EDUCATION.
HOUSING.
SELF-SUFFICIENCY.
E D U C A T I O N . H O U S I N G . S E L F - S U F F I C I E N C Y.
F A L L - W I N TER 2 0 1 3
Congratulations to
ACHIEVEability Graduates!
July 2012 – June 2013
ACHIEVEability believes
that the key to selfsufficiency is education.
ACHIEVEability is a pioneer
in the homeless and
poverty field because it
takes a unique approach to combine housing
and supportive services with an assertive
educational requirement. Every parent in our
Family Self-Sufficiency Program is required to
complete at least five classes per year toward
a post-secondary degree or its equivalent.
We are proud to announce that we have 12
parents who have earned a post-secondary
degree during the past fiscal year (July 2012
to June 2013) from educational institutions
including Drexel University, LaSalle University,
Temple University, Peirce College and
Community College of Philadelphia.
• Sharonda Adams – BA in Behavioral Health
& Human Services
• Edwina Black – AA in Early
Childhood Education
• Mary Dover – AA in Radiologic Technology
(pictured above)
• Latisha Ely – BA in Business Administration
• Markeeta Hackney – BA in Business
Management
• Shanna Kilby – AS in Behavioral Health &
Human Services
• Tamara Nero – Licensed Practical Nursing
• Christina Toomer – AA in Education
• Megan Townsend – AA in Criminal Justice
• Tiffany Wideman – AA in Nursing
• Cyiesha Wilson – AA in Humanities
and Social Sciences
• Dawn Drake – AA in Liberal Arts
Ta b l e o f C o n t e n t s
C O N G RAT S G RA D S ! [ C O V ER ]
M EET M ARKEETA [ C O V ER ]
Ceo Corner 2
O u t r e a c h And Advoc a c y 2
D onn a Higgins 3
F ood F o r T h o u g h t 3
h e r o e s in a c t ion 4
Family self-sufficiency program
Parent Spotlight:
L
M e e t M a r k e e ta
osing a loved one, especially a parent, is never an easy process. ACHIEVEability
participant Markeeta Hackney can surely attest to how painful the journey can be
when you are also struggling to get by. As the oldest of six children, 25-year old
Markeeta became the matriarch and breadwinner for her family after her mother’s death.
At the time, she was living in a small, two-bedroom house with her younger siblings,
her nieces, and her seven year old son, Hyneef. She was also attending the Community
College of Philadelphia, working full time, and in the process of legally adopting her
youngest brother, Roger. The tight living arrangements, demanding schedule, and her
grief distracted her from what
really mattered: providing a
safe and stable environment for
Hyneef and Roger. Markeeta
needed additional support to
balance school, work, and other
obligations. The path toward selfsufficiency began when a friend
and current participant referred
her to ACHIEVEability. Markeeta
was accepted into the Family SelfSufficiency Program during the
Fall of 2008. She has benefited
from subsidized rent, one-on-one
coaching, and a multitude of activities that all helped
Workshop topics such as Financial
her create a better life for her family. Especially pleased
Literacy, Credit Repair, Relationship
with the workshops at ACHIEVEability, Markeeta
Building, and Work Life Balance were
stated, “Topics such as Financial Literacy, Credit Repair,
really helpful for me because those
Relationship Building, and Work Life Balance were
were the areas where I needed
really helpful for me because those were the areas
more improvement.
where I needed more improvement.” ACHIEVEability
– MARKEETA HACKNEY
also provided counseling to help Markeeta manage
through the loss of her mother.
Now 29 years old, Markeeta has turned her life around. Markeeta completed her
Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration at Rosemont College. Recently, with the
assistance of ACHIEVEability, Markeeta also helped her brother Roger enroll in college.
When she leaves our program, she plans to pursue her Master’s Degree and purchase
her first home.
ACHIEVEability is proud of Markeeta’s accomplishments and we are looking forward
to watching her grow. We know her mother would be proud.
H e l p ing H a nds 4
A r nold J o h nson 5
M o r g a n L e wis 5
B a n k of Am e r ic a 6
C h i p Ro a c h 6
P r og r a m Hig h lig h t s 7
J a mil a H a r r is - M o r r ison 7
UP C O M I N G E V E N T S 8
WAY S T O G I V E 8
J O I N YO U N G F R I E N D S 8
S UPP O RT I N G O UR M I S S I O N ! 8