More Than a Card: Why an ID Can Change Everything

July 23, 2026

Written by Karl Vogl ll


For many people, a driver's license or state-issued identification card is something that quietly sits in a wallet until it's needed. It's used to apply for a job, sign a lease, visit a doctor's office, or cash a paycheck. Most people rarely think about what life would be like without one.


For many of the individuals served by Alston Wilkes Society at Pathways Community Center, however, obtaining an ID is anything but simple. It is often one of the first, and most difficult, steps toward rebuilding a stable life.


JoAnn Blackwell, who works directly with individuals navigating the identification process, sees these challenges every week. Through Alston Wilkes Society's partnership with shelter partners and other organizations on the Pathways Community Center campus, she helps clients work through a system that often requires documents they no longer have in order to obtain the documents they desperately need.


"It's kind of like a back and forth," Blackwell explained. "To replace a Social Security card, you often need an ID. To get an ID, you may need your birth certificate. To get your birth certificate, you may need your Social Security card. Everything fits together."


For someone experiencing homelessness, reentering society after incarceration, or recovering from years of instability, those essential documents may have been lost, stolen, or expired long ago. What many people assume is a quick visit to the DMV can instead become months of paperwork, appointments, waiting periods, and setbacks.


One of the biggest misconceptions, Blackwell says, is that obtaining an ID is a one-day process.


"A lot of people think you just go to the DMV and it's one and done. It's not always that way."


Instead, clients often make multiple trips to government offices, only to discover another document is needed or another appointment must be scheduled. Replacing a Social Security card alone can take six to eight weeks before someone is even seen. Every delay postpones employment, housing, healthcare, and financial stability.


For some, the journey lasts far longer.


Blackwell shared the story of one client who has been working to obtain the necessary documents for more than a year and a half. Paperwork has been mailed back and forth, notarized, resubmitted, and delayed repeatedly.


"It's been over a year for him," she said.


For someone trying to rebuild their life, those months represent more than waiting, they represent opportunities postponed.


An ID is about far more than proving who someone is.


It is often the first key that unlocks every other opportunity.


With proper identification, clients can apply for employment, obtain replacement Social Security cards, secure housing, establish healthcare, purchase insurance, and begin rebuilding financial independence.


"They've got to have employment in order to move forward," Blackwell explained. "They can't get a home unless they have money, and they can't get money unless they have a job. It all comes together."


Without identification, even the most determined individual can find themselves unable to move forward.


Every month, Blackwell meets clients through partnerships with shelter partners, accompanying many of them through the identification process.

Rather than simply sending someone to the DMV, she often goes with them, helping interpret requirements, asking questions, and ensuring they understand each step of the process.


Sometimes the biggest obstacle isn't a lack of effort—it is simply understanding a complicated system.


Having someone who knows how to navigate that system can make all the difference.


One client remains especially memorable.


After serving many years at Kershaw Correctional Institution, a gentleman was released only to discover his driver's license had expired while he was incarcerated. He attempted to renew it on his own but left the DMV confused about what was required.


Remembering what Blackwell had taught during reentry classes, he called and asked for help.


She met him at the DMV, listened carefully to the conversation with the clerk, and realized the information being communicated wasn't what the client believed he had heard.


Together, they worked through the process. He renewed his license, retook the written exam, and was eventually able to pursue his commercial driver's license.


Today, he is employed by a local trucking company.


That renewed driver's license became much more than identification—it became the first step toward stable employment, housing, supporting his family, and rebuilding his future.


"It's a big thing having the proper things that you need," Blackwell said.


Blackwell hopes the community remembers that individuals experiencing homelessness or returning from incarceration are often working much harder than people realize.


From the outside, it can appear as though little progress is being made.


In reality, many spend months gathering records, attending appointments, completing paperwork, and overcoming barriers that most people never have to face.


She even reflected on her own experience obtaining a federal identification credential, a process that took nearly nine months despite having resources and support.


If obtaining identification can be that difficult under normal circumstances, imagine trying to do it while experiencing homelessness or rebuilding life after incarceration.


Her message to the community is simple: "Be patient with the homeless population and those with criminal backgrounds."


Sometimes it's simply the paperwork standing between someone and a second chance.


Through the work of Alston Wilkes Society and the collaborative network at Pathways Community Center, those barriers are slowly being removed—one document, one appointment, and one life at a time.

