When Leandra fell behind in her rent, the hard-working, single mother of four children had just started a full-time position with a New York City health insurance company. Her new job brought new expenses: commuting by train and subway added $250 per month; childcare expenses increased to $800. Her rent was already high. And her new paycheck just didn't stretch as far as she'd hoped.

"When you add in food, clothing, and other expenses for a family of five, my salary doesn't go very far," she said. "Even though food for four children was one of my major expenses, I couldn't get Food Stamps because they said my income was too high." When it came down to buying food or paying the rent on time, Leandra chose to buy food for the children, ranging in age from 5 to 12. The family fell two month’s behind in the rent and was facing eviction, when an employee at her children's daycare center referred her to The Bridge Fund.

"The Bridge Fund loaned me $1,100, which helped pay my back rent and kept me and the children from getting evicted," Leandra said. "The case manager made up a budget which really helped me manage better on my tight income."

With her rent up-to-date, Leandra feels she had avoided disaster. "It was the right help at the right time," she said. "I really appreciate what they did for me. It helped me out of a very difficult spot and got things back on track."