Ben M., a single father with two young children at home, lost his job with a retailer in October of 2008. “I started collecting unemployment at $405 a week, which wasn’t nearly enough to cover expenses,” he said. “To make matters worse, my wife, who had been sending me $200 per month for the kids, stopped providing funds.”

Despite looking hard for a new job, Ben initially found nothing and fell behind in his rent. “Before I knew it, I was four or five months behind on my Manhattan apartment,” he said. “The landlord started eviction proceedings.”

Then Lenox Hill Neighborhood House referred him to The Bridge Fund.

Several agencies partnered to save Ben’s rent-stabil i z e d a p a r t m e n t—The Bridge Fund, Lenox Hill Neighborhood House, and the Community Service Society. Ben was able to supply $1,185 towards the arrears. The agencies believed it was unlikely that Ben could find a cheaper apartment and that his family would be better off in his current housing.

Ben found a new job, with a net income of $3,727 per month. As of October 2009, he was both working fulltime and receiving court-ordered child support.

Ben said, “So far, so good. The job is going fine and my wife is paying something again. My children are very happy that we are in the same apartment and they are doing well in school. Everything has settled down. I am taking one step at a time and hoping for the best.”

Ben said that The Bridge Fund saved his family in a desperate situation. “Without them, I don’t know where I would be,” he said. “They helped me at just the right time, when I needed it the most. I will never forget them.”