Community Action Commission
David Hench

Some things that seem simple to many people aren’t for David Hench. David was diagnosed with mild mental retardation, meaning some things take him a little longer to complete.

In January 2003, David was living in a trailer on his brother’s property. He found that many of the bills were going unpaid. Soon, David was forced to move into subsidized housing in Mount Holly Springs.

David had no furniture, telephone service or bank account. He did have creditors calling for overdue bills and a car that was no where near reliable. David contacted the Community Action Commission’s Perry County Office and entered the Self-sufficiency Case Management Program.

When it comes to finding work, David was always very self motivated. He goes out into the community on his own, puts in applications and then shares his progress with the Community Action Commission. David has been working for Williams Grove Park for many years and also picks up small jobs working for restaurants or stores when the park is closed. But he was never able to find someone trustworthy to help him manage his money until he tapped into the Commission’s programming.

The first step was to help the 58-year-old man clear up some of his old debt. He was encouraged to see a financial counselor who then assigned him a payee rep. Payment schedules were worked out with the telephone company. Because of that, a case manager was able to help him have phone service restored. He also received assistance with his other debt.

Through the self-sufficiency program, David has become more responsible with his money, learning to budget on his own and making certain each month all of his bills are paid. In fact, David was able to become financially stable enough to buy a more reliable car and new furniture for his apartment.

But David’s struggles were more than financial. His landlord brought his lack of housekeeping skills to the attention of his case manager. David had never been taught basic housekeeping skills. The case manager worked with him to create a cleaning chart that would allow him to maintain a weekly cleaning schedule.

Turns out, David is an excellent housekeeper. A case manager still inspects his apartment on a bi-weekly basis for cleanliness, but David is doing wonderfully. His chart is still posted on his refrigerator, but cleaning is now a habit for him and he rarely uses it.

And David is earning commendations from many. His employers are continually praising him for the great job he is doing. His landlord also compliments him for how far he has come and says he hopes David will stay in his apartment for a long time to come. David now takes the initiative to do things on his own, making wise decisions on spending and saving.

Self-sufficiency means many things to many people. But to David it meant having a home of his own, a job that he enjoyed and the self confidence to do things for himself to improve his life.

The Community Action Commissioner creates and maximizes the resources necessary for individuals and families to achieve self-sufficiency, working with and on behalf of low-income individuals and families in Pennsylvania's capital city region of Cumberland, Dauphin, and Perry counties.