NORTH CHARLESTON — As nearly 20 people readied their scissors at the edge of a bright green ribbon, one person snipped early.
“Not yet!” Patsy Gardner exclaimed, and the group laughed heartily as they deftly picked the fabric back up and held it taut in place again. Together, they counted down and cut the ribbon July 9 to celebrate a new transitional house for women returning home from incarceration.
Gardner, executive director of A Second Chance Resource Center, picked a vibrant green for the ribbon, decorations and her shirt to symbolize prosperity — which is what she wants for the first five women who are expected to move in Aug. 1.
Providing housing for men and women who are transitioning back into society is necessary to ensure a safe place exists for them to “rejuvenate their minds and hearts,” and become productive citizens after paying their debt to society, North Charleston Mayor Reggie Burgess said.
He was one of about 50 local politicians, first responders and representatives from other agencies and nonprofits who attended the event.
Gardner’s work to open a women’s home has been two years in the making. But her desire to help fill the gap in resources for reentry emerged about 15 years ago, when she was serving her own prison term.
Patsy Gardner, the Executive Director of A Second Chance Resource Center, has been working to provide reentry services. The newest initiative is opening a transitional housing residence for women returning from incarceration.
Gardner pleaded guilty in 2010 to conspiracy and theft charges after she was tied to an embezzlement scheme at the now-defunct anti-poverty agency she used to lead.
Though she did not agree with all of the allegations levied against her, she said she decided to “cut off a finger to save my hand,” and carry on with life as quickly as possible.
She was overwhelmed with anger throughout her first six months at a federal correctional camp in Florida. But one day, a chaplain preached to the group of hundreds that one South Carolina woman still had work to do. Gardner feels certain he was speaking to her.
She decided to change her behavior and leverage her experience to help others make their way out — and stay out — of the justice system.
Gardner began drafting plans for A Second Chance, which she launched in its first form when she was released in 2013 after completing a 25-month term. The nonprofit now provides a bevy of resources, including transitional housing, job training and an after-school program to returning citizens and their families.
Patsy Gardner laughs with attendees after the ribbon cutting for her first women’s reentry house on Wednesday, July 9, 2025.
After being released, Gardner returned home to her husband, children, home and car. These were a safety net many of the women she met didn’t have.
Even without losing everything, Gardner recalls having to “walk through those doors of shame,” as she unsuccessfully attempted to get back into the workforce. She vowed to do what she could to ease each aspect of the transition for others.
In 2018, that manifested in the form of a “Phoenix” transitional house for men. Now, she’s excited to provide a space for women — one of the few that are available locally. There are nine other transitional homes for women in the tri-county area, according to a spokesperson from the state Department of Probation, Parole and Pardon Services.
Grant money and donations to A Second Chance cover the residence’s $2,600-a-month rent. There was a temporary lapse in the nonprofit’s ability to accept donations from mid-May to early July, but A Second Chance was up-to-date on its paperwork in time for the ribbon-cutting, a spokesperson from the state Secretary of State confirmed on July 9.
The men’s and women’s homes sit side-by-side on a residential street that’s a short walk from a bus stop near Interstate 526 and Rivers Avenue.
Gardner chose not to add signage indicating their status as transitional homes because she wants people to be able to integrate back into society without being singled out for their history.
“We want them to know it’s not how you start, it’s how you finish,” Gardner said. “I want them to feel the love that’s in here and know that all things are possible.”
North Charleston mayor Reggie Burgess prays with other attendees at the ribbon cutting for nonprofit A Second Chance’s first reentry house for women on Wednesday, July 9, 2025.
While the men’s home is sparsely decorated and contains bunk beds that are typical for transitional residences, Gardner and her team meticulously decorated the women’s home.
Donations from Holy City Missions and a local TV station helped fund the larger furniture items like individual sleigh beds and a plush couch. But the touches that make the space feel lived in were gifted or thrifted by throughout the past months by Suzanne Acevedo.
An abstract painting of a tranquil rural landscape overlooks the shared living space and sets the tone for the home. Gardner and Acevedo see the road that cuts through the plains as a symbol of new beginnings.
“It’s about making your own path,” Acevedo said.
To help the residents have a sense of ownership of their spaces, she decorated each bed in a different style and color. Florals create continuity throughout the rooms, and finishing touches dot every corner, from a fully set kitchen table to soft blankets and throw pillows and personal robes and purses waiting for each woman.
“We want them to feel like ladies,” Gardner said. “They’re just not coming home to have a place to live. They’re coming home and they’re rebuilding their lives.”
Candidates for the women’s transitional home complete a 14-page application while they’re incarcerated. Gardner also reviews their legal and criminal background.
Registered sex offenders and people with severe mental illness who require more exhaustive care cannot live in the homes. But there are no other broad restrictions, because Gardner knows her organization doesn’t operate in a vacuum, she said.
Each resident is hand-selected on a case-by-case basis because she wants to ensure they’re the right fit so the community is comfortable with their new neighbors.
Residents have guardrails once they move in. They must make curfew, complete chores and not bring visitors into the house. Alcohol and drug use is not permitted.
A crowd listens to speakers involved in reentry services and causes during the ribbon cutting event for nonprofit A Second Chance’s first transitional house for women on Wednesday, July 9, 2025.
They will also receive intensive case management that addresses physical and mental health, employment and family relations. Help with getting their documents in order and access to household and clothing items also is available.
The women will work closely with a case manager and a peer mentor to ensure they’re ready to move on in about a year.
Anyone who “rocks the boat,” will be asked to leave, Gardner said.
A key fob security system ensures she can grant and revoke access as needed for safety, though police records from the past year show there have been no issues at the men’s house that required law enforcement to intervene.
By putting the right precautions in place, Gardner hopes to remove barriers and help those with the right intentions start anew.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by PostX News and is published from a syndicated feed.)
