Feds give $2.9 mil to 10 homeless aid groups
Monday, December 28, 2009

Ten Hudson County homeless assistance programs have received federal grants from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.

The grants were awarded through HUD's Continuum of Care program, which provides nearly $1.4 billion of aid to 6,400 existing programs nationwide.

Hudson Country programs received $2,924,008.

The Jersey City-based nonprofit WomenRising received the biggest Hudson County award - $644,268 for its "Project Home," a transitional housing program that serves 18 families at a time.

Among the other organizations granted awards were Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Newark; Jersey City Episcopal Community Development; Let's Celebrate, Inc.; New Jersey Housing and Mortgage Finance Agency; NJ Department of Community Affairs; and North Hudson Community Action Corporation.

SARAH RAHMAN

With WomenRising, she moved her life to the plus column

Thursday, August 13, 2009
By PAUL TAKAHASHI
JOURNAL STAFF WRITER

Jersey City resident Adrienne Howe never thought she'd land a job in hotel services, especially in this economy. But all that changed with the help of WomenRising, Inc., a Jersey City-based community organization that empowers women and their families.

"I was laid off for quite some time and had some personal issues," Howe said at a recent open house held by the group. "I wanted to get a job and get my life back moving."

Howe, 56, turned to WomenRising's Community Partnerships in Hotel Employment for help. Started in 2001 in conjunction with the Hudson County Community College, the program helps low-income residents get entry-level jobs at hotels with opportunities for advancement.

After 360 hours of training in hospitality, housecleaning and front desk operations, Howe landed a job with the Sheraton Lincoln Harbor Hotel on the Weehawken waterfront. She oversees continental breakfasts for executives. Still employed after two years, Howe said she is hoping for a raise and a promotion.

"This (the program) gave me a different attitude on life," Howe told roughly 20 women who attended the open house on July 28 at the organization's office on Fairmount Avenue. "I told myself, this is going to happen.

"You have to have a good attitude," Howe added. "Some of the guests can be difficult, so you try to accommodate everyone."

About 184 people have graduated from the hotel program since it started eight years ago.

This year, WomenRising is adding a course in culinary arts, said William Bajor, the organization's director of community and economic development.

"We began to see that a route through the kitchen brought success," Bajor said. "We wanted to make sure people got training in kitchen safety and hygiene."

For more information about WomenRising programs, call (201) 333-5700 Ext. 532.