Mel Wells is the President and Chief Executive Officer of One Day at a Time (ODAAT). For over 40 years, ODAAT has been dedicated to serving low-income and unhoused individuals and their families in the Philadelphia area affected by addiction and HIV/AIDS. ODAAT also focuses on building stronger communities through its anti-violence and recovery initiatives.
One Day at a Time was founded by Mel’s father, the late Reverend Henry T. Wells, in 1983. In 2005, Mel was appointed President of ODAAT and has worked tirelessly since to continue his father’s legacy. Under Mel’s leadership, ODAAT has built and strengthened communities through its anti-violence, mentorship, and recovery initiatives. ODAAT continues to serve thousands of residential clients annually at its facilities supplying recovery, addiction, and homeless shelter services. Mel has expanded ODAAT’s work to include peer support and the promotion of healthy, positive lifestyles within the city of Philadelphia through a holistic array of services; including addiction recovery counseling, linkage to health and social services, transitional housing, and community outreach. ODAAT also provides HIV/AIDS prevention, education, and care outreach programs through its prevention and outreach teams which connect with thousands of people annually, and boasts an alumni community of over 10,000 graduates and their families.
As an advocate on issues such as gun violence, the opioid epidemic, and economic disenfranchisement, Mel has become a voice for those who have become marginalized by their circumstances. Ensuring that the low-income and recovery population does not go overlooked or unserved, Mel prides himself in his ability to negotiate contracts for homeless shelters, provide resources for the poor, request funding for increased recovery services, and lend a loving hand to those affected by HIV/AIDS.
Mel strategizes with policymakers to address the real issues Philadelphia is faced with, such as removing illegal drugs and guns from the streets, providing HIV/AIDS programming, offering support services to the homeless, and providing safe havens for our city’s youth. He is no stranger to the world of movers, shakers, and policymakers – Mel is known to U.S. governors, mayors, senators, and members of Congress alike. Yet, Mel still maintains the ability to walk through the dark and dreary tunnels of the SEPTA concourse, seeking out the homeless to offer them a hot cup of coffee, a meal, and even a bed at one of ODAAT’s facilities.
Mel is a Philadelphia native and he works every day to change lives and save lives, one day at a time.
Connect with Mel on Instagram.
