“We’re like the mafia. Once you’re in, you’re in!”
Project Stay is a life-long support network designed to support our graduates in their transition to self-sufficiency. It consists of several components crucial to job retention: regular group meetings, post-employment services (both job-related and personal), individual case management, financial incentives, and the opportunity for educational advancement. Project Stay is unique among job-readiness aftercare programs in New York City, in that it provides lifetime support for graduates to cope with the challenges they will face, thereby fighting the cyclical nature of homelessness.
Mandatory bi-weekly meetings offer our graduates a forum in which to discuss workplace issues, share struggles and successes, identify future goals, asses progress, share advice and receive vital support from their peers. Project Stay also facilitates workshops and seminars on a variety of topics to build career and life skills. Topics include financial literacy, networking, leadership skills, business etiquette, conflict resolution, time management, work/life balance, and stress reduction. Bi-monthly recreational outings bring everyone together in a positive social network, allowing graduates to catch up with friends and reward themselves for their hard work.
We ensure that our graduates have access to the resources they need. We assist them, both on-site and through outside referrals, in finding healthcare, housing, child-care, free tax preparation clinics, substance abuse outpatient programs, and educational opportunities. We continue to offer tutoring in basic math and English, plus guided computer classes.
Project Stay rewards our graduates with financial incentives for reaching certain employment milestones ($250 for every six months of employment, ending at the 18-month mark). This encourages their continued participation in the program during the most vulnerable period of their rehabilitation and helps them to establish themselves economically.
Finally, we have created a scholarship in the name of our founder, Henry Buhl, at The Metropolitan College of New York. The Buhl Scholarship awards a full scholarship to at least two graduates each year, offering them the opportunity to pursue a degree in Human Services while maintaining their employment. Graduates are eligible for the Buhl Scholarship when they have been employed for at least six month and demonstrated stability and commitment to their vocational goals.