Cydney Anderson has been the Child Care Specialist for the families of Sojourner House since 2018. She was studying elementary education at CCAC when she learned about the role, and she has been here ever since. While the moms of Sojourner House work and grow in their recovery journeys, Cydney and their kids have fun and grow, too. We recently sat down with Cydney to hear about her role in her own words: With about how many kids do you work? Right now I have about three. On average, I tend to have about six. At one time it was about 12 of all age groups, from age 1 up to 12 years old. In a room full of children there is no such thing as a typical day, but what does your day “normally” look like? So I get everyone in the [child care] room and we say our good mornings. And then I ask … [Read more...] about An Interview With Cydney Anderson
Sojourner House
The Sojourner House annual report highlights our accomplishments, shares stories of recovery, and thanks the generous donors and volunteers who help our staff and support our mission. As we began work on our latest annual report, we knew we had quite a story to tell about aspects of 2020 and 2021 — two very tumultuous years. All of us, individuals and nonprofit organizations alike, have stories to share about navigating life during the COVID-19 pandemic. But no single story can properly describe our journey since 2020. That’s why our report features a number of stories of partnership, collaboration, and success. In addition, the insight of our organization and board leadership reflect on their experience, and statistics and financials are a testament to the lives changed in our … [Read more...] about A Look Back On A Year of Resilience & Endurance
Tracey White has served as the Lead Recovery Support Specialist at Sojourner House for six years. But that is not where her story with the organization starts. Sojourner House has played a part in Tracey's life for 26 years. In 1995, she started her recovery journey in Apartment 9. After she completed her six-month program, she said she didn’t want to leave. But she knew she had to. Knowing that she always did well in a structured setting, Tracey went to another recovery program for a year. There she found a job, found housing, and, in her words, “Never looked back.” Tracey celebrated 26 years clean on December 20th. You Can Go Home Again During her recovery journey, Tracey says that she learned that you can go back home again. After being clean for about 3 years, she came back to … [Read more...] about Meet Tracey-Ann White
We have good and bad news to share. Sojourner House’s Program Manager Dolores Mitchell, lovingly known as Ms. D, is retiring this month! With 22 years of service at Sojourner House, Dolores is someone we run to when we have a problem knowing she’s always happy to help. To celebrate her retirement, we chatted with Dolores to learn about her experiences and hear her advice. A Golden Heart for Human Services Dolores enjoys working with people and encouraging them to reach their potential. Before Sojourner House, Dolores worked with the Girl Scouts of the USA for many years. During her time with the Girl Scouts, she started a program to reach underserved girls and recruited leaders and troops. The moms of her scouts would volunteer to help, and a couple of the moms were dealing with … [Read more...] about Meet Dolores Mitchell
We are excited to welcome Latresa Zak, MSW, to Sojourner House as our new Director of Clinical Services. Latresa has a deep passion for helping people in need. Through a conversation with Latresa, one is easily empowered by her words of compassion and moved by her work of assisting families in substance-use recovery. From Real Estate to Social Work Latresa worked in real estate prior to her study of and career in social work. An important reason inspired her career change. One of Latresa’s favorite uncles, the one who tied her hair up, watched cartoons with her, and walked her to school when she was little, was a drug user and later diagnosed with Schizophrenia. At the time, she didn’t know how to help him and could only look up services and answer his past-midnight calls trying to … [Read more...] about Meet Latresa Zak
By Lindsey Hayakawa Jan. 25, 2021 Self-care. Work-life balance. Effective coping strategies. Addressing harassment. All of these are crucial topics to discuss. And that they were, during “Women & Workplace Wellness,” a recent virtual panel discussion hosted by Ola Jackson, owner of Onyx Women Network (OWN). The candid discussion, sponsored by Highmark and Allegheny Health Network, took place on Dec. 29. “Our Women and Workplace Zoom event was so badly needed at this time. It turned out to be one of the most successful online events that we had. The response great,” said Jackson. One of the panel participants: Sojourner House’s very own Executive Director, De’netta Benjamin-Miller. “De'netta Benjamin-Miller brought so much insight to … [Read more...] about Sojourner House Executive Director took part in Women & Workplace Wellness panel discussion