Help Rich (Jericho single dad of 5) buy a minivan
Richard S. is a single dad with 5 children and has lived in Jericho for almost 2 years. His children attend the Jericho schools and he works at The Home Depot, which is within walking distance from his residence, the Edgewood Motel in Jericho. Richard and his children are a family experiencing the tragedy of homelessness. Almost 2 years ago a catastrophic fire destroyed his home and he and his family became homeless in an instant.
For the first 2 months following the fire, he and his family were bounced around several different motels across the island in both Nassau and Suffolk for one week at a time. This “motel system” used by the Department of Social Services (DSS) has been failing for years. Instability and uncertainty were incredibly traumatic for his children who were 11, 13, 14, 15, and 16 at the time. They were finally placed in the Edgewood Motel and his children were enrolled in the Jericho school system. Richard has a culinary degree from the NY Institute of Culinary Education and was working for the Islanders and the Home Depot until Covid hit and could no longer work for the Islanders.
Although it was stable, the living conditions were horrendous and described as inhumane squalor. There is only a tiny microwave and mini refrigerator in each of the 2 rooms they occupy with a total of 4 beds for the 6 of them. The doors open directly to the outside so anyone can walk up to their rooms from the street. Without security, the threat to their safety was constant. The Edgewood motel is a public motel so random transient individuals engaging in criminal activities and drug use, even sex offenders often stayed at this motel for a few nights or a week at a time before moving on. Richard worked as many hours as he could at The Home Depot during the overnight shift, but without their father there at night, his daughter began to experience anxiety so he returned to the day shift.
Richard found hope when a nonprofit organization, CHI, planned to establish the Jericho Family Support Center for families with children in the Hampton Inn Hotel just down the road from the rundown motel he was in. CHI had successfully established such a facility in Suffolk County and is now the new NYS standard for serving families experiencing homelessness. With 24-hour staff, security cameras, three hot meals a day, childcare services and health referrals services, Richard saw this as a place to restore their dignity and give them stability and security. The CHI system also provides case management, workforce readiness training, and down payment assistance that would help him transition into permanent housing within 6-9 months. Something that DSS was unable to do in 2 years.
Unfortunately, some members of the Jericho community protested the opening of this facility because they misunderstood the JFSC to be the same as the disastrous homeless hotel system that failed in NYC. In reality, the motels in Jericho are part of that same broken system that created all those problems in the city. The JFSC was designed to replace the motel system with something that works for these families without destroying the community. Richard’s hope vanished because community protests and a lawsuit filed by the Town of Oyster Bay, stopped the facility from becoming life affirming support center that Richard and his 5 children so desperately need and could end their homelessness.
Last week, Richard was temporarily rerouted to a shelter over 10 miles away pending the fate of the new CHI facility. Richard’s commute to work by bus now takes 2 and a half hours and an Uber costs $22 each way. This is unsustainable and he could potentially lose his job if he cannot get to work.
We are trying to raise $7,500 to get Richard a used minivan to commute to work and accommodate his 5 children. This family needs a little kindness and compassion right now which is at the very soul of the Jericho community. We would greatly appreciate your generosity and support for five of your children's classmates and their hard-working father with such an indomitable spirit.
Richard’s last name has been left anonymous to protect the identity of his children.
Paula Geslani - WeaponOfKindness