
Nick's Story
Behind Every Door is a series of success stories featuring those who have been served by the Virginia Beach CDC and the regional outreach of Second Act Communities. Since 1985, the Virginia Beach CDC has served over 8,000 individuals who we refer to as our "neighbors." Nick Wood, a high school senior, is one of those neighbors. Throughout his school years, Nick's family moved back and forth between Northern Virginia and Virginia Beach, leading to Nick attending many different

Edna's Story
Behind Every Door is a series of success stories featuring those who have been served by the Virginia Beach CDC and the regional outreach of Second Act Communities. Since 1985, the Virginia Beach CDC has housed over 6,200 individuals who we refer to as our "neighbors." Edna Foxx is one of those neighbors. It was early morning when I arrived to interview Edna, but Atlantis Manor was awake. The sun was shining on the lawn. Residents were on front porches chatting and a neighbor

House vs Home: A Child's Perspective on Housing Stability
I recently had the opportunity to interview some of the smartest people I know - and they all happen to be under the age of 14. Kids have a remarkable ability to express their opinions by driving straight at the heart of an issue, and the children I spoke with about housing stability did not disappoint. Here's what they had to say... What is the difference between a house and a home? "A home is the heart." - Nyrah, age 7 "A home is where you live there for life." - Makayiah,

Samuel's Story
Behind Every Door is a series of success stories featuring our neighbors who have been served by the Virginia Beach CDC and the regional outreach of Southeastern Virginia Housing Corporation. The Virginia Beach CDC impacts the lives of 1500 neighbors each year. Samuel Pinckney is one of those neighbors. When I met Samuel, I was immediately surprised by how open he was about the cause of his homelessness. After 12 years in the Army, his life became difficult due to financial t

Walter's Story
Behind Every Door is a series of success stories featuring our neighbors who have been served by the Virginia Beach CDC and the regional outreach of Southeastern Virginia Housing Corporation. The Virginia Beach CDC impacts the lives of 1500 neighbors each year. Walter Brune is one of those neighbors. When I asked Walter to share his recent experience with homelessness, he explained, "It was the lowest point of my life." That's quite a statement, considering that Walter has se

Denise's Story
Behind Every Door is a series of success stories featuring our neighbors who have been served by the Virginia Beach CDC and the regional outreach of Southeastern Virginia Housing Corporation. The Virginia Beach CDC impacts the lives of 1500 neighbors each year. Denise James is one of those neighbors. When my car pulled up, Denise was waiting for me in her garden. She wanted me to see the plants she had cultivated over the 13 years she has lived in a VBCDC home. "I fell in lov

Zaida's Story
Behind Every Door is a series of success stories featuring our neighbors who have been served by the Virginia Beach CDC and the regional outreach of Southeastern Virginia Housing Corporation. The Virginia Beach CDC impacts the lives of 1500 neighbors each year. Zaida Fitzgerald is one of those neighbors. Zaida recently invited me into her home. She is a former VBCDC neighbor who was homeless when she found us in 2009. In 2008, her employer went out of business and Zaida had t