Henry T. Wells was born to humble parents in Florida in 1929. As a young man, Henry became a strong supporter of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and had the opportunity to march with him in Detroit. Being of modest means, Henry did whatever was necessary to survive in Florida. This often included working in the world or drugs. While sometimes profitable, it was always dangerous. With government agencies hot on his heels, he gathered what he had and fled to Philadelphia in 1975 to seek refuge with his mother. There, he continued to involve himself in the drug trade where he witnessed loved ones overdose and, often, die. In a “moment of sanity,” Henry realized this life was not how he wanted to live and he began trying desperately to get clean and sober- a daunting task.
A bright spot during Henry’s recovery process was meeting Margaret. Henry was immediately smitten with Margaret but she was less than impressed. With Margaret living across the street from Henry, he set out to win her heart. He continued to work on his sobriety daily. In 1976, Henry opened Tommy’s Poor Man’s Friend furniture store which he operated from 1976-1979. During that time he continued to court Margaret. When asked what attracted her to him Margaret states, “While his persistence was flattering and he had such a way with words- it was his shiny boots.” Finally, she gave in. They married on November 10, 1979.
As Margaret’s husband, Henry was eligible for health insurance benefits. With the help of their insurance provider, Henry entered Geoffrey Hospital. The program along with the prayers and support of Margaret helped Henry’s sobriety. Upon completion of this program, Henry returned home to Margaret. He continued to be plagued with the reality that many of the friends and acquaintances at Geoffrey Hospital had no place to go upon successful completion of the program thereby increasing their chances of relapse. Henry decided to ask Margaret if a few folks from the program could come and stay with them. Margaret agreed and the legacy began.
Henry understood that most individuals in recovery have little or no money, health insurance, or a place to live; often making them unable to cope with the recovery process without support from other recovering addicts. From the first couple invited to share his home, Henry continued to reach out to other homeless addicts seeking a supportive environment to fight addiction. His reputation for success became widespread and the title “The Grandfather of Recovery,” was bestowed upon him. In 1983, Henry, now known as “Rev” formally opened his doors and founded One Day at a Time, providing the groundwork for the peer-based/community-based recovery model.
In July 1988, eleven children were killed in one week beginning with the death of five-year-old Marcus Yates. He was caught in a shootout between drug dealers in a variety store. “Rev” felt the call to action now required drastic measures and began organizing the “Casket Marches.” Rev and many other supporters protested the ongoing violence in Philadelphia by marching through the streets carrying an occupied casket. It later became known that the body in the casket was Rev’s son, Mel. The news media picked up on the marches and Vernon Odom’s program, Visions, highlighted the march and ODAAT.
Rev continued to be a strong advocate for the homeless and those suffering from addiction. He began to become more of a street advocate marching against the violence and the spread of HIV/AIDS in Philadelphia as well as knocking on doors providing outreach and education which came to the attention of Pennsylvania Senator Roxanne Jones. Their meeting grew into a fast friendship. Rev was then introduced to U.S. Congressman Lucien Blackwell and Jannie Blackwell who together led the Homeless Task Force. In 1993 Rev and ODAAT began ministering to the homeless living in “Crate City,” a community of homeless individuals and families living in cardboard boxes in the corridors of Philadelphia’s subways. ODAAT was instrumental in eliminating “Crate City” and finding housing for the people living there.
In 1993 Rev and ODAAT helped organize “Drug Free in 93.” This march was a collaboration of all programs providing recovery and housing services in Philadelphia. The march drew thousands of walkers and along with then-Mayor Edward G. Rendell and Jim Baker raised awareness of the epidemic of homelessness, addiction, and HIV/AIDS in Philadelphia. As a result, the city government began to recognize community-based recovery programs as legitimate programs and helped define the differences between treatment and recovery.
ODAAT and Reverend Wells have received much acclaim for their vision and programs. They have been featured in many national newspapers including USA Today, The Sun, Philadelphia Inquirer, and Philadelphia Daily News. ODAAT has also been featured in many national news programs including 48 Hours, World NBC News, and 60 Minutes to name a few.
For 25 years Rev worked tirelessly to improve the lives of those suffering from homelessness and addiction. In March 2005 his son, Mel Wells, was named President of One Day at a Time. Mel continued to work side by side with his father to continue the ODAAT legacy. In 2007, ODAAT became a program of the Greater Philadelphia Urban Affairs Coalition (UAC) to help strengthen and support the growth of nonprofits throughout the city of Philadelphia.
Although Reverend Henry T. Wells and Margaret Wells have moved on…their legacy continues with every single person who walks through the doors of One Day at a Time.
