Good Neighbors, Good Work

At the direction of the City of New York, we have temporarily moved many of our clients from congregate shelters to hotel rooms to limit the coronavirus’ spread. We brought our comprehensive support services to these settings and, at one hotel, we created a brand-new program that is benefiting both the men we serve and the neighborhood.

Project Renewal’s Good Neighbors Program, launched in partnership with fellow nonprofit Goddard Riverside at The Lucerne Hotel, is a new way to engage clients in meaningful activities and contribute positively to the Upper West Side community.

Clients receive paid on-the-job sanitation training—sweeping sidewalks, bagging litter, and removing filled trash bags from corner receptacles. We proudly pay participants the full $15 minimum wage and provide vocational counseling toward permanent job placement.

So far, we have enrolled 25 clients with a waitlist of 14 who are eager to join. The program is a hit with our neighbors too. Several local groups, including block associations, have asked us to expand our services.

Joseph is making the most of his opportunity in the Project Renewal Good Neighbors Program. He worked in food service, which helped him maintain his sobriety, but he lost his job when COVID hit.

Living at The Lucerne, he was eager to find new work. The pandemic limited his job options, but when we started Good Neighbors in November, he was the first to sign up—and he has been an exemplary employee ever since.

“I’m grateful for this job because it keeps me busy and keeps my mind occupied,” says Joseph, who is also working with one of our vocational counselors to find longterm employment. “It makes me feel like a better person and it has helped me stabilize myself and find purpose.”