“They’re a godsend. The staff and advocates are outstanding. They see to your needs.”
Mr. Theddy Wilkes has been a Promise client since 2014. Before receiving the keys to his new apartment at Merriwether and Poplar back then, he remembers how hard it was to obtain housing as a person classified as homeless.
“If I didn’t find a place, I was going to continue to stay at the Union Mission,” said Wilkes who was then dependent on the Day Pass program at the Mission in Memphis, TN for a place to stay. He wasn’t sure how long his opportunities with the Day Pass would last.
When he first heard about the Promise program through a friend while at the Crisis Center, he knew he had to jump at the chance to secure housing of his own. Wilkes proceeded to work through a social worker who helped him fill out an application. A month later, his prayers were answered.
“When they finished evaluating my situation, they said it was a good chance [for me] but it would take a while,” said Wilkes. who didn’t mind the wait if it meant he could solve his housing situation. He recalled being tired of bouncing around different homeless shelters — he was ready to find a place called HOME.
What he fondly remembers most is how accommodating and caring the Promise Housing Advocate was to him. He said it made him feel like he truly mattered. “I’ve had three housing advocates since I’ve been in this program, and all three were outstanding. They checked on me and made sure everything was alright,” Wilkes said.
He is also pleased to know that Promise works with women and children and whole communities.
“For me, Promise saved my life.”
– Theddy Wilkes