“Deaf and homeless father gains sobriety, restores family,” Atlanta Journal-Constitution
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution featured CaringWorks graduate Bradley Porter in an Inspire Atlanta profile for Father’s Day. Bradley is living his best life, thanks to his daughter Ivy and Atlanta’s Hope House treatment facility. He’s clean and sober, as he always knew he could be with the right help, despite the added challenges of locating services that are accessible for the deaf.
Bradley with his daughter Ivy.
In 2018, Bradley was living in a Chicago homeless shelter and called his daughter who was living in Atlanta, saying he was ready for a change and asking for her help. He had been struggling with substance abuse for a while, and it wasn’t the first time he had reached out. Other family members had dismissed his pleas. “But what resonated with me this time was that he was homeless, and I wanted to do whatever I could in my power to get him out of that situation,” Ivy said.
A national search found Hope House, a treatment facility that offered care for deaf men experiencing homelessness. As a service of the nonprofit CaringWorks, Hope House is a 70-bed residential facility in downtown Atlanta helping homeless men recovering from substance abuse. It also provides one of the country’s only Deaf or Hard of Hearing (DHH) homeless programs. Deaf Bridges to Recovery is the only program of its kind in the Southeast, and one of only three nationwide.
“This is an amazing program,” Bradley said through an interpreter. “I was really motivated, and I’m ready to move on with my life. After two years, I was able to see my life change.”
“It’s been great to see him go through the program and complete it and work towards being a better man, not only for me but for himself,” shared Ivy.
At least 90% of Hope House clients are in stable housing one year after graduating. “For those who can get deep services, you can end the problem of homelessness and addiction,” Collard said.
In honor of upcoming Father’s Day, CaringWorks is seeking donations to help restore more fathers to their families. Donations can be made at http://www.caringworksinc.org/fathersday.
To see the full article, visit the Atlanta Journal-Constitution here.
About CaringWorks:
Built on the single idea that all people—no matter their social or economic standing—should have a chance to improve their quality of life, CaringWorks has served 10,000 clients throughout our 20-year history. Since our inception, we have grown exponentially to become one of Georgia’s leaders in providing permanent supportive housing. We serve hundreds of individuals each year through unique programs and services that are specifically tailored to the needs of those facing chronic homelessness.
June 2022