We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Patricia Bennett a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Patricia, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today What’s the backstory behind how you came up with the idea for your business?
I worked and volunteered with the underserved communities in New York City. Working with Seniors, the public school system, and the homeless population was different; they all had a story to tell, and I was there to listen. Seeing people in transit with their belongings trying to figure out really touched my heart.
I moved to Atlanta, Georgia, in 2007. My goal was to find my niche. I started back volunteering. In 2009, I encountered a homeless woman who couldn’t obtain housing because she was justice-impacted. From there I knew this was the population I wanted to work with, “housing for women”. I didn’t know how to service this population at that time; it was just a thought. I put this thought into action and started my boots on the ground Housing for Women in Georgia campaign. Marta was my mode of transportation. Long walks and knocking on doors. I didn’t have a voice yet, but it is coming. I had to educate myself. In 2011, I joined forces with another organization called “The Re-Entry Connection.” I volunteered with the Re-Entry Connection for one year. We stood on street corners handing out flyers about housing for justice-impacted women and the resources they needed. This is where I met Jessica Roberts. Fast-forward to 2013, Empowering Men and Women on the Move for Re-entry Inc. met my now mentor Dr. Lee who put me in the right direction for housing funding. I spent nine months looking for housing and received lots of no’s due to housing for homeless women not being wanted people’s neighborhood. May 10, 2013, an apartment complex gave me a chance to house homeless women without a record and no services. We received our first woman in 2014 from Metro Transitional Center, a halfway house for women. We had to go back to the leasing office of the apartment complex and let them know we would be accepting women from the penal system (we still no resource services) but the apartment complex approved of this change. In 2015, we decided to close our housing for women and revamp the program due the plethora of challenges we faced. Housing women comes with different areas that we weren’t experienced enough to handle at that time. Areas such as children in foster, trauma, substance addiction, seeking love in all the wrong places, etc., etc. We went back to the drawing board and decided to open men’s housing. We called it a Supportive Housing Program. We started going out to the community, which was our biggest challenge on top of meetings in the mornings, evenings and afternoons but we were determined. Once we got over the beginning stage hurdles, going out into the community took our organization to the next level. It wasn’t just housing/ a bed anymore; it was lifetime access to services (Employment Specialist, Mentoring, Life Skill Development, Community Living 101, Medical Referrals, Career Apprenticeships, Financial Literacy Education, Behavioral Health, Substance Treatment and Detox referrals). We eventually started to do pre-release assessments inside the penal system which consists of preparing men to come back to the community. Conducting different classes outlining the services they will need before they are released from prison. In 2021, we created a prison release hotline (404-654-0407) which, is a number that men can call for resource services within Fulton County.
Now that we have year of experience and a plethora of resource services, Women Housing is coming back 6/1/2025, Jessica Roberts, former Chair Board; recently (Feb. 2025) elected Director of Empowering Men and Women on the Move for Re-Entry Inc. Jessica will manage/operate the women housing. We are so excited to see her journey continuing towards her destiny. We thank all the women and men who were guests of Empowering Men and Women Supportive Housing Program who focused and committed themselves to the Program and the tools we offered to change their lives for the better. These individuals are now reaching back giving a hand up to others who are coming home. Seniors who spent nearly their whole life in prison from a young age are now coming home rapidly. We must make sure they are not forgotten and are already preparing for them. Although our Supportive Housing Program has proven to be impactful and successful (85% non-recidivism), there is still a lingering challenge once our guests leave/graduate from our program. That challenge is them not being able to get an apartment (lease) in their name due to being justice impacted although they lived in the apartment complex through the Program. I mean just think about, mothers with children denied, everybody stuffers. Our housing guests are our heroes. Our Mission is to provide a hand up from the past to the present and future to improve the quality of life. Our goal is to have our own building. We call it a one-stop shop, housing, a café, a garden area, resources, etc. on the same property. If anyone is interested in donating to our mission, they can do so via our gofund me page Fundraiser by Patricia Bennett : “IT TAKES A VILLAGE TO INSPIRE THE FORGOTTEN ONES”. Lastly, we are in need of a donated family size van for transportation which will enable us to transport our guests (seniors, veterans, mothers, children, homeless, justice-impacted) to doctors’ appointments, jobs, etc. It takes a village to inspire the minds of the forgotten ones.
Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
I worked and volunteered with the underserved communities in New York City. Working with Seniors, the public school system, and the homeless population was different; they all had a story to tell, and I was there to listen. Seeing people in transit with their belongings trying to figure out really touched my heart.
