As we head into the new year, we want to take time to reflect on the year and how compassion has gotten us all through it together.
During this week, we will highlight a few program participants who have made strides toward achieving their goals—and a program graduate who returned to reflect on their journey.
Day 6: Leila
Leila first visited our new Resource Center office at the NYCHA Manhattanville development this year for help sorting out some housing issues. Then she joined their 3-Gen initiative, which works with whole families to help them get ahead.
She was able to tap into a personal savings program that encourages residents to put aside up to $30 per month for six months, and then doubles their money. “Whatever you save, they match that amount,” she said. “Last month was my sixth month of savings, so I’m excited about that.”
Since the office is right in the development, she drops in frequently. “It’s been a welcoming and reciprocal kind of relationship,” she says. “Whenever I come down, I stop by the office and say hi.”
Day 5: Ian
After being hospitalized for Bipolar Disorder, Ian was connected to the ACT Team as part of his post-discharge plan. “At first, I was a little skeptical… but they quickly proved to not only be caring and friendly, but necessary in my life” he says. “I was met with grace and kindness.”
ACT is a mobile outpatient psychiatric clinic providing intensive support for people with severe mental illness.
“There’s someone I can reach out to morning, noon or night. All these things aren’t on my shoulders – they’re on our shoulders. ACT helps to share that burden and lift you up to be your best.”
Day 4: Kenya
Kenya spent three years in women’s shelters before moving into Goddard Riverside’s Stephan Russo Residence, our newest supportive housing building. Her favorite thing about her apartment? The peace and quiet.
“In the shelter system, you can kind of get lost,” she says. “There’s a ton of women and a lot going on.”
But with her own space, Kenya is thriving. She started a theology degree while living in the shelter, and now her grades are climbing fast. “I’m able to really focus. Having time to myself helps me achieve more.”
And she’s just getting started. Once her bachelor’s in theology is done, she has a goal of getting a Ph.D. or maybe becoming a civil rights lawyer. “I want to help my community with poverty and housing,” she says. “This is a stepping stone, being here.”.
Day 3: Odalys
Odalys’s journey in the kitchen began with our Culinary training program in Manhattan—and took her all the way to France.
After completing her training she got a job and, with the help of our College and Career Services Team, applied for the hospitality program at City Tech in Brooklyn. Now she’s studying in Paris at the famed CEPROC—Centre d’Excellence des Professions Culinaires—and has great plans for her future.
“In 5 or 10 years, I envision myself working in food and beverage management. I see myself also helping kids with similar backgrounds as me.”
Day 2: Kathleen
“I never would have solved this if Jemma hadn’t called – she’s really wonderful” says Kathleen, a member of the Isaacs Older Adult Center for more than a decade. “I had an underlying health condition and when I got COVID, I really suffered from the long-term effects.”
Jemma Marens, Director of the Center, connected Kathleen to a specialist in Long COVID from Mt. Sinai Hospital. “How they managed to figure it out – to detangle it – was amazing, it was such a relief.”
Today Kathleen is back participating regularly in her favorite exercise classes and afternoon tea at the Center. “When I feel like I’m bouncing off the walls in my small apartment, I run in here. It might be for lunch or tea or nothing at all – and I instantly feel connected.”
Day 1: Petiri R.
Petiri R. had a recurring guest role on Issa Rae’s hit reality TV show, “Sweet Life: Los Angeles.” He’s also worked for several years at major Wall Street firms. He says the lessons he learned as a child in our West Side Beacon After School have stayed with him throughout.
“I’m really happy for the foundation that the Beacon instilled in me,” he said, adding that the program helped develop his insight and empathy: “We were playing games where you could step outside of your shoes and have a different perspective than what you normally walk around with.”
Petiri visited to reconnect with longtime Beacon Director Roy Baptiste as he contemplates his next steps in life. “Coming here has been extremely nostalgic for me,” he said, “but also allowed me to express gratitude for the people that helped along the way.”