Job Training Helps Joyce Overcome Homelessness

Joyce was excelling in her UPS job and pursuing a social psychology degree—until she was struck by an SUV and badly injured. The accident left her unable to work. With bills and rent piling up, she was forced to drop her classes and she became homeless. Joyce was fiercely determined to get her life back. She learned about Project Renewal’s Next Step Internship Program (NSIP) and saw it as a path to a career and stability. NSIP provides unemployed New Yorkers with classroom and on-the-job training in homeless services work.

As an NSIP intern at our Ana’s Place shelter, Joyce thrived. When COVID hit she volunteered for extra shifts. Joyce’s coworkers admired her work ethic, and she was hired as a full-time Residential Aide. “My colleagues at Ana’s Place are so supportive,” she says. “It’s rewarding to work here and help people who are experiencing some of the same challenges that I’ve faced.”

During the pandemic, with unemployment surging, NSIP has created job opportunities for New Yorkers who need them the most. And the program continues to provide shelters with a vital source of well-trained frontline workers. Joyce has achieved many of her goals. She secured a job, paid off her credit card and medical bills, and saved money.

As a result of her stable employment, she recently moved into her own studio apartment. More than anything, she is proud to be able to support her adult daughter for the first time in several years. “It feels so good,” she says.