Since 1967, everyone working at Project Renewal has had but one goal: to help homeless men and women lead happier, healthier lives. What follows are a few of the thousands of "success stories": men and women who have managed - with the right help at the right time - to overcome the overwhelming odds against them and live in hope and dignity.

Lee Stringer

Undoubtedly our most famous former client, Lee Stringer is the author of three books, has spoken at the UN, has toured Europe and served on three non-profit boards, including ours. He was also a homeless crack addict from the early eighties until the mid-nineties, until he came to Project Renewal's Third Street. There, he got clean and sober and back on his feet. As he said in our 2004 Annual Report: "I’m grateful today...Grateful that Project Renewal was there when I needed it. Grateful that I found my way to its doors. Grateful that I now spend my days engaged in things that are intimately connected to who I am." In addition to being an active board member, Lee regularly returns to Third Street and Next Step as a motivational speaker. And, in 2003, he and acclaimed actress/writer Sarah Jones helped open the Reading Room at Third Street with a dramatic reading from his memoir, Grand Central Winter, an account of his life on the streets.

Jeff Crumpley

In March 2001, Jeff Crumpley, who suffers from severe mental illness, was referred to Safe Haven by his siblings, could no longer cope with his episodic homelessness on the residential streets of Queens. Six months later, Jeff was placed into the Clinton Residence for more intensive treatment and skill building.

Approaching 50 years of age, Jeff had multiple medical issues related to a lifelong smoking habit. But he enrolled in a smoking cessation and support group at the residence (“Kick Butts!”) and successfully quit smoking.

Then some two years later, one of the case aides at the Residence noticed a change in Jeff’s voice; a subsequent examination by the nurse. and psychiatrist revealed two lymph nodes on the right side of Jeff’s neck. This led to an examination by Jeff’s primary care physician who recommended an immediate head and neck work-up at Roosevelt Hospital. Days later, Jeff was diagnosed with a laryngeal carcinoma that would go on to become the size of a tennis ball and restrict 2/3 of his airway. The recommended treatment was eight weeks of daily radiation coupled with four lengthy sessions of chemotherapy lasting over four hours each and the insertion of a feeding tube into his stomach.

The staff at the Clinton supported Jeff throughout his treatment, and the nurse taught him how to feed himself through the PEG tube. For his part, Jeff showed enormous courage and dignity throughout the ordeal in spite of pain that radiation specialists likened to “a terrible sunburn on the inside of your throat”. He was an inspiration to all around him.

Happily, a year and a half later, Jeff appears to be cancer-free.

Kokou A.

Kokou A. came to the US from Togo, West Africa and found himself homeless on the streets of New York City. On March 6, 2002 he entered Project Renewal’s men’s shelter on Third Street. Within a month of his arrival, he was enrolled in Next Step’s ESL class. (Kokou’s native language is French.) Knowing that he wanted to get his GED, he also began at that time to study math with Next Step teacher, Carolyn Fernando.

Having an interest in computers, Kokou enrolled in the Computer Technician Training Program in October 2002, successfully completed the class, and finished his internship in April of 2003. At that time he began to study in earnest for his GED. Working with Next Step’s teaching staff, he took the GED exams and on December 29, 2003 he was issued his GED Certificate.

Steven S.

When Steven S. walked into the doors of Project Renewal’s Next Step he had no idea that his life was about to change. A graduate of the Computer Technician Training Program (CTTP), his ambition was to find a job in the IT field. After job searching on his own for a few months, he knew first-hand the rigors of the job market. When he sat down with one of the trained job developers at Next Step Placement, he explained what type of job he wanted and put his future in her hands. In less than sixty days he would have an interview and a job offer than would propel him from zero income to a salary of sixty thousand dollars a year. Steven is currently working at a new site for his employer and has been made the Network Administrator for that site.