Recovery Rooted in Connection: How FAVOR Piedmont is Building Pathways to Lasting Change

September 28, 2026
Written by Karl Vogl ll Recovery is rarely a journey that happens alone. Behind every step forward is often someone who understands the struggle, offers support and reminds a person that a different future is possible. That is at the heart of the work at Faces And Voices Of Recovery Tri-County, also known as FAVOR Piedmont, a recovery community organization located on the campus of Pathways Community Center in Rock Hill. FAVOR Piedmont provides free substance use recovery support services, both in person and virtually, to individuals and families across York, Chester, Lancaster, Fairfield, Union and Cherokee counties. The organization connects people with support rooted in lived experience, understanding and community, with a focus on making sure individuals have access to the resources they need throughout their recovery journey. Rather than simply explaining what recovery can look like, FAVOR connects individuals with Peers, people who have walked through their own challenges and understand the importance of having someone alongside them. In a recent interview, FAVOR Piedmont’s Executive Director Jamie Chrisman Low, who is in Recovery herself, detailed how the organization, which is led by individuals in recovery from substance use disorders, works to create meaningful connections while providing space for hope, dignity and lasting change. One of FAVOR Piedmont's primary services is its peer led recovery groups. These groups create intentional spaces where individuals at different stages of recovery can connect with trained and certified peers who use trauma informed, evidence-based practices to provide support. The organization also brings educational opportunities into the community and serves as one of six approved training centers in the area for individuals seeking to become certified peer support specialists. A key measure of FAVOR Piedmont's impact is what is known as recovery capital, which refers to the resources a person has available to help sustain long term recovery. Those resources can include housing, transportation, employment, food, clothing, social connections, professional networks and other forms of support that can make a meaningful difference in a person's ability to maintain recovery. FAVOR intentionally works within a larger network of community organizations and service providers to help ensure individuals have access to those resources. For Chrisman Low, one story in particular illustrates what that network can make possible. A young woman who was well known in her community developed an opioid addiction following surgery after becoming dependent on pain medication prescribed during her recovery. Over the course of three years, her substance use progressed to the point that she began considering heroin as an alternative to prescription opioids, or fentanyl from the street. Before taking that step, she reached out to FAVOR Piedmont. She was pregnant, frightened and unsure of where to turn. FAVOR immediately connected her with resources within its network, including medication assisted treatment with Suboxone, a prescription medication approved to treat opioid use disorder. She was also connected with mental health and substance use counselors who supported her throughout her pregnancy. The goal was not simply to address her substance use, but to walk alongside her through the challenges that came with pregnancy, recovery and reclaiming her motherhood. Today, more than five years later, Chrisman Low said the woman continues to engage in counseling and weekly peer support through FAVOR Piedmont. Her child is now beginning kindergarten. "She's living a life beyond her dreams," Chrisman Low said. "It's been over five years now, and it's just a beautiful story." For FAVOR, the story also demonstrates the importance of having a network of people and organizations prepared to respond when someone asks for help. Chrisman Low said the organization's work extends beyond the individual experiencing substance use disorder. FAVOR is also working to raise awareness that substance use disorder affects entire families, not just the person struggling with addiction. Sometimes, cooccurring disorders are present, too. "Addiction is a family disease, and it affects every member of the family," she said. Part of FAVOR’s work involves helping families understand that they can begin their own healing journey even while a loved one continues to struggle with substance use. That philosophy also extends to the organization's work at Pathways Community Center, where FAVOR is part of a larger network of service providers. Chrisman Low said the relationships between organizations on the Pathways campus help create a recovery-oriented continuum of care, allowing individuals to be connected with the next resource or service they need. "We help support each other's work so that there is a continuum of care and no one falls through the cracks," she said. "Someone on campus is going to be able to provide the next resource or the next service for that person." As FAVOR Piedmont works to expand its reach, funding remains one of its greatest challenges. The organization has received support through grants and contributions from community members, but continued financial investment is necessary to maintain its free services and expand its physical presence. FAVOR is currently exploring plans to establish physical recovery spaces in each of the counties it serves. The expansion would create additional opportunities for peer workers, increase access to recovery services and allow FAVOR to expand its community outreach. But financial support is not the only way community members can contribute. Chrisman Low emphasized the importance of volunteers and people who are willing to become involved in the organization's mission. "We welcome volunteers and people who will engage with us to do the work of our mission," she said. "I cannot tell you how much I appreciate people in the community that reach out and say, 'Hey, I want to give back.' It's just a beautiful thing." She also encouraged community members to consider how they interact with people experiencing substance use disorder. For someone who is struggling, a simple act of dignity and respect can become the first step toward connection. Community members can help by sharing information about FAVOR Piedmont, connecting someone with its services or even providing transportation so that person can begin building relationships with a network of people who understand recovery firsthand. At its core, FAVOR Piedmont's work is rooted in the belief that recovery does not have to happen in isolation. Through peer support, community partnerships, education and access to resources, the organization is working to make sure that when someone reaches out for help, there is someone there to answer. And sometimes, that connection can be the beginning of an entirely different future.

