PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — Construction is continuing at Ardella’s House, a three-story rowhome that will house recently incarcerated women.
The North Philly home, located on North 33rd Street, is being completely renovated — fresh paint, new windows, flooring, and bathrooms. Tonie Willis, founder and executive director of Ardella’s House, wants it to feel like home for these women, who are getting a second chance.
She knows all too well what they’re facing.
“I am formerly incarcerated,” said Willis. “I didn’t have the challenges that these women have. I was blessed to have a house when I went in, and I had a house when I came home. I know the challenges that they go through … when they come home.”
Six women will stay there for a year before moving on to a place of their own.
“We work very closely with the social workers to identify women who haven’t been able to get a home plan and have challenges coming back onto the community,” she added.
“They’ll be able to have mentoring, family unification, drug and alcohol counseling. We’ll give them a full wrap-around service here at Ardella’s House. Give them the tools they need to succeed back into the community.”
Related
The women will have to pay some rent once they obtain employment, but they will get 70% of it back when they move out.
“It’s all about teaching them responsibility,” Willis said.
The governor’s proposed budget has $1 million set aside for re-entry programs such as this, and Willis hopes Ardella’s House will see a good share of it.
Overall, she just wants the women to feel like they have a place to turn to.
“If you don’t have a clean place to lay your head, if you don’t have a roof over your head, you cannot do any of those other things comfortably and succeed in doing them if you don’t know you have a place to come home to.”