Warm and Welcome: One New Resident’s Smooth Transition

In these early weeks of November the city of Syracuse welcomed the season’s first snowfall—surely not to be its last—and with this milestone comes the opportunity to reflect on how fortunate many of us are to have a stable roof over our heads. A story published by syracuse.com assessed the number of people in Syracuse who spent nights living in homeless shelters or outside, exposed to the elements, at 2,825 for 2018. That number is significant and represents hundreds of unique lives and valuable stories, and exemplifies a juggernaut of a problem that the whole of our city must face head-on. 

Thanks to the help of generous donors and dedicated volunteers and construction teams, A Tiny Home for Good has had the privilege of giving 11 people—people who otherwise had few places to turn to for help—brand new houses to call home. These tenants come from a variety of backgrounds, and each have their own unique set of perspectives and experiences to offer the world.

Meet Jessica Bonaparte, a 61-year-old grandmother of seven, a former nursing assistant, and a proud resident of Syracuse for nearly four decades. Jessica was selected from our Tiny Home waitlist in August 2019, and because of this, considers herself “blessed.” Before moving into her quaint new place on Slocum Avenue, located in Syracuse’s West side, Bonaparte lived with her sister in nearby Solvay, helping her live and cope with various medical conditions.

This isn’t uncharacteristic of Jessica, as she spent much of her adult life working as a certified nursing assistant, giving her time and energy to benefit the lives of others. Her new home offers her the security and solitude that were all too hard to come by in her past jobs and general life experiences, as well as a sense of community among her welcoming, friendly neighbors. Her new home also offers her the easy access to public transportation that living and working in this arctic-esque city makes so essential, and Jessica plans to pursue a nursing degree from Onondaga Community College thanks to the local bus that can take her “right to OCC’s front steps.”

The long-standing Syracuse resident that she is, Jessica Bonaparte has a soft spot for the parts of the city that perhaps don’t get as much positive recognition. “I think the West side gets a bad rep,” she explained, noting the families, businesses, and friendly passersby that have adorned this place to her. Much like our own experiences visiting her home during its construction, Jessica says she was surprised by how neighborly the area is and how welcomed she has been at her new residence. “I feel very safe,” she explained.

Beneath all of this, however, is Jessica’s undeniable affinity to the city of Syracuse as a whole. “The art,” she began, referencing the many museums that call this city home, “the culture, the history,” all make Syracuse the only place she’d ever want to be. Thanks to the collective effort, kindness and empathy from countless donors, we were able to make this wish a reality for Jessica Bonaparte.

She’ll spend tonight in her home, warm and unaffected by the seasons’ swift and bitter change, eagerly waiting to plant in her own garden when the spring weather comes. Until then, Jessica will live as she always has done: spreading joy, one new neighbor at a time.

By: Leo Christopoulos