Steve Forminas

Dubbed the Gentle Giant because of his enormous weight, Steve Forminas was the picture of a street-living homeless New Yorker: He always wheeled shopping carts and wagons ladened with belongings and cans for recycling and refused all but intermittent help from our outreach and MedVan teams for nearly seven years. Then in March of 2002, when his weight topped 500 lbs, he let MedVan aide/driver David Wood take him to Bellevue Hospital where he was treated for respiratory failure and pneumonia. Steve stayed there for almost six months; and, upon his release, was persuaded by staff to accept a bed at our Safe Haven and work on improving his health.

Steve did just that: he took up residence at the Safe Haven and, in conjunction with on-site RN Marianne Emanuel and psychiatrist Dr. Tracy Roth, he adopted a new diet and exercise plan while being treated for hypertension and management of an ongoing tracheotomy.

One year later, Steve had lost close to 300 lbs and was ready to make the next step into housing. In October 2003, Steve moved into a supportive housing program run by Fountain House where he continues to be a prominent character in the neighborhood, although this time, happily housed.

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Zena Steingart
Zena, a Russian-born woman with 15 years of homelessness and a lifetime of relocation under her belt, spent three years in our New Providence program before she was open to a housing placement at the Clinton Residence. Suffering from paranoia and ashamed of her mental illness, Zena was described as isolated and withdrawn with little concern about her daily hygiene. However, with the guidance of the staff at New Providence, Zena gained enough comfort to focus on establishing new life goals, which included a safe and comfortable place to live and improved contact with her family. At the Clinton Residence, Zena found a perfect working match with her Case Manager, an MSW student and Supervisor of Project Renewal's A-Plus Outreach. As Zena gained more confidence through improved psychiatric treatment and a referral to Job Links for vocational planning, her appearance took an upward turn. Zena also created a stronger relationship with her family in Little Odessa, Brighton Beach, visiting her mother and teenage daughter on a regular basis and inviting family members to the Clinton Residence. Most recently, with the help of Job Links, Zena embraced the opportunity to work at Fountain House, where she will gain experience in a variety of transitional jobs to build her resume and develop a career.

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Christin Browne
Christin had been in and out of rehabs, psychiatric wards, and therapeutic communities her entire adult life. Finally, she ended up homeless and was referred to New Providence. "I realized no one was going to come save me. I had burned all my bridges." While there, she enrolled in the Culinary Arts Training Program and excelled both in her classes and in her internship at Restaurant Associates, where she was later hired. Since starting there, she has received several raises and was honored as "employee of the month." She is now a catering supervisor and was offered a promotion to sous-chef working under the Executive Chef. Christin now lives in her own place, has been clean for almost three years and regularly attends Alcoholics Anonymous and Narcotics Anonymous meetings, which she says are vital to her continued recovery and well-being. "I am grateful for Project Renewal because they helped me a lot," says Christin. And although she now has a job, an apartment, a car, and an income, what she truly prizes about her new life is "serenity, peace of mind and God in my life and on my side".

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Pedro Sostre
Pedro graduated from both Fort Washington and the Safe Haven programs prior to moving to the Clinton Residence in January 2001. Homeless since the age of 17 after the death of his mother, Pedro spent most of his early adulthood self-medicating mental illness with drugs and alcohol. In addition to spending four years at Fort Washington, Pedro witnessed the entire decade of the 1990's from state psychiatric inpatient wards. As a result, Pedro arrived at the Clinton Residence at the age of 46 having survived - an abusive childhood; a major mental illness; an addiction to drugs and alcohol; a long history of homelessness and destitution; and a series of major medical problems. Despite these challenges, Pedro was intensely motivated to get well and create a new life for himself. In little over a year and four months, Pedro has excelled in this desire - becoming a prominent member of the Bowery Resident's Committee (BRC) MICA day program; connecting to outpatient treatment in the community; successfully managing his healthcare; and looking forward to a referral to Project Renewal's Job Links program to find suitable employment.

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Robert Neugeboren
Robert is the Clinton Residence's most famous resident, being the subject of several books by his brother, noted author Jay Neugeboren (32K .doc) and a new documentary, "Imagining Robert" (http://www.imaginingrobert.org) by filmmaker Larry Hott.

