You Are Offering a Lifetime Support Network
Dear Friends,
Tonight, nearly 60,000 men, women and children will be sleeping in a shelter and thousands more will spend the night on the streets. Tragically, we are witnessing the highest rates of homelessness in New York City since the Great Depression in the 1930s.
While there is no quick solution, we are encouraged to see that more and more community members want to get involved. ACE was founded 26 years ago with a few men from local shelters earning a wage to sweep several blocks in SoHo. Since then, because of stakeholders like you taking action and voicing support, we have grown to provide a full curriculum of adult education, industry-recognized trainings, and paid work experience; while also cleaning and beautifying hundreds of blocks throughout the boroughs. ACE’s suite of services has proven to help New Yorkers who are formerly homeless or incarcerated get back into the workforce. But what happens after they secure a full-time job?
For someone who has not had a job in years, or maybe ever, the first year of full-time employment is a major transition. In order to help our graduates establish long-term economic self-sufficiency, ACE offers them our lifetime aftercare program called Project Stay. Through this program, ACE graduates can access services for life, and our staff follows up with each of them monthly for at least two full years after they have secured employment. They have access to individualized case management and career coaching, financial incentives for maintaining employment, social events, industry-recognized trainings, financial coaching, and much more. The goal for the men and women at ACE is not just to find a job—it is to lead a life of economic independence.
As a supporter of ACE you have done more than just help someone find a job. You have provided years of training, support, and positive relationships that serve as a foundation for our participants and graduates to build a life of independence. Thank you for all you do to empower men and women who are experiencing homelessness in New York City.
Sincerely,
James Martin
Executive Director
Lawrence’s Story in His Own Words –
Overcoming the ‘Invisible Society’ and Finding Love
Before I came to ACE, I was unemployed for more than ten years. During that time, I was caring for my mother while she was really sick. Taking care of my mother became an excuse for me to not work. In 2010, my mother passed away and my family fell apart. I had no way to pay my rent, and getting back in the job market was really difficult because I had been unemployed for so long. I got evicted and for five years I was living on the streets, in the ‘invisible society’—where no one looks at you or cares about you.
“In 2010, my mother passed away and my family fell apart.”
My outlook on the future was very bleak. I was medicating myself to cover up the fact that I was doing nothing. When you are homeless, it’s so dark, you just want to escape and the easiest way out is to use drugs. But that just makes things even darker. People fall into a vicious cycle and they think the drugs will make them happy. They end up looking for attention in all the wrong ways because they just want to be seen. The only way they can be seen is by causing some kind of trouble.
In those days, I was falling into an abyss and I knew I had to change something, so I surrendered to my higher power. It was right then, in 2015, that I saw a presentation about ACE and decided to give it a try. I also met my girlfriend right at that same time. We had a lot in common, but we were just friends at first. With a lot of hard work, things started falling into place.
“People fall into a vicious cycle and they think the drugs will make them happy.”
Being at ACE was great. I believe they saw an individual who had potential, and they were willing to give me the opportunity to prove myself. They have a combination of classes, work and support. The most important thing, though, is the trust that they put in me.
“When I was in the ‘invisible society’, I didn’t think I would ever find love again.”
The staff worked with me for months and sure enough I got hired as a sanitation worker. When it happened, I felt like I mattered again. Before, people would look down on me, like he’s homeless, he lives in a shelter. Not anymore. I have my confidence back. I know I am a valuable citizen of New York City.
I’ve been working full-time since November 2015. Me and my girlfriend have our own place in Staten Island and we have both been clean for five years. We have a lot of the same interests, we enjoy foreign movies, we read a lot, and we are just there for each other. When I was in the ‘invisible society’, I didn’t think I would ever find love again. Now, I just bought an engagement ring and in 90 days I’m going to propose. I remember discussing my girlfriend with my ACE counselor 3 years ago. I wasn’t even ready to ask her on a date. Now, I am going to be getting married.
There are more hard working men and women like Lawrence making their comeback right now. Make a gift today, and take part in their incredible journey to economic self-sufficiency.
35 New Yorkers Experiencing Homelessness Secure
Full-Time Jobs
On June 21st, over 100 ACE supporters gathered at the ACE Center for Workforce Development to celebrate the most recent 35 men and women who secured full-time employment. To graduate from ACE’s job-training program, Project Comeback, means finding full-time employment. Every graduate has secured employment and will be starting their next week at work, instead of in a program. Graduates are enrolled in ACE’s employment retention program, Project Stay, where they continue to meet with ACE staff to further build skills and pursue educational goals that will lead to higher earning power and long term economic self-sufficiency.
Thank you to each supporter who made these successes possible. Together, we have helped over 3,000 New Yorkers secure full-time jobs.
Join us for our next Graduation Ceremony at the ACE Center for Workforce Development on October 11th at 6:30 PM.
RSVP to ttinney@acenewyork.org
Will You Become a Monthly Sustainer?
ACE Founder Henry Buhl
Every Tuesday and Wednesday ACE enrolls new program participants who are eager to pursue their goals of full-time employment, independent housing, and family reunification. Only because of the regular support from community partners like you are we able to plan ahead to meet the growing demand for services that address homelessness. That is why we are asking our supporters to become monthly sustainers. Your monthly support will make it possible for ACE to plan consistently for the future, offering life changing services and community to New Yorkers experiencing homelessness.
To become a monthly sustainer, visit www.acenewyork.org and fill out the form on the donate page.
Thank you for your commitment to the men and women served at ACE, who are working so hard to build a life of economic self-sufficiency.
You make life changing success stories possible. Make a tax-deductible gift today and put a New Yorker on the path to self-sufficiency.
