Denise Cornett considers herself one of the first few lucky people to move into The Commons at Grant, a 100-unit supportive and affordable housing building developed by National Church Residences, which opened in July 2003.  Cornett experienced a drug and alcohol problem and found herself homeless, eventually entering a women’s shelter.  “I was broken and needed help,” Cornett said.  She jumped over a ditch for a sneak peak through the window as the building was going up.  Cornett says that’s when she prayed for an apartment at The Commons at Grant and could already imagine how she would decorate her new home.

Cornett is now in school at a 2-year evangelical program at the Vineyard Leadership Institute and attends AA meetings regularly.  She appreciates having the privacy of her own home with no time limits on her stay.  She feels a great sense of security and peace of mind knowing that as long as she pays her rent, follows the rules and is respectful of her neighbors, she has a home of her own.  “I feel secure knowing that this is my home.  The staff will help you find what you need, and they have good meetings with support from the residents.  This is the next level of my journey.”

Cornett appreciates the interaction between residents.  She attends various monthly resident meetings and recalls that she and others, who were the first to move in, bonded very quickly and then reached out to welcome other new tenants.  “Each of us has special gifts and abilities.  The Commons at Grant gives me the opportunity to not only take care of myself, but to help other people share their gifts and talents.  Rebuilding your life is achievable—if I can do it, anybody can do it.”