"For 37 years", notes Hott, "[Robert] has lived within the mental health system, his treatment prognosis changing with each new doctor and each new 'cure'. He has been in state hospitals, city hospitals, halfway houses, group homes, jail cells, elite treatment centers, forensic hospitals... Most often, though, he has had an abundance of drugs and a sad lack of care."

Now, however, as a result of working with the staff at Clinton Residence, Robert is a living miracle. Despite decades of doctors' predictions that he would never be able to live outside an institution, Robert is enjoying the longest period of stability he's had since the onset of his disease nearly forty years ago: he has not been hospitalized in over six years. Robert is a successful member of Fountain House, the local psychosocial club where he works in the International Training Unit assisting with tours and education, in addition to working in a Transitional Employment position once or twice a month. As his brother notes, "It's amazing - he is thriving at Project Renewal. I feel like I have the brother I remember back."

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William M.
You'd have thought with his background, William would have had many more problems at an earlier age: he was abandoned at the age of two by his alcoholic parents, along with what would eventually be eight siblings. All of his sisters and brothers ended up having substance abuse problems. Both his parents eventually died from complications related to alcohol. But it wasn't until the mother of his two-month old daughter left him for his best friend that William first tried crack. That, as William says, was the moment in which he wrecked his life.

Homeless and addicted, William spent the next eleven years of his life on the streets and in and out of shelters and jails. Luckily, there are second chances in life. Having, as they say in recovery programs, 'got sick and tired of being sick and tired,' while in jail, William applied to several residential treatment programs. One, run by Project Renewal in New York, accepted him and he spent the next nine months confronting a lifetime's worth of demons for the first time. Once he'd graduated, Project Renewal got him a job - as a porter at a Brooklyn church - and an apartment funded by the Shelter Plus Care program. From there, William progressed rapidly. He started working at Project Renewal, first as a porter, then a resident aide working with other homeless men in recovery, then as a recreational therapist and finally as housing coordinator. His success in getting clients into permanent housing led to a bonus from the city for exceeding our goal for moving long-term shelter stayers into homes. In addition to being a star employee, William is also half way through his Bachelor's degree at the College of New Rochelle.

Meanwhile, while finishing up his treatment, William re-met his childhood sweetheart with whom he'd grown up in the South Bronx. They started dating right before William moved into his Shelter Plus Care apartment. Then, on his sobriety anniversary, in a room filled with other men in recovery, he got down on his knees and proposed marriage. She accepted and they were married on June 21, 1997. They moved out of their S + C apartment and into their own apartment. They bought their first home (complete with their own mortgage) in 2002. The next year, William applied for and gained custody of his teenage daughter from whom he had been estranged for many years. In 2004, he and his wife adopted William's nephew who had been languishing in foster care.

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David Sharkey
i don’t know. it is pretty amazing when you think about it. four years ago i slept in penn station, and was not capable of helping myself.

today i help my mother. i do her check book for her cause she forgets.

my boss took me to dinner the other day and tells me i make his job easier. it used to be if i could hold a job i was nothing but a problem.

today i am able to be there for my daughter who, at 16, got herself into a little jam, and although i know i can’t make her problem go away like i would like, I can be there to listen to her when she wants to talk and give her sound advice.

right now i am in florida. it was 75 degrees today how was the weather up there? i will be here for 2 weeks…my job sent me here. they had a bowling center with a lot of problems with the machines. that’s pretty cool. now they send me all over. it just gets better all the time.

my life today is so much more rewarding and i owe this all to project renewal.

thank you

an email from former client Dave Sharkey,

Senior Facility Manager AMF Metro NY

(excerpt from 2004 Annual Report)

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Janathan Lucas
Janathan wasn’t born to be homeless: he was brought up ‘wearing suits’, an only child, in a Brooklyn neighborhood where his was the first black family on the block. He graduated high school at the top of his class and went on to Howard University. He attended college for just over two years before he left for a job at American Express. Simultaneously, he’d been capitalizing on his knack for speaking in public -- first doing various shows for his church, then going to broadcast school and doing commercials, even emceeing some shows at the Apollo.

