Dale, 66, came to live at St. Luke’s Penn Foundation’s Penn Villa residential program in September 2022. He was in “survival mode” when he moved in, having spent most of his life struggling with alcohol and drugs and mental health issues. Looking back, Dale says he has “no words for how much Penn Villa has changed my life. I’m truly a new person.”
A Rough Childhood
A native of Pottstown, Dale grew up in a poor household with a single mother who struggled with alcoholism. There was no heat or electricity and very little food, but verbal and physical abuse were plentiful. At age 11, he was relieved to go live with his grandfather. But just two years later, Dale’s grandfather died, leaving his house to Dale’s mom. Not wanting to live with his mom again, Dale, age 13, joined a street gang “who became my family” and who introduced him to the alcohol and drugs that would take over his life and get him into constant trouble with the law.
Unable to Cope with Family Life
Dale continued to abuse valium and alcohol for many years. In his mid-twenties, he got married and had three daughters in four years. Additionally, he took in his niece and nephew after his brother-in-law died of cancer because his sister, who also struggled with alcohol, had abandoned them. “I had a hard time adjusting to caring for so many young children,” recalls Dale. “It messed with my mental health. I would go out every night, leaving my wife to handle everything on her own.” This ultimately led to Dale and his wife divorcing and Dale “running” to New England. After several years, he moved back to Pennsylvania but continued to drink until he passed out and attempted suicide several times.
A Life-Changing Move
After his fifth suicide attempt, Dale was connected to the St. Luke’s Penn Foundation ACT (Assertive Community Treatment) team in Pottstown. “I was sick and tired of being sick and tired,” he says. “The old way wasn’t working for me anymore.” The team helped Dale move to Sellersville and connected him with the Sellersville ACT team. When his living situation – he was renting a room in a home where alcohol and drugs were rampant – became too unsafe for his recovery, the team helped Dale apply for and move into Penn Villa housing.
A Reason to Live
Penn Villa has provided Dale with a safe, stable, sober living environment that has allowed him to continue his recovery and find a new, healthier way to live. Thanks to the caring team at Penn Villa, Dale has been connected to various specialty doctors to address his health issues. When one of the Penn Villa staff noticed that Dale was deaf in his left ear, she worked with a hearing aid manufacturer to secure a free hearing aid for Dale. “For the first time in, I don’t know how many years, I can hear birds chirping,” Dale says with a smile. Most importantly for Dale, he has reconnected with two of this three daughters and his grandchildren. “I text my middle daughter every morning to say, ‘It’s a great day to be alive,’” says Dale.
Dale credits Penn Villa with saving his life, showing him that he wants to live and wants to be there for his family. “Every one of the Penn Villa staff have gone out of their way for me, which is unbelievable,” says Dale. “Thanks to the team, the Old Dale is gone, and I now finally have the opportunity to be me.”