HRA Pathways Success Stories
Joe Holliday
Joe was one of the first veteran tenants who enrolled in our program at Hollis Gardens Apartments, which is managed by HELP USA. Joe enrolled in a peer mental health counselor training program with assistance from our program. The training program included an internship, and Joe was hired by the organization where he completed his internship as a Peer Specialist. Life in New York City is expensive, so even with his starting salary, Joe needed to pursue a part-time side job to achieve his goal of independent living. Our program hired Joe as a part-time education coach assisting tenants at eligible housing sites pursue their education and career goals. He was later promoted to Housing Specialist at his primary employer and was able to move into his own apartment. Read more of his story in our newsletter.
Kelsey Conway
Kelsey Conway is a single mom of a child with special needs. She started working with our program as a tenant at Acacia Network’s Anderson Avenue housing site. With our program’s assistance, Kelsey completed AS and BS degrees in Nursing at Monroe College and became a Registered Nurse. This led to an offer of a job as a Pediatric Nurse and acceptance into a Doctor of Nursing program. Kelsey's job as a full-time nurse enabled her to move into her own apartment and provide specialized healthcare for her child. Read more of her story in our newsletter.
Abdus-Salaam Musa
Abdus-Salaam came to Hollis Gardens Apartments as a local Queens community member in need of housing. He is also a veteran. With our program’s assistance, he completed a Master’s in Pastoral Counseling and a Doctor of Divinity degree from the Graduate Theological Foundation. He also participated in our stipend program, providing education and other services for the Muslim Women’s Institute for Research and Development. He continues to do contract work with individuals seeking to learn about Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE) as an independent contractor. He has been able to move into his own apartment. Read more of his story in our newsletter.
Melady Clase
Melady came to Hollis Gardens Apartments in 2016, while she was working on her AS in Community Health at Hostos Community College. Our program helped her complete that degree, as well as a BS in Health Sciences at York College. In addition to tuition, books and transportation, our program provided individual tutoring and other services that helped her succeed. Melady was able to secure Section 8 housing and move into her own apartment. Even after she left our program, our program was able to provide her with advice, referrals and recommendations for internships and a scholarship, which she received. She is currently taking prerequisites for a Physician Assistant graduate program, which she hopes to start in 2024.
Courtney Heverling
Courtney Heverling, Garden Manager, is a Hollis Gardens Apartments resident who has worked in the Hollis Community Garden since 2018. She participated in our supported employment program, working for our vendor Project EATS as a resident farmer starting in 2020. In 2022, she became our program’s part-time Garden Manager, putting her previous training to use to keep the garden thriving and to train other tenants and community members in gardening skills. Read more of her story in our newsletter.