Davonte Smith never anticipated how life would land him at Anchor House twice, with each instance involving a very different set of

circumstances. Davonte was placed at Anchor House during his teenage years, and now, he has returned to work with our current residents as a direct care staff member. He desires to pour into the residents’ lives the way others poured into him while living at Anchor House.

At 15, Davonte experienced major upheaval in his life. After the incarceration of a parent, he found himself with no family member

willing to take him and three other siblings and became a charge of the state. Soon after, he was placed at Anchor House.

Davonte recalls, “At the time, I didn’t understand... I was questioning a lot. I was questioning whether the system had failed me. I was like, 'Why am I here?’ I didn’t want to interact with anyone.”

Gradually, a shift began to take place. Two older boys took him under their wings, and he started to bond with the staff. They showed him how to do his own laundry, how to apply for a job, and even drove him to his first interview. Most importantly, Davonte says they helped teach him how to respect other people in conversation and how to think through situations that would have previously upset him. Reflecting on the two years he spent at Anchor House, Davonte states, “I felt like it prepared me for becoming an adult, slowly.” He can still list every name of every staff member.

After leaving Anchor House, Davonte was unemployed for a period of time. “I spent most of my day riding my bike around. I had no destination. I had no plans. I had nothing. I just felt, one day, ‘Alright, something needs to change.’”

He then realized the truth about adulthood — that it was not up to a case manager, relative, or anyone else to improve his life. That was up to him.

With a new sense of responsibility, and with the skills he gained at Anchor House, Davonte sought his place in society. He acquired a job working as a tech repairman and fell in love with restoring cell phones and devices. After a few years working at this position, decided it was time to give back to those who had left a mark on him.

Davonte has joined our the direct care staff, and in a final remark, reveals why he came back to Anchor House:

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“I was talking to one of the kids yesterday. I was asking him, ‘Why are you upset?’ He’s like, ‘Man,

they just don’t understand, man. I need someone that’ll listen to me...’

If that’s what I need to do, in order to make an impact, I want to make an impact. I’m just here to make a difference.”