I moved to Atlanta, Georgia, in 2007. My goal was to find my niche. I started back volunteering. In 2009, I encountered a homeless woman who couldn’t obtain housing because she was justice-impacted. From there I knew this was the population I wanted to work with, “housing for women”. I didn’t know how to service this population at that time; it was just a thought. I put this thought into action and started my boots on the ground Housing for Women in Georgia campaign. Marta was my mode of transportation. Long walks and knocking on doors. I didn’t have a voice yet, but it is coming. I had to educate myself. In 2011, I joined forces with another organization called “The Re-Entry Connection.” I volunteered with the Re-Entry Connection for one year. We stood on street corners handing out flyers about housing for justice-impacted women and the resources they needed. This is where I met Jessica Roberts. Fast-forward to 2013, Empowering Men and Women on the Move for Re-entry Inc. met my now mentor Dr. Lee who put me in the right direction for housing funding. I spent nine months looking for housing and received lots of no’s due to housing for homeless women not being wanted people’s neighborhood. May 10, 2013, an apartment complex gave me a chance to house homeless women without a record and no services. We received our first woman in 2014 from Metro Transitional Center, a halfway house for women. We had to go back to the leasing office of the apartment complex and let them know we would be accepting women from the penal system (we still no resource services) but the apartment complex approved of this change. In 2015, we decided to close our housing for women and revamp the program due the plethora of challenges we faced. Housing women comes with different areas that we weren’t experienced enough to handle at that time. Areas such as children in foster, trauma, substance addiction, seeking love in all the wrong places, etc., etc. We went back to the drawing board and decided to open men’s housing. We called it a Supportive Housing Program. We started going out to the community, which was our biggest challenge on top of meetings in the mornings, evenings and afternoons but we were determined. Once we got over the beginning stage hurdles, going out into the community took our organization to the next level. It wasn’t just housing/ a bed anymore; it was lifetime access to services (Employment Specialist, Mentoring, Life Skill Development, Community Living 101, Medical Referrals, Career Apprenticeships, Financial Literacy Education, Behavioral Health, Substance Treatment and Detox referrals). We eventually started to do pre-release assessments inside the penal system which consists of preparing men to come back to the community. Conducting different classes outlining the services they will need before they are released from prison. In 2021, we created a prison release hotline (404-654-0407) which, is a number that men can call for resource services within Fulton County.
Now that we have year of experience and a plethora of resource services, Women Housing is coming back 6/1/2025, Jessica Roberts, former Chair Board; recently (Feb. 2025) elected Director of Empowering Men and Women on the Move for Re-Entry Inc. Jessica will manage/operate the women housing. We are so excited to see her journey continuing towards her destiny. We thank all the women and men who were guests of Empowering Men and Women Supportive Housing Program who focused and committed themselves to the Program and the tools we offered to change their lives for the better. These individuals are now reaching back giving a hand up to others who are coming home. Seniors who spent nearly their whole life in prison from a young age are now coming home rapidly. We must make sure they are not forgotten and are already preparing for them. Although our Supportive Housing Program has proven to be impactful and successful (85% non-recidivism), there is still a lingering challenge once our guests leave/graduate from our program. That challenge is them not being able to get an apartment (lease) in their name due to being justice impacted although they lived in the apartment complex through the Program. I mean just think about, mothers with children denied, everybody stuffers. Our housing guests are our heroes. Our Mission is to provide a hand up from the past to the present and future to improve the quality of life. Our goal is to have our own building. We call it a one-stop shop, housing, a café, a garden area, resources, etc. on the same property. If anyone is interested in donating to our mission, they can do so via our gofund me page Fundraiser by Patricia Bennett : “IT TAKES A VILLAGE TO INSPIRE THE FORGOTTEN ONES”. Lastly, we are in need of a donated family size van for transportation which will enable us to transport our guests (seniors, veterans, mothers, children, homeless, justice-impacted) to doctors’ appointments, jobs, etc. It takes a village to inspire the minds of the forgotten ones.
How’d you meet your business partner?
I met my business partner Jessica Roberts in 2011. We volunteered for a year with a non-profit organization called The Re-Entry Connection. This organization housed and provided outside resources to formerly incarcerated and homeless women. After a year of volunteering Jessica and I resigned from The Re-Entry Connection and pursued our own separate journeys. I extended an invite asking Jessica if she would be interested in being a board member for my organization, Empowering Men and Women on the Move for Re-Entry Inc. Jessica accepted my invite and became board member. Jessica was more than a board member; she went above and beyond her board member duties from 2011 until current. I’ve always considered my right -hand. In February 2025 I appointed Jessica Roberts Director of Empowering Men and Women on the Move for Re-Entry Inc.
How’d you build such a strong reputation within your market?
Building relationships in the community by being boots on the ground introducing myself/my program and attending countless conferences, meetings (virtual & in-person) help build my reputation within my market. Lastly, word of mouth via the success stories of our housing guests.
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