When his mother died in 1977, it was a terrible blow: “she was my inspiration, my beacon. Thank God she never lived to see me homeless and addicted to drugs.”

In 1985, Janathan’s father suffered a stroke and Janathan became his home healthcare worker. At this low point in his life, someone introduced him to crack cocaine. “Instead of me trying IT, IT started trying me.” Everything started to go downhill…fast. “I did things I can’t even believe now. I basically stole my father’s pension money for drugs. I took money that was supposed to be going for the house and smoked it up; I even sold my parents 25th wedding anniversary gift…” In 1991 his father sold his house and Janathan became homeless, riding the subways. “My only pride, and I mean my ONLY pride, was never to lay down sleeping on the trains, I’d always sleep sitting up.” Other than that, there were no holds barred: “I smelled bad, I looked bad, I ate out of the garbage…this was not the man my parents raised.”

"It's not like I had to go, I wanted to do it myself."

As he says now, that was the beginning of a whole new world: “Project Renewal saved my life, literally.” Not only did Janathan get clean and sober, he moved into his own apartment at Project Renewal’s Holland House, trained with Project Renewal to become computer technician, got a job with CompUSA through Project Renewal’s Next Step program, and, when he was downsized out of that, started working for Project Renewal at our Fort Washington program. He was recently promoted to weekend supervisor there and is acting as a mentor to new employees at his work location.

Working every day with the homeless men at the Fort and speaking regularly at Project Renewal job-readiness meetings, Janathan is an inspiration to people still trying to escape homelessness. “I’m just grateful to Project Renewal. They gave me my life back, and working for the organization, with men younger than me helps me every day because it reminds me of where I’ve been. You have to keep the past right in front of you, so you never forget. I figure God must have let me live to 55 for a reason…this must be the reason. I thank Him – and I thank Project Renewal for this second chance to become the man my mother would have wanted me to be.”

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Victor Fields
I was first exposed to alcohol and other substances such as marijuana and cocaine on my 13th birthday. For the next twenty-five years, I used drugs. I considered myself a "functional addict". Throughout my life I had held down various jobs to support my habit. I have held two jobs at once at different times; I had a job in the garment district and at Show World at the same time. The garment district job went out of business, then I was a no-show, no-call at Show World too many times; this led to me being fired. I began to do odd jobs in my neighborhood, washing cars; I would pay people's utility bills, sweep and mop buildings. I did not consider myself as having a problem as I was not stealing from people. However, all the money I made went to drugs and alcohol.

This pattern of abuse increased until I was asked to leave by my family, I began to sleep wherever I could on rooftops, behind stairs. Still I did not stop using drugs and alcohol. I was not taking care of my personal hygiene and was beginning to look bad, but I kept getting high. I always found a way to make money, the first money I made went toward getting something to eat in the morning - eggs and grits were $2.15 at that time. I would get my evening meal out of a variety of dumpsters because I used all the money I made that day to get high. I went on like this for almost two years before it became too cold to sleep in hallways and rooftops. I went to Bellevue Men's Shelter and slept on the floor. I then went up to the assessment floor, which allowed me a 21-day stay. On March 22nd, 1994, I went into Project Renewal's Third Street program. I did not intend to stay, as my next public assistance pick-up day was the next week. However, I heard someone speak at a seminar, this person turned out to be my case manager Melvin Love. As he spoke, I thought, "this person is talking about me." I then decided to 'stick it out.' While at Project Renewal, I went on an emotional roller coaster ride.

I uncovered a lot about my past that may have been the reason I was abusing drugs in the fashion I was. On November 10th, I entered a transitional house on Avenue D. While there I worked as a security guard, and kept in contact with Melvin, he helped me with getting a job with Project Renewal at the Times Square Consortium for the Homeless.

