JAR is a proud supporter of Win’s Young Adult Income Building Program (YAIB). Win transforms the lives of New York City homeless women and their children by providing holistic solutions for safe housing, critical services, and groundbreaking programs that help their families secure and maintain their independence.
Launched in 2017, YAIB provides vulnerable youth living in shelter with targeted programming and support to overcome barriers and acquire the tools to move towards economic self-sufficiency. In the past two years, the Program has supported over 400 young people. In the past year alone, over 95 percent of participating members pursuing a high school diploma or equivalent maintained their enrollment, 11 returned to school, ten gained a vocational or trade certification, and 30 started college.
Success Story:
John, aged 18, moved into Win’s Junius shelter with his mom and younger sister in 2017. Like most families arriving at Win, they had experienced multiple instances of housing instability. The trio emigrated to the United States from the Dominican Republic, doubling up with extended family in Florida. They moved to NYC hoping for a better future and stability. John focused on securing his diploma and caring for his family, especially his mother who is deaf. Fluent in Spanish, American Sign Language, and, now, English, John often acted as his mother’s translator.
John graduated from high school in June 2018 and decided college was not for him. He was shy and unsure of the type of job he wanted to apply for when he began working with his Young Income Building (YAIB) specialist. John’s YAIBs then introduced him to The Door, a Win partnership, where John participated in all the on-site job readiness workshops they had to offer.
John became one of the Program’s very first graduates.
Working with YAIB specialists, John created his resume and practiced his interviewing skills, all while building up his confidence level. Up until that point he had minimal employment. After applying to several jobs, John’s YAIBS encouraged him to submit his resume for a position through one of Win’s partnerships, Wegman’s Supermarket. John applied for a Team Member position and shortly thereafter was called in for a group interview, which was successful. It was followed by an additional phone interview and then, finally, an in-person interview. One week later he received the great news: he had been hired in their Meat Department with a starting salary of $16.25.
John credits the Young Income Building Program for his success. He says he would never have gotten to this point without them. Programs like YAIB are instrumental in breaking the cycle of homelessness, as they provide the educational and vocational tools needed for our young adults to get on a stable path early on. This allows them to get—and stay—out of shelter. John said: “I really like my job, I am learning a lot and can’t wait to go to work in the mornings. I am so thankful for my specialists at Win!”
Thank you Win for your partnership in making a better and safer NYC.
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