The first thing you notice about Henry is his smile. The second is his fashion sense. He’s always dressed to impress. He’s also intelligent, creative, and hardworking.
Henry is a veteran who served in the Army for three years. He received culinary training after completing basic training, and he spent most of his military career cooking for a general. He says, “I have a big imagination when I’m cooking.”
He was stationed in South Carolina, Louisiana, and then in Germany. He loved the shopping and travel opportunities in Germany. After his international travel, Henry’s hometown felt a little too small, so he moved to Charlotte. He put all of his culinary skills to use in restaurants and eventually ended up running two hotel kitchens.
Despite his successes, Henry made choices that led to his incarceration. Even though he was facing a lengthy sentence, he didn’t lose hope. He said, “I started working on me.”
Through his own advocacy, he was granted a retrial, where he received a much shorter sentence. He became an ordained minister and a peer-to-peer counselor in addition to completing other independent studies. He wanted to give back, so he also joined a crime prevention program called Think Smart.
Henry and his wife started their own businesses, and Henry channeled his creative talent into publishing an autobiography called From the Pit to the Pulpit. He wanted to offer hope to people who may find themselves in similar circumstances.
Then Henry’s path took another turn when his godmother, Ms. Toot, passed away. His marriage ended, and he began to struggle with mental health and substance use. He eventually made his way to the VA hospital to get help. He says, “I was just sick and tired of being sick and tired.”
His journey to heal eventually led him to Roof Above’s Veterans Transitional Shelter, which is a shared housing program aimed at providing individualized and community-building supportive services that address barriers to self-sufficiency. He says, “When I came here, to walk into that room to go to sleep, it took a lot of weight off me.”
He’s appreciative of the program because it gives him time to himself. He has his own space, and he’s able to cook good meals. He continues to study the word of God. He’s working toward getting his driver’s license, and he plans to write a second autobiography.
Henry is excited because he just received word that he has been approved for an apartment of his own! Wherever his next steps take him, he’ll be moving forward in style.
In 2023, the Veterans program housed 20 men.