Mission First’s first resident, Mary, moved into a South Philadelphia duplex on October 1, 1989 and lived there for 22 years.

When we last spoke with Mary Horwitz, she had just recently moved out of her cozy apartment in South Philadelphia due to health issues, but after 22 years of living there she had a lot of fond memories to share.

“Those were some good years. My eyes start to water when I talk about it because I loved the apartment and the neighborhood so much. I got the best apartment they had…

“There were 17 steps to climb. There was a little balcony, and at the top of the steps there was a kitchen and my dining room table, and my living room was right there too…It was so spacious! Everybody who saw the apartment liked it. Everybody always complimented it.

“And I felt safe there. I’ve had apartments where I didn’t feel safe, but I felt safe there. It was a good neighborhood. I had very nice neighbors.

“I had never been to South Philly before I moved there, but I just loved it! The mummers lived on my block. They were the ‘Goodtimers,’ a comic club. They march in the Mummers Parade every year. It was so much fun! We heard all the music and the banjos and everything. I loved to watch the parade go by every year. I let people sit on my front steps and I would watch out the windows.

“My downstairs neighbor, Al, is still there. He’s a nice man. We never quarreled with each other; we just minded our own business. He would help me with little projects like setting up my answering machine. He still lives there, and he helped when it was time to move my stuff out of the apartment.

“Those years went fast. [Mission First] was very good to me. I really appreciate the staff; they made sure I had a safe and comfortable place to live. Maintenance came in when I needed them, and of course they were efficient. They were smart men. They knew their job and they did a good job. My property manager, Garry came around for inspections once or twice a year. My apartment was very nice; but it never failed: Garry would always find something he didn’t like in my refrigerator. I always checked the night before, and I couldn’t see anything to make a fuss about, but Garry always found something in there! Still, when it came time for Section 8 inspections, [Mission First] was ‘Johnny on the Spot.’ They made sure the apartment was clean and neat and everything intact.

“So, I lived my life and I was happy. You had to be independent and that was the part of getting an apartment. A lot of people didn’t work out, but I was one of the ones that did work out. I lived there by myself for 22 years.

“I want the staff of [Mission First] to know how much I appreciate their consideration and helping me feel safe and comfortable where I lived for 22 years.

“Those were some good years. My eyes start to water when I talk about it because I loved the apartment and the neighborhood so much. I got the best apartment they had.”