In July 1995, I moved into Holland House. I worked at TSC until I ran into some trouble with a co-worker, which led to me being terminated. I then enrolled in the Borough of Manhattan Community College where I earned an Associates of Science degree in Human Services. I interned at St. Luke's Hospital outpatient substance abuse clinic.

I am presently working with Phoenix House as a MICA Specialist in the Fort Washington Men's Shelter. My history of substance abuse has made me estranged from my family; this is one of the costs of being addicted to drugs. However, I do have a strong support network through the fellowship I attend regularly. In my chosen field of work, I take care of my clients as I was taken care of while in treatment. The staff at 8 East Third Street helped me to lift my self-esteem and begin to care about myself. I have gratitude for Project Renewal and the counselors there because they showed me a devout interest in me that I did not have for myself at that time. The interest that was shown me I now show to my clients. I would also like to mention that treatment ends, recovery is life long.

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John McLellan
New York, NY
March 26, 2002

Honorable Michael Bloomberg
Mayor of the City of New York
C/O Mr. E. Geffner
Project Renewal
200 Varick Street
New York, NY

Dear Mr. Mayor

I would like to express my heartfelt appreciation and admiration for the wonderful staff of Project Renewal's mobile medical van. The medical, social work, and clerical staff of this great outreach project are, each and every one, deeply dedicated. This is not even to mention their great professional expertise. I am particularly grateful to the city for this extraordinary service which is in addition to the many other benefits provided to lower income New Yorkers.

I was recently given an apartment at the city's Baruch Houses; it is, in a word, TERRIFIC! After sustaining an injury on March 31st of this year (which prevents me from typing this letter*) I happened to be passing the MedVan on avenue C in my new neighborhood. Based on my experience with the city's services to "Street people," I felt assured of a positive response and, I asked for some assistance.

I was well rewarded for my confidence. Mr. David Wood, A.P.A. with the van attended my wounds very expertly, providing much relief. Equally important was his warm support. He gave me topical medication and some dietary supplements. He gave me the proper referrals, and encouraged me to follow up with the van if I found that to be necessary. I left greatly relieved and encouraged!

On subsequent visits I was no less cordially received by Jesus Nieves who gives so unsparingly of himself for his clients and is always alert to what need of his clients he may fill. This of course is true of each and every of the MedVan team, Craig Simpkins, Amy Della Rocca, James Spellman to mention only a few.

I would like to cite only one (for the sake of brevity) example of the wholehearted dedication of each and every member of the MedVan Team. Although it deals with Mr. Wood, I know it is characteristic of each of these warm hearted professionals, a similar story might be told about any one of them:

I overheard Mr. Wood roundly reprimanding a client for not keeping follow-up appointments. Through Mr. Wood's stern words one could discern the consternation of a concerned father. After a bit he became softer in his approach and with warmth, indeed affection, pulled a couple of dollars from his own pocket. These he gave to the client, urging him to "use it to get to your appointment this time." Mr. Wood was totally unaware of my presence; he probably still is.

As I have said, this approach, one of professionalism combined with sincere and human concern is what makes the MedVan Group the super team it is. Their efforts in treating, counseling and referring me have out the final touch to the boost from the streets, which I needed so badly, to a life of productivity. For this I am profoundly grateful.

Yours Respectfully,
John McLellan

*This letter was originally written by hand.

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The City of New York
Office of the Mayor
New York, N.Y. 10007
August 22, 2002

Mr. John McLellan
New York, NY

Dear Mr. McLellan:

Thank you for your thoughtful letter. I was so pleased to hear of the wonderful care that the Project Renewal Mobile Medical Van provided for you. It is groups like Project Renewal and their dedicated staff that make New York a better, safer and more friendly place to live.

I appreciate your taking the time to write and best wishes.

Sincerely,
Michael R. Bloomberg
Mayor

MRB: bg
Cc: Mr. Edward I. Geffner

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