Hattie H. of Yonkers has always been good to her family, raising seven children of her own, along with grandchildren, nieces and nephews. But she fell behind in her rent last year after one of her daughters, who did not have a job, and her children, came to live with her.

Buying more food, plus coping with a rent increase, added to her financial woes. Then she was forced to quit one of her two daycare jobs because it was simply too exhausting at her age. “I just couldn’t do it anymore,” Hattie said. “I gradually started to fall behind in my rent.” Hattie decided to go to social services for help.

“I just wanted a one-shot deal*,” she said. “But the caseworker told me I had mismanaged my money and that it was my fault and my problem. Luckily a friend of mine told me about The Bridge Fund.”

Hattie said it took her two days to work up the courage to call The Bridge Fund, but when she did, help was kind and immediate. “They were wonderful,” she said.

The Bridge Fund put together a package of a loan and funds networked from another agency to bring Hattie’s rental arrears of $2,291 up to date. “They also told me about their food pantry,” Hattie said. “I went and got groceries. That helped a lot.” With the rent up to date and her daughter now working steadily, things look much brighter for Hattie and her extended family.

“I have a good job, with benefits, at a local daycare center,” she said. “Things are much better and I thank The Bridge Fund for what they did to help and especially for the respectful way I was treated.”

*One-shot deal: emergency financial assistance from Human Resources Administration to families or individuals not receiving public assistance