Yonkers residents Kali C. and Gaelen D. were both working at a Medical Center in Valhalla when Kali lost her job as an operating room assistant.“I had been there a year and loved my job,” she said, “I was totally crushed when it happened. It was a blow emotionally as well as financially.”

Gaelen had worked for the medical center for eight years and the couple and their two young children at first thought they could manage on his salary plus her unemployment benefits.

“But we were wrong,” she said. “We really needed my income and started falling behind on our rent. Fortunately, the landlord never took us to court or gave us an eviction notice. But he definitely wanted us to bring our rent up-to-date.”

Kali was referred to The Bridge Fund by Westchester Medical Center’s Employment Assistance Program. “I went to their office, sat down and talked to them, and they said they would help us out,” Kali said.

The Bridge Fund helped the family clear up their $3,525 in rental arrears. The Bridge Fund covered $1,075, obtained $1,175 from other sources, and Galen and Kali contributed $1,275.

Kali’s employment situation also took a positive turn.

“I went to work for a temp agency and got a position as a receptionist at a doctor’s office. I worked very, very hard. They liked me and offered me a permanent position, which I now hold.”

Kali said she believes she and Gaelen are now on the road to financial stability for themselves and their two children, ages 3 and 9.

“The Bridge Fund gave me a renewed sense of confidence in myself,” Kali said. They are making monthly repayments on their loan.