Success Stories

Empowered Homeless

• Ralph’s Success Story

  50-year-old Ralph Yow has lived in nearly every corner of New York City.  Born in downtown Brooklyn, he’s spent time in the Bronx, Queens, Manhattan…and certainly seen the worst of what these boroughs have to offer.

  Ralph’s mother battled alcoholism and he was raised in run-down shacks and projects all over the city.  As a kid, Ralph struggled in school and began abusing drugs and alcohol in his early teens.  What started off as experimentation… Read More

• This week in Project Comeback: December Graduation

  Last week, we celebrated our Project Comeback Graduation. Graduates, their proud friends and family, current program participants, and ACE staff gathered at the Joyce Theater to celebrate. The afternoon was, as always, filled with incredible stories of the men and women who, with ACE’s help, have left homelessness behind.

  Kim told the audience about the importance of trust: “Steve said something to me one day when I first started: he said ‘I trust you.’ Trust?!… Read More

• This Week in Project Comeback

  My name is Harvey Semler; I have been a job developer for 37 years. I’ve been at ACE for three of those years, and I have the opportunity to work one on one with our program participants every day. Our clients come to me after three months of comprehensive workshop participation in preparation for the job search portion of their time in Project Comeback.

  As I like to say, “looking for a job is a… Read More

• Kelvin’s Success Story

  As promised, we’d like to share Kelvin’s success story with you. Fancy parties are great (once or twice a year!), but this is the real reason we do what we do. The men and women in our program work so hard to rebuild their lives, their success means the world to us.

  This was one of the most moving and meaningful moments at our Black & White Ball. We couldn’t be prouder of Kelvin and… Read More

• Jacqueline’s Success Story

  

  Jacqueline’s success story, in her own words.

  Walking along Prince Street near the corner of Mott last summer, you may have noticed a vibrant and engaging woman speaking to passersby about Use Your Head, ACE’s new resale boutique. That woman, Jacqueline, is one of our most recent Project Comeback graduates and we could not be prouder of her success.

  Jacqueline was born in Harlem to a good family. She and her twin sister were… Read More

• Kelvin’s Success Story

  A Message of Gratitude

  Like many of our Project Comeback graduates, Kelvin’s journey to us was a long one. He came to our program with a history of drug and alcohol abuse and a pattern of institutionalization for possession, selling and petty theft. Given the circumstances of his childhood, Kelvin got caught up early in a destructive cycle he could not see his way out of and, while he says it was “one hell of… Read More

• Ha’Saan’s Success Story

  Ha’Saan’s success story, in his own words.

  Originally I’m from Newburgh. It was a wild little town. It still is.

  I grew up in an alcoholic home. Most children, when you raise them, you try to raise them with happiness. My growing up was always filled with darkness, because I was witnessing negativity every day—the alcohol. I used to be traumatized seeing my mother get beat up by my father. I grew up thinking that… Read More

• Rodney’s Success Story

  Rodney’s success story, in his own words.

  I was born in Harlem, here in New York. I grew up in a dysfunctional family with three other siblings. I was made to feel less than them because I was the dark one; my siblings are half Hispanic. I got beat up. I grew up thinking I was the ugly duckling because I was dark. Christmas and holiday times came around and I wasn’t allowed to go… Read More

• Linda’s Success Story

  Linda’s success story, in her own words:

  I was born in Brooklyn; I have two sisters and two brothers. My parents are deceased. My family, we have a good bond. My little sister, she’s a police officer. My older sister isn’t working; she has triplets. I’m the black sheep.

  My mother brought me up pretty good; she made sure I went to school, was raised up in church. But I wanted to be down with… Read More