We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Venus Johnson. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Venus below.

Alright, Venus thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. We love heartwarming stories – do you have a heartwarming story from your career to share?

Before becoming the Executive Director of Reach Out Foundations of Bucks County, I did Street Outreach and Case Management. I had two cases that were both family members, while attending funding meetings I was able to put them both up for funding. However, finding housing for these families seemed to be incredibly hard for a multitude of reasons. The families began to lose hope that they’d never find housing. For one case I worked directly with another agency to align the family with an appropriate affordable housing opportunity. One day, on my day off, I get a call from one of the families stating a landlord was willing to allow them to apply for the house. I reached out to the landlord, ensuring that the funding source would pay move-in costs, as well as subsidize her rent. The landlord drew up the lease, the family moved in and I was able to help this family break a generational curse of not being in stable housing for over ten years.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

I’ve been doing social work for the last twenty years. It started with just doing hair and giving out book bags in my local neighborhoods. My passion for doing social work came from my own experience being homeless at 16, and not having appropriate resources. My need to humanize each individual I encounter is what sets me apart from others. Although I have worked with the unhoused community, there was never a day where I didn’t hug my clients, pour love onto them and make sure they felt seen and heard. Most people look at this population, and turn their backs and noses up. For me, each encounter is a moment to hear a persons story and do my best to meet their needs. I love to show my peers support, uplift them and make sure they are in-alignment with their current goals. I am proud of myself for overcoming my suicidal ideation, I planned my own eulogy at 16, I had no hope, I didn’t love myself, and I felt worthless. Now, I am my own biggest hero, I do presentations for at risk youth, I integrate different nonprofits to work towards a common goal when it comes to funding, and I inspire others to be the best version of themselves.

Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?

When I first started doing Street Outreach, I was in-between housing; I was sleeping in my car. It was so ironic to be doing a job that helped individuals get housed, while I was currently waiting on an apartment to come through. After about four months, I got my first person housed and I still was living in my car, I didn’t lose hope though, I begin to pray more, save more and ultimately I was able to obtain an apartment. Now I teach my clients how to budget, manage their finances and I’m creating affordable housing opportunities.

We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.

At 17, I was dropped off of role for lack of attendance. That year I was in a major car accident, had my jaw broken and my cornea split open. I honestly didn’t care because school seemed useless at the time. Fast forward about nine years, I’m sitting with a friend and her mom stated she was going to the School District of Philadelphia, I asked if I could join, I then enrolled in night school and went back to high school to get my diploma. I never foresaw myself going to college, my counselor from high school set me up with a J number, which I would later learn was my college ID number. I then went to Community College of Philadelphia to get my Associates degree in Libra Arts (Honors), from there I transferred to Temple University where I got my Bachelor’s degree in Psychology with a minor in Women’s Studies.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://barnesandnoble.com/w/summers-secret-keeper-venus-johnson/1145444533?ean=9798989477890
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/healed_summer?igsh=MTNydDBmbGszb29pZw%3D%3D&utm_source=qr

Image Credits

KIA&co
Getherdone production
GILEAD
Dixon House Philadelphia