A Place to Call Home: Anthony’s Story
Anthony sits with his twin sons in his home at Richmond Place, Impact NW’s transitional housing apartments.
Anthony was looking for a chance.
After experiencing domestic violence, splitting with his wife and seeing his children taken into foster care, Anthony found himself searching for the stable housing that would reunite his family. But he hit barrier after barrier.
“I was trying everything I could think of, doing everything I knew to do,” he says. “There are hardly any resources for single fathers.”
One of Anthony’s twin boys.
That’s when Anthony found Impact NW and the chance he had been seeking. “Impact NW was the first place that opened its doors to me as a single parent,” explained Anthony.
Through Impact NW, Anthony found housing at Richmond Place, a 20-unit apartment building in SE Portland for families to recover from homelessness and build a future. For Anthony, Richmond Place was more than a place to live—it was a way to get his 3-year-old twin sons back from foster care.
“They got me on the right track, and helped me figure out what I need to do,” Anthony says. “And now my kids are thriving more every day.”
According to Ashley Chapman, Richmond Place’s Director, Anthony is the true hero of his story. “Anthony is a strong and dedicated person,” she says. “He did an amazing job getting his family back together. We are so glad that we could support and walk alongside him.”
“Anthony is a strong and dedicated person. He did an amazing job getting his family back together. We are so glad that we could support and walk alongside him.” – Ashley Chapman, Richmond Place Director
The stakes were high. Anthony had left a situation of domestic abuse, and then his ex-wife, who experiences mental health challenges, turned their sons over to Foster Care. They were there for six months before Anthony found Impact NW.
Anthony recently left Richmond Place and has his own place a few blocks away. The boys are thriving at their preschool, and Anthony is training to be a social worker.
“This (experience at Richmond Place) was a gateway to help me figure out what I wanted to do,” Anthony says. “I know so many single fathers. And for men who experience domestic abuse, there’s shame and disbelief. There’s a stigma around it. I want other men to see that it’s possible to get their kids back and get on a good track.”
About Richmond Place
Impact’s transitional housing facility consists of 20 drug & alcohol-free units to house extremely low-income Multnomah County families, many of whom have a history
of substance abuse, mental illness, or have experienced domestic violence. We provide shelter for up to 2 ½ years, working with families to create personalized recovery plans.
