After years of struggle, Merissa Piccoli found her path through Bridges

Amos House, a LISC Financial Opportunity Center partner in Providence, has a knack for helping returning citizens get back on their feet. Merissa Piccoli sensed that from the start and knew she was exactly where she needed to be. 

“I was really nervous about sharing that I had been in prison for three years,” says Piccoli, a graduate of the Bridges program in carpentry and maintenance at Amos House. “But I didn’t have to hide that from people at Amos House.” 

"Amos House was completely different from the very beginning. It was like everyone had something and we were all working to get past it and improve ourselves. And It felt like I belonged. I just fit in and that helped me in a lot when I was trying to transition back into society. That was definitely hard but being in that environment made it much better. Everyone had the philosophy that just because you’ve been down, doesn’t mean you have to stay down — that helped me transition back into the flow of things."

Piccoli had no prior experience in carpentry or maintenance but soon became a top student in the program. After graduating, she was hired by Amos House to work on properties it owns as well as on private homes. “We did any type of work that they needed for those buildings, which was great training for me,” she says.

"I completed the 16-week carpentry maintenance program – which taught me a lot.  I had no prior experience with carpentry, or even hands on with any tools in a field like that. They taught me how to use a power tool, use a tape measure – they even taught me the math behind it."

"When I was released from prison in August of 2016, a friend helped me get a job at a warehouse. I had been working there for a while – I was getting a steady check and it was a job, but it wasn’t a career and it wasn’t going to get me where I wanted to go."

"I wanted more – I wanted a career and I wanted to own my own home and I figured if I learned a trade that would either help me get there, or at least help me get the knowledge to be able to work on my own house. When I was about 17, I helped my family fix up an apartment and lay tile flooring. And that made an impression.  It was tough – it’s challenging for sure – but it’s also really nice – I really love the way things looks when they’re done. So I started researching which trade I wanted to go for and I picked carpentry – I’ve always been good with my hands – and I just went for it."

"Stephane Pringle Jones is great – she taught me so much – and I’m so grateful to her. She held a class once a week during the Bridge program and you also have the opportunity to work with her one-on-one – she’s the kind of person that keeps it straight and tells you what you need to do to manage your money correctly.  My goal was to own a home, and she taught me how to save, explained how credit worked and even referred me to my mortgage lender – through the whole process she was right there with me. She is very firm but very caring, and tells you straight." 

After a few years in that job, Piccoli decided she was ready to start her own business. “It’s been going well, and we are developing some marketing materials. We’re growing.” 

Piccoli is also a new homeowner, a goal she reached with help from Amos House. “My financial coach taught me how to save, explained how credit worked and even referred me to my mortgage lender,” says Piccoli. “Through the whole process, she was right there with me.”

"After just 2 years of working at Amos House, I was able to purchase my own home – which was my first dream. I would still be there but owning a business has also been a dream of mine.  I learned everything I could and then I saw an opportunity to start my own business. It’s been going well and we are developing some marketing materials – logos and signs.  We’re growing. 

I love Amos House still. I’m so appreciative of everything they’ve taught me – from not giving up and still being able to accomplish things and make a difference to people in my life – and to be a role model for my family."

Piccoli is grateful to Amos House for helping get her life back on track. “I’m glad that light inside me is turned back on,” she says. “I feel like there’s nothing I can’t do. And, I’ve made my family proud and that‘s the best feeling.”