July's Collective Impact Report

August 31, 2026
Collective Impact in Action July reflected the continued strength of collaboration across the Pathways campus. Through the work of our on-site agencies, partners, and volunteers, 366 services were provided, connecting individuals with resources and support designed to address their needs while helping them move toward greater stability and self-sufficiency. Among individuals who identified health and wellness as a goal, 100% made progress toward enhancing their well-being through access to healthcare, counseling, peer support, and other wellness resources. We also saw 76% of those working toward greater financial independence make progress toward that goal, helping strengthen the foundation needed for long-term stability. These outcomes represent people taking meaningful steps forward and the collective effort surrounding them along the way. As we continue bringing services together in one location, we remain grateful for every agency, partner, volunteer, and supporter helping create pathways toward healthier, more stable futures.

More Than a Shelter: How The Haven Helps Men Rebuild Their Lives

August 31, 2026
Written by Karl Vogl ll When someone is experiencing homelessness, finding a place to stay can be an important first step. For many men, getting back on their feet requires more than a bed. It requires addressing the challenges that led them there and having people willing to walk alongside them as they work toward something different.  That is the work being done at The Haven Men’s Shelter in Rock Hill. Opened in 2006, The Haven is a transitional housing program for men who are ready to leave homelessness behind and work toward a more stable future. The program serves men 18 and older who are able to work full-time, maintain sobriety and demonstrate a genuine desire to make a change in their lives. The Haven is considered a “high-barrier” shelter because residents are expected to take an active role in their own progress. They must maintain sobriety, follow house rules, participate in services and take responsibility for the goals they set for themselves. “We are a transitional housing program,” said Nancy Foster, executive director of The Haven’s Men’s Shelter. “We have a 90 to 120 day program here at the Haven that when men come in, every 30 days, they're evaluated on progress.” During the first 30 days, staff work with each man to identify the challenges and barriers standing in the way of stability. Those barriers can look different for everyone. “It could be a background,” Foster said. “Do we need to go through homeless court? Is it something else that we just need to tackle together?” For others, the barrier may be something they have not even realized is affecting their ability to move forward. The Haven connects residents with medical, dental and vision care to help identify issues that could be affecting their ability to work and maintain stability. From there, residents can begin focusing on employment, income, budgeting, counseling and eventually housing. But Foster said the support men receive at The Haven goes beyond the services they provide. “When they come to the Haven, they are not just clients. They're our family,” she said. For some men, that may be an unfamiliar experience. “Some of them have never had a family,” Foster said. “And some of them don't even know how to deal with what is a true family.” Through compassion, respect and dignity, The Haven works to create an environment where men can begin to see themselves differently. Prayer and Bible study are also part of the program, but Foster said the focus ultimately remains on meeting each person's needs. One former resident's story shows what that support can make possible. The man came to The Haven following a divorce and was unable to see his children because of legal issues. Through the Haven's support, he participated in family counseling and parenting classes while working through his legal challenges. Eventually, his charges were dropped and he was able to reunite with his family. As a veteran, he was also connected with veterans assistance programs that helped his family secure a home of their own in York. “We were able to go celebrate that with them,” Foster said. “And still keep up with them, and they're doing extremely well.” Stories like his are made possible in part because of the community partnerships surrounding The Haven. “I always say it takes a village,” Foster said. Every man who enters the program has different needs, and The Haven often relies on community partners to help fill the gaps. That can mean connecting someone with legal assistance, transportation, employment opportunities, work clothing or housing resources. “Everybody coming through our door has a different situation, so not everybody's the same,” Foster said. That collaborative approach has contributed to a 94% success rate at The Haven, according to Foster. She believes one of the most important parts of that success is preparing men before they transition into permanent housing. “If we did not walk alongside them, get in the trenches with them and help figure them out, they would cycle back through the system,” she said. The Haven's work also does not end when a man leaves the shelter. Staff continue to follow graduates for up to a year, providing support when challenges arise and helping them maintain the progress they have made. “Our work doesn't stop here at the Haven when they leave the doors, 90 to 120 days,” Foster said. “We follow them for a year afterward to make sure if they get in the weeds, we're right there still supporting them.” Looking ahead, The Haven hopes to expand its transitional housing opportunities for men, addressing what Foster sees as a significant gap in the community. She also hopes more people will take the time to understand the work happening at The Haven, not just support it financially. For Foster, being part of the Haven community means knowing who the organization serves, how it serves them and how others can contribute their time, talents and resources. “Come in and see what the Haven does, who we serve, and how we serve them,” Foster said. The Haven's work is not simply about providing shelter. It is about helping men address the barriers in front of them, prepare for what comes next and build a life they can sustain after they leave. For the men who walk through its doors, that support can be the beginning of something new.