test - Get Steve off the Street
Donation protected
For the last couple of weeks, on my way to Trader Joes, I’ve been getting to know Steve who has been on the corner of Ave A and 14th St every day, all day long. As I’ve gotten to know him, I found that he sincerely wants to get off the streets so here is his story.
Steve has been living at Project Renewal (NYC), men’s homeless shelter for the past two years since his family’s unfortunate demise, which led to his current condition. It has been his home and the foundation of his future Independent Living Plan that he was gradually achieving with future housing right around the corner. Unexpectedly, Steve was transferred by the Department of Homeless Services (DHS) to a very bad shelter in a not so appealing location in the Bronx just days after finally being scheduled for his first interview with Project Renewal’s Director of Housing. This was a devastating blow and a major setback to his advancement to independent living. It not only was as if he was starting all over from scratch, but Steve felt strongly that the Bronx shelter was in no way a livable situation, and would have put his life in danger. Unfortunately for Steve, as with many others in the NYC shelter system, he felt that life on the streets was the safer option.
Steve spent Christmas, New Years, his 40th birthday, and every other day sleeping on the L-train, until the recent COVID pandemic, which forced the subway system to shut down between the overnight hours of 1am to 5am. From that day forward to the present, the corner of 14th street and Ave A has been Steve’s new bed as he patiently awaits normalcy so he can begin to seek other shelter alternatives aside from the DHS shelter system.
Snowballing backward is a common theme when you live on the street, and for Steve, this began only days into sleeping on the subway. His book-bag was stolen while asleep leaving him with absolutely no identification whatsoever. All of the necessary documents for employment and other social services were in that bag, from his passport and social security card to his PA Drivers license. He was anticipating a job with a moving company that would allow him to work long hours with an on-the-road driver always traveling and saving paychecks, but that dream too was shattered. It would have been the perfect job for a homeless person.
Bouncing back from underwater is a very difficult task when you are chronically homeless, but it is all Steve can try to do at this point. The challenges of working, seeking public/social services, and basically everything in life are close to impossible for him to attain without any identification and his everyday panhandle just isn’t enough to save up for the challenges ahead, but merely a day-to-day survival on the dangerous streets of New York City. It is our goal to raise enough money to cover a trip to the DMV in Pennsylvania, get a cellphone and plan, and hopefully cover a room for a short period of time while Steve works diligently to get back on his feet. We are aiming to raise the $1200.00 that he would have received from the pandemic stimulus if only he had a mailing address and was prepared to acquire it at the time.
The hopeful news is that a lot of local residents really took well to Steve and are really trying their best to assist in every way. To those of you who know Steve personally, he is both a very smart and articulate gentleman and also a kind and sensitive person who attracts the interest of many who have the pleasure of meeting him.
Steve is extremely appreciative of everything people do for him and I know he will have the utmost gratitude for all of your help, so let's get together and try to get Steve on his feet!
If he had had his ID, he would have qualified for the stimulus payment of $1,200. that's the goal of this GofundMe. Thanks, Michael
Steve has been living at Project Renewal (NYC), men’s homeless shelter for the past two years since his family’s unfortunate demise, which led to his current condition. It has been his home and the foundation of his future Independent Living Plan that he was gradually achieving with future housing right around the corner. Unexpectedly, Steve was transferred by the Department of Homeless Services (DHS) to a very bad shelter in a not so appealing location in the Bronx just days after finally being scheduled for his first interview with Project Renewal’s Director of Housing. This was a devastating blow and a major setback to his advancement to independent living. It not only was as if he was starting all over from scratch, but Steve felt strongly that the Bronx shelter was in no way a livable situation, and would have put his life in danger. Unfortunately for Steve, as with many others in the NYC shelter system, he felt that life on the streets was the safer option.
Steve spent Christmas, New Years, his 40th birthday, and every other day sleeping on the L-train, until the recent COVID pandemic, which forced the subway system to shut down between the overnight hours of 1am to 5am. From that day forward to the present, the corner of 14th street and Ave A has been Steve’s new bed as he patiently awaits normalcy so he can begin to seek other shelter alternatives aside from the DHS shelter system.
Snowballing backward is a common theme when you live on the street, and for Steve, this began only days into sleeping on the subway. His book-bag was stolen while asleep leaving him with absolutely no identification whatsoever. All of the necessary documents for employment and other social services were in that bag, from his passport and social security card to his PA Drivers license. He was anticipating a job with a moving company that would allow him to work long hours with an on-the-road driver always traveling and saving paychecks, but that dream too was shattered. It would have been the perfect job for a homeless person.
Bouncing back from underwater is a very difficult task when you are chronically homeless, but it is all Steve can try to do at this point. The challenges of working, seeking public/social services, and basically everything in life are close to impossible for him to attain without any identification and his everyday panhandle just isn’t enough to save up for the challenges ahead, but merely a day-to-day survival on the dangerous streets of New York City. It is our goal to raise enough money to cover a trip to the DMV in Pennsylvania, get a cellphone and plan, and hopefully cover a room for a short period of time while Steve works diligently to get back on his feet. We are aiming to raise the $1200.00 that he would have received from the pandemic stimulus if only he had a mailing address and was prepared to acquire it at the time.
The hopeful news is that a lot of local residents really took well to Steve and are really trying their best to assist in every way. To those of you who know Steve personally, he is both a very smart and articulate gentleman and also a kind and sensitive person who attracts the interest of many who have the pleasure of meeting him.
Steve is extremely appreciative of everything people do for him and I know he will have the utmost gratitude for all of your help, so let's get together and try to get Steve on his feet!
If he had had his ID, he would have qualified for the stimulus payment of $1,200. that's the goal of this GofundMe. Thanks, Michael
Organizer
The Relationship Foundation
Organizer
New York, NY