The Humility of Mary Housing Organization (also known as HM Life) is a non-profit organization that has provided supportive services and quality transitional housing to poor and homeless residents in the Akron area for more than 20 years. This is exactly why retired Army veteran Phyllis Flint, 56, felt that she was all wrong for the program when they reached out to her.
Flint, who describes herself as being “at the door to being homeless” just a few short months ago, asserts that she did, in fact, have a place to live and a job with a steady income. “The house I was renting had been foreclosed so I did need to move,” explained Flint. “I was only looking for assistance with the security deposit I needed to get into another place and that’s when H.M. Life contacted me about living in their new Glory House.”
Located within the building opened in 1987 as H.M. Life’s first location on Copley Road in Akron, The Glory House includes eight units – four of which were designated specifically for female veterans and their children earlier this year.
Melissa Massey-Flinn, program director for H.M. Life, said she felt that Flint was perfect for the program. “Phyllis was a great fit because we wanted to start with a female veteran that was single, had an immediate need and was also very motivated,” said Flint. “Phyllis met all of these criteria so I called her.”
H.M. Life currently sponsors 12 housing programs in five Ohio counties, including approximately 30 one- to four-bedroom residential units in Summit County alone. The units are made available to single parents that are homeless and/or living in local shelters.
“This is not just cheap housing,” asserted Massey-Flinn. “Our residents complete a comprehensive interview process and agree to comply with the rules and regulations included as part of the program. There is a requirement that all residents work and/or attend school for at least 20 hours per week and complete our life skills and financial literacy classes. We assign a case manager that meets with our residents weekly to ensure they are following the program,” she said.
The ultimate goal of the H.M. Life program is to transition residents into their own, permanent housing after completing the program. “We need residents who are ready and willing to participate,” said Massey-Flinn.
H.M. Life often meets its goal, with an 86 percent success rate for those that have completed the program and a transition to permanent housing for well over 400 families to date.
Flint admits that she was ready for assistance, but not very willing to agree that the Glory House unit and H.M. Life program would be right for her. “I told Melissa ‘no’ the first two times that she reached out me,” said Flint. “I gave her a hard time because I didn’t feel like I was truly homeless and I just didn’t want to take up space for someone else in need.”
“Normally, we don’t need to advertise our services for this program because there is a waiting list with the names of more than 100 families,” said Massey-Flinn. “When we opened Glory House though, we found that it is tougher to find female veterans in need. At this point, we are actually struggling to fill the units, so more promotion is definitely needed for Glory House.”
Flint said she believes that this is not because female veterans aren’t in need, but rather that many may have given up on options like the Glory House program. “Most of the help available is for male veterans,” said Flint. “Women are veterans too, and sometimes it feels like the programs available to us forget that fact.” Flint also believes that many veterans simply don’t know where to turn because they’ve been conditioned to not ask for assistance. “The military gives us that ‘you can do it’ attitude,” she said. “You learn a million different little things about how to survive, how to weather storms and take care of yourself. When we get out, I think a lot of veterans just don’t think to ask for extra help – even when they truly need it.”
Flint, whose careers have included repairing switchboard and telephone lines, building Black Hawk helicopters and conducting high-speed passenger trains, is now a Client Support Specialist at the ACCESS Shelter for homeless women and children in Akron. She also attends Stark State part time where she majors in Social Services.
“In the end, I feel awesome that I finally said ‘yes’ and moved into Glory House,” said Flint, who prides herself on her healthy collection of plants. “I feel safe here and now I realize that I am still just as independent.”
Massey-Flinn explained that Flint’s excellent work ethic and attitude are in line with the H.M. Life program’s vision of providing not just temporary housing but a program that provides life-enhancing skills and leads to self-sufficiency.
“I am confident that Phyllis will be another one of our success stories because she already has the kinds of skills and traits necessary to move on,” said Massey-Flinn. “I don’t believe in putting anyone in a position that they can’t maintain once our assistance ends.”
Flint said she is already planning her next move. “When I graduate, I would love to give back and be involved more with female veterans, let them know about the Glory House so they realize that there is a place to go – a place for us.”
