly helps those who once lived on the streets.
Catalyst Kitchen Gifts Students with Financial Assistance
Catalyst Kitchens contacted us to gift several students and alumni with $500 each from the #GiveTogetherNow Campaign, to offset financial burdens related to the pandemic.
Meet Mark
Mark looks at his transformation as a big puzzle, where all the pieces must be in place. “I’m not losing any of the pieces of that puzzle. As long as I keep doing the right thing, I get the right result. And it makes me feel good.”
Second Place Winner of Best Places to Work Multifamily for Women
The caring work that the women – and men – of Pathlight HOME do to help change the lives of our formerly homeless residents was recognized as #2 of 25 in the National Best Places to Work Multifamily® for Women!
Meet James
"If it happened to me, it can happen to anyone,” says James as he recounts his story. “Just because I was homeless doesn’t mean I wasn’t a successful individual at some point.”
Meet Amey
Born to drug-addicted parents and put to bed in a closet, Amey entered the foster care system at the age of five and was adopted at eight, only to be “returned” to foster care at 13.
Honoring Rev. Maxwell’s Legacy
Rev. Maxwell passed away almost 15 years ago, and we still miss him – but we are proud that his legacy lives on at Pathlight HOME every day and that his impact continues long past his death.
Meet Deborah
What started as something to “teach me more about cooking,” turned into much more. “I was around people who really cared and I was given an opportunity to succeed in something I always wanted to do.”
Meet Brian
“I needed something better,” he recalls, so in 2008 Brian moved to permanent housing at Pathlight HOME’s Maxwell Terrace Apartments. “It’s a good way of appreciating your own place…my own bed, a roll-top desk, a better way of life.”
Meet Charleen
“I was a damsel in distress,” she laments, yet knew, “God hasn’t failed me yet! [...] I truly consider myself blessed. I’m happier and more content (than ever.) If I was to fail…it will be because of me – not the rain or because I missed the bus.”
Meet Mary Ann
“I like it here. I’ve met better friends!” In particular, Mary Ann appreciates the neighbor who is happy to help her when needed and is grateful for her Case Manager, Syr Rodriguez. “She got me a replacement Medicaid Card!”
Meet Mark
“One thing that keeps me grounded here is that I’ve done nothing to be given this chance. I haven’t earned this. Other people have made it possible for me to live, not just survive,” he explains.
Meet Glen
“I started to depend on myself, instead of others. If I can be independent, others can. You have a case manager to help. They can give you that step, but you need to use that stone.”
Meet Rosa and Kim
“Pathlight has been a total blessing. 360 degrees to make sure we succeed, so there’s no reason why we shouldn’t be successful,” states Rosa. They are excited at the concept of developing their “signature sauce”!
Meet Deborah
After almost four years in her homey first floor efficiency, she reflects, “Someone can come here and get on their feet. It made me feel good about myself. It’s here for the taking…if you want it.”
Meet Lawrence
“My childhood was fun, my middle age was darkness and I’m back to enjoying life,” says Lawrence. A stroke, heart attack and diabetes survivor, he’s proud and grateful to be “clean from drugs for more than 10 years.”
Meet J’Herica
For J'Herica, the light at the end of the tunnel will come when she can reunify with her children. Now that she lives stably at Pathlight HOME and works part-time in guest services, she believes this is possible.
Meet Kenneth
No matter his daily saga, Kenneth is positive. “I’m just working to right my wrongs. What you’ve been through doesn’t make you what you are now. If you want [to be] better, there’s work you can do to make you better.”
Meet Misty
One’s life can go downhill in an instant, despite a college education, their creative talents, a new job...or all three. The true measure of a person is their fortitude, tenacity and willingness to do what they must to climb back.
Meet Luiz
"I wish more people would find this opportunity. What a great opportunity here; there’s great structure… In Brazil, this would be an expensive school. Learning to cook only improves your life!"
Meet Stephen
Stephen learned at a young age the feelings of hurt, distrust and anger, all of which shaped his turbulent life. “I’ve been a survivor all my life,” he says. “If you don’t have survival skills, you’re not going to make it!”
Meet Craig
“I’m really so grateful for this apartment. It’s SO much more than I could ever hope for,” he says. “It’s given me a base where I feel comfortable…and have a safe home to come home to!”
Meet Barbara
When asked what she recommends to someone considering taking Pathlight Kitchen’s 12-week Culinary Training Program, she says to go for it! “If you are interested in a culinary career, it’s a great foundation. It opens many doors.”
Inside Pathlight Kitchen’s Culinary Training Program
Pathlight Kitchen students have worked hard in the classroom and our commercial kitchen to complete a comprehensive culinary skills course. Their studies culminated in the day’s graduation ceremony.
Meet Wilhelmina
Wilhelmina moved into Maxwell Garden Apartments in 2013 as part of the Safe Haven Program for chronically homeless, disabled adults. “It was a fresh start,” she says. “I have a personal room, privacy… You can’t beat that!”
Meet Tinker
“This is how I know God’s there every step of the way…,” Tinker says today. “To have the AC on and to go to bed at night…I’m pretty sure I wouldn’t be alive if I was living on the streets.”
Meet Allen
“I’m still getting used to it. I have a new bed, a rug; I’ve been buying stuff,” he says cheerfully. “I want it to look good! There’s a sense of pride. The opportunity is there, but you’ve got to want it.”
Meet John
“Be happy you have a place, because you never know when you won’t… You guys have done an amazing job by taking an old motel and making it nice and clean. You have made it…to where it can be called an apartment complex.”
Meet Jennifer
“They helped me in a lot of different ways…I was able to take care of my health; they made sure I took my meds. Now I’m okay and watch the clock (myself). I am able to relax and be at home…be safe.”
Pathlight HOME Awarded $10K TD Charitable Foundation Grant for Homeless Housing Program
Pathlight HOME, Central Florida's first and largest provider of the "Housing First" approach to helping homeless men and women rejoin the community, has been awarded a $10,000 grant from the TD Charitable Foundation.
New Coat of Color Dazzles!
Spring is the perfect time to splash a new coat of color on your home! And that’s what nearly 100 volunteers, staff, and residents did for the formerly homeless men and women who now live in Maxwell Terrace Apartments.
A $750 Reality Check
Suppose life hit you in the face and you found yourself living on $750 per month. Could you do it? Could you pay for the necessities, much less a few frills? How would you budget?
Social Enterprise – Sobik’s Subs with a Special Ingredient
The Sobik’s Subs location at 4049 S. Orange Blossom Trail, in front of Maxwell Garden Apartments, offers up an extra-special ingredient to go with its fresh sandwiches and salads!
Fact Friday – Fair market value rent
There is currently NO STATE in the nation where a minimum wage job will pay the rent of an apartment at fair market value. Pathlight HOME exists to offer affordable housing for the vulnerable in our community.
Fact Friday – Homeless youth
Did you know that *18 percent* of the nation’s homeless youth are located in Florida?
Fact Friday – Affordable housing units
There is only ONE affordable rental unit available for every FIVE extremely low-income Florida households!
Fact Friday – Increase in homeless youth
Between 2006 and 2013, the number of homeless youth increased by 80% nationally; in the state of Florida, it spiked by 150%!
Fact Friday – Florida homeless population
Did you know that the homeless population of Florida is the THIRD LARGEST in the nation?
Bites Camera ACTION!
THANK YOU to Second Harvest Food Bank of Central Florida & Universal Orlando Foundation for bringing fresh produce like broccoli, melons, & apples to Pathlight HOME this week!