Anthony Wilson stands in front of his family’s new home.
Anthony Wilson's Dream Comes True
In the winter of 1995, Anthony Wilson and his young son were homeless. Leaving his family in California, Anthony and one son returned to his native Norfolk when his father was deathly ill. His plan was to fly to Norfolk to be with his father and then return to California on a time restricted plane ticket. His father lived almost a month longer than anticipated.Anthony's return plane tickets expired and his resources diminished.
Anthony was stuck and unsure of what to do.
A referral from Norfolk's social services department led him and Anthony Jr. (who was 18 months old) to The Dwelling Place. Anthony's presence at the shelter was an anomaly,as ninety percent of the time the residents at The Dwelling Place are women and their children.
Anthony concedes that it was uncomfortable being the only man around, but said that he learned a lot about parenting." He and his son lived at the shelter for almost a month before board member Lois Einhorn told him about work at Temple Israel in Norfolk. He hit it off with members of the congregation. Recently, he became chief maintenance worker.
What impressed Mrs. Einhorn most, at the time, was Anthony's humility and positive attitude despite his homelessness. Today,Lois says, "Anthony is an integral part of the Temple Israel Family. He always has a smile and a positive attitude." This winter, Anthony and his children Anthony Jr., now 9, Kayla, 6, and Avery, 5, celebrated Christmas in their new home. Anthony Wilson gives homeless families a face and a voice by sharing his success story. He also gives homeless families hope by realizing one of America's ultimate dreams:he and his family just purchased their own home. We wish them well!