If there was one word to describe Patti Petti, it’d have to be positive. Born in New York City and raised in Somerville, New Jersey, Petti and her three siblings were reared by a single mother. Despite enduring a few hardships throughout her life, Petti’s mother, Mary, always taught her children to be thankful for their good fortune and to always help others in need.
“She reared four children on her own, on a waitress’ salary, put us all through college, and no matter how down and out in Beverly Hills we were as a family, we were always taught, ‘But for the grace of God, there go I,’” Petti says. “She always had our hands in volunteering and being involved to help others.”
Petti began volunteering at a young age. She and her siblings would help Mary deliver end-of-the-day bakery goods from local bakeries to the Agape House, a 54-bed shelter that provided temporary housing and case management to homeless families. According to Petti, she and her siblings eventually became Mary’s ambassadors with delivering goods to various charities and organizations.
Petti received her master’s degree in education with a specialty in reading, and worked as a school teacher for 37 years, teaching students in kindergarten through grade eight. Once she retired, Petti and her husband, Richard, moved down to Annapolis where they’ve lived for the last three years. Because they didn’t know many people in the area, Petti and Richard decided to join St. Mary’s Parish. Through that, Petti also joined the Ladies Ancient Order of Hibernians, where she met Patricia Slaughter, CEO and founder of The Bernie House.
The Bernie House provides safe, transitional housing to homeless families who have left an abusive situation. The organization provides a single-family home for the non-offending parent and children for up to two years, as well as many resources, such as counseling, job training, and child advocacy and day care. It gives the family the opportunity to develop and become self-sufficient in a safe environment with lower financial requirements.
“When I met her [Patricia Slaughter] and I heard her story, I realized that my mother had placed me in her hands and said, ‘This is where I want you to work, girl,’” Petti reflects.“So, I immediately became a friend and a colleague of Patti’s as far as going forth and doing the work for The Bernie House.”
Petti began volunteering with The Bernie House in 2016 and seems to have her hands in several pots, dubbing herself as an “all-around helper.” Petti assists with creating event invitations and the editing of materials, organizes the venues for Bernie House events, prepares and works silent auctions, and even bakes pastries and goods for The Bernie House and other organizations.
“You’ll find her walking storefront to storefront asking for donations for our silent auctions, reaching out to local businesses and organizations for sponsorships—which is a daunting task and is not something everyone can do and rarely as well as Patti does,” Slaughter says. “Nothing deters her.”
For the past few months, Petti’s focus has been on The Bernie House’s inaugural Mardi Gras Ball, which will be held Saturday, February 22, at the Annapolis Waterfront Hotel. In addition to being Slaughter’s righthand woman in preparation for the event, Petti will also be baking for all the attendees—and yes, that includes the famous Mardi Gras king cakes. The purpose of this event is to celebrate The Bernie House’s success and bring awareness to the community about the organization, as well as to raise money for a second house. The goal is to raise $130,000 for the new house, and as of mid-January, The Bernie House has netted $71,500.
While Petti appreciates many things about The Bernie House, she says her favorite part about the organization is the fellowship.
“[I like] the feeling of making a difference,” she explains. “Putting someone in a place where they can grow. As a teacher, that is really important to me. One of my favorite things when I was teaching was just to take them from this point to where I was able to lift them up. I think that's the same feeling I get when I'm working with The Bernie House.”
“Patti is the beacon in the night, brightening the world for so many families fleeing domestic violence,” Slaughter says. “Her kindness helps to break the chain of violence from one generation to the next.”
For more information on The Bernie House or to purchase tickets to the Mardi Gras Ball, visit theberniehouse.org.
