“In a lot of cases, the person who has been through those struggles is going to be more driven in life and more successful.” - Mel Wells president of One Day at a Time (ODAAT)
No one left behind Wells takes pride in ODAAT’s “no one turned away” ethos. He says instead of turning people away, the organization has always made room or given referrals to prospective clients on the spot. ODAAT has reach spanning as far away as London and Cambodia, Wells says. In Philadelphia, ODAAT reaches up to 56,000 people annually, a figure Wells hopes to increase to 70,000 in the coming years. The city of Philadelphia and state of Pennsylvania have picked up on ODAAT’s efficacy, Wells says, and approved increased funding, allowing ODAAT to reach more and more people every day. Not only does ODAAT welcome everyone, it does it fast. ODAAT has staff on hand at all hours to handle incoming clients who often have nowhere else to go. There’s a narrow time frame in which someone is ready and willing to receive help, and Wells doesn’t want to miss it. “They might change their mind, or they might not even have the chance to. They might not make it another day,” Wells says, speaking to the fatality of life on the streets and in active addiction.
Learning from each other Clients at ODAAT benefit from its widespread acceptance, and Wells says they gain a rare opportunity to grow from others’ stories. With an open, empathetic ear, clients gain insight to struggles they might not know firsthand. For instance, Wells describes the scenario of a recovering addict getting to know an AIDS patient — the addict might have no idea what a person with AIDS goes through every day to stay well, and vice versa. A new perspective can change a client’s attitude toward recovery. And for someone to survive and prosper through any number of life’s challenges, Wells notes, there is no telling what they are capable of. “In a lot of cases, the person who has been through those struggles and comes out is going to be more driven in life and more successful,” he says.
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