Mayor’s Office of Community Services
Hardy Scutching

Hardy Scutching was referred to the Workwise Program of the Mayor’s Office of Community Services (MOCS) in April 2003 to help find employment. In addition to not having a job, he was within one month of losing the apartment that he and his two teen-aged children shared and was a man who had a criminal record.

Hardy, 39, did not explain how he became the single father of a 14-year-old daughter and a 13-year-old son but demonstrated that he fully accepted his responsibility.

Turning A House Into A Home
Hardy worked with Collette Clarke, his case manager, and Ernest Cannon, his Retention Specialist/Community Liaison in the Workwise Program to find stable and affordable housing. He opted to renovate a house that was nearly a shell when he first saw it and, within one month, made the house livable for him and his two children. He now has a rental lease with the option to purchase and a place he can truly call home.

Hardy also took advantage of the workforce development classes that the Workwise Program offered. Facilitated by instructor Patricia Pettis, he learned resume preparation and interviewing techniques. He went to various interviews arranged by Workforce Development Specialists Cheryl Blackwell and Patricia Franklin. His case manager provided counseling services and maintained contact with the County Assistance Office to prevent any interruption in special allowances such as carfare.

Finding Work
Hardy was dedicated and determined. Through his persistence, and with the assistance of the Workwise Staff, he found not only one, but two, jobs, which he found necessary to properly provide for his family. He currently is employed with both an ambulance company and a collection agency. Workwise Retention Specialist Ernest Cannon continues to visit Hardy at his work sites to offer support and always receives good reports about his work performance.

Workwise Works
Hardy is an example of how single parents, in striving to maintain their families, are raising their children and doing it well. He is a strong father and a positive role model.
With the assistance of the MOCS Workwise Program, he has reached self-sufficiency.

According to Hardy, “I would not be where I am today if it had not been for the MOCS Workwise Program.”

The Mayor’s Office of Community Services is a Community Action Agency building a stronger Philadelphia by empowering individuals, families and neighborhoods to achieve self-sufficiency.