Meet John

When John moved to Wilson Commencement Park in January of 2019, he was a single parent of a preteen son. John was determined to prove to his son that he had changed and that his son could count on him. The path to becoming a successful father did not come easy for John. After seven years of battling drug addiction and three years of recovery, John still faced struggles that slowed down his progress towards self-sufficiency. Four months before moving into Wilson Commencement Park, John’s son lost his mother making him an overnight single father. “Every day I wake up with thoughts of using, but I know where that leads, and I am the only one my son has.”

At Wilson Commencement Park, John is taking his next steps forward. Along with planning his educational and professional paths, John is excited about his journey as a father. In a short time, he has become a fiercely dedicated father for his son who is now quick to brag about him.

John continues to attend all his recovery programs and is enrolled in a GED class. He also has secured employment in construction where he worked before drugs entered his life. Additionally John is working towards becoming a mentor to the youth in his community and is seeking out volunteer opportunities. 

“Wilson Commencement Park is a place where opportunities are available to you, and not a moment goes by that I don’t appreciate it! I owe this to my son and much more.”

Meet Paula

Paula came to Wilson Commencement Park mid-2019 from New York City with her two sons. She was a victim of domestic violence and feared for her life. Paula escaped with only the clothes she and her children were wearing. After an eight hour trip, Paula arrived in Rochester and immediately found herself and her children in a shelter.

At the shelter, she heard about Wilson Commencement Park and within two weeks, Paula moved in. With the help of case managers and generous friends from Wilson Commencement Park who donated clothing, furniture and other items, Paula soon had an entire apartment of furniture.

Wilson Commencement Park played a role in Paula’s success journey by providing her with a new beginning. “Everything here has been good and positive”. With one of Paula’s goals being to become completely self-sufficient and independent of DHS, she began looking for a job and within a few weeks secured a position at a local hospital. Her sons enjoy our youth programs and look forward to going every day after school. Her sons have also participated in our Wilson Commencement Park summer program and even attended our week-long, overnight camp.

“I am not taking this second chance lightly. I will do whatever it takes to make a better life for me and my children. You saved my life and the lives of my children. Wilson Commencement Park has provided the boys and me with the resources we needed to strive toward self-sufficiency and we’ve been doing just that.”

Meet Vanessa

Vanessa, a young 21-year-old mother of 6-year-old twin boys, arrived at Wilson Commencement Park in December 2019. It was her first time being responsible for her own home, raising children, and making a life for herself — many challenges for a young woman who was not quite grown herself. 

“I struggled with so much responsibility and don’t know what I would have done without the support of my Case Manager. She was so caring, but also when I wanted to give up, she reminded me about the goals I had set for myself.”

Vanessa says that the Study Buddy program has been a tremendous help for herself and her son. The program not only supported her son with his homework but is teaching him how to express his emotions in a positive way. The Study Buddy program also is providing a much needed break for Vanessa to be able to focus her evening programs here at Wilson Commencement Park. Vanessa says that she has seen a real change in her sons because of the program, “They’re [Vanessa’s sons] are more vocal now and they are not so shy anymore.” 

With help from our parenting classes, education programs, and our youth programs such as our Study Buddy program, Vanessa is becoming more and more self-sufficient. She recently enrolled in a local community college and is pursuing a career in early childhood education. “At Wilson, I’m learning how to accomplish my goals one step at a time.” With Wilson Commencement Park as her support team, Vanessa has set a new goal to become a homeowner and has enrolled in a first-time homebuyer program. Her hope is to own her new home before graduating from Wilson Commencement Park.

Meet Emma

Emma moved to Wilson Commencement Park with her toddler after living in a more dependent community for a year. Previously, Emma struggled with addiction and her mental health and was nervous to begin her journey at Wilson due to the independence but she knew she could do it.

While at Wilson Commencement Park, Emma attended mental health counseling and recovery support groups weekly and was sure to show up at each and every meeting. She graduated from her substance use program but because of COVID-19, Emma was unable to receive her certificate in-person. In a conversation with her case manager, Emma proudly stated that she is determined to remain sober even without the “official” document telling her she “did it!”

Emma continues to work with her case manager by checking in and working on her everyday goals. Her dream is to become a mentor to others who may be struggling with addiction and she is taking all the necessary steps to achieve her goal. Wilson Commencement Park supported Emma by providing the tools to help her get from one chapter to the next.

Meet Kimberly

In March 2019, Kimberly began her journey at Wilson Commencement Park. She was a single mother of two young children with one on the way. Though she was exhausted and mentally broken, Kimberly was determined and had a plan for change and success. She met with her caseworker regularly and attended various workshops offered at Wilson Commencement Park all while maintaining employment. Kimberly worked diligently to accomplish the goals she set for herself and her family including taking an online real estate course, becoming a certified Doula, transitioning into permanent housing, and becoming a homeowner.

Kimberly is excited to share that she recently closed on her home and will be moving in with her three children in the next month.

“Wilson Commencement Park saved me. I could not have done this without them.”