Everyone deserves a place to call home.
When Jeffery Mathews first signed up for the Urban Senior Jobs Program offered by ULEC, he didn’t tell anyone that he was homeless. He had been sleeping in Lincoln Park and Penn Station, where many other homeless people slept. He felt ashamed.
The staff at ULEC reassured him that there was no reason to be ashamed, and immediately found a short-term solution to take Jeffery off the streets while he continued to train for employment.
Jeffery was committed to his training to become a maintenance assistant, and quickly found work at a local brewing company.
A month later, he was interviewed by a subsidized rental apartment complex in Newark. Jeffery completed the application and became eligible for a housing unit there. With some help from a corporate funder’s grant, Jeffery was able to pay for the security and first month’s rent.
When Jeffery finally got the keys to his own apartment and entered it for the first time, it felt as though he had hit the jackpot.
He was finally home.
The Urban League of Essex County changes the lives of many others just like Jeffery. Your donation to the Holiday Fund sustains employment and housing programs that provide hope to the most vulnerable in our community. Give to help those in need today: holidayfund.org