PERC: A Genuine Recipe for Success

The Story of Valerie and Dan

They had just finished major renovations on their rented apartment: sanding the hardwood floors in the living room and bedroom, and installing a new tile floor in the kitchen.  And then, in a matter of weeks, they were on the street.  They lost all of their furniture, appliances, and clothing, not to mention their work on the new floors. 

How could this have happened?

Valerie and Dan (not their real names) had a comfortable life.  Dan worked as a truck driver and Valerie, as a waitress.  They each earned a modest income, enough that if one of them came on hard times, a single wage could tide them over.  Unfortunately, hard times fell on both of them at the same time.  Valerie lost her job when the restaurant where she worked went out of business, and Dan became unemployed when his company was relocated to another state.  Valerie and Dan had not accumulated a savings, and so, within weeks, they were forced onto the street. 

Friends took them in initially but were unable to house Valerie and Dan for the amount of time they needed to find new employment, let alone to accumulate enough savings to cover the first month's rent and security deposit.  The desperate couple tried a rooming house, but that quickly became untenable.  A friend of Dan recommended that they speak with Tom at PERC shelter. 

That phone call changed their lives. 

Valerie and Dan entered PERC shelter in early March.  Valerie enrolled in free computer classes at PERC, and Dan found a job with a trucking company in South Kearny two weeks later.  Fortunately, Dan can travel to his job via public transportation (he catches a bus to Journal Square at three-thirty in the morning) because Valerie and Dan will not be able to afford a car for quite some time.  Upon graduation from her computer course in June, Valerie began seeking a new job.  With her new ability to draft a resume and her new highly marketable computer skills, Valerie was well on her way to bigger and better employment opportunities.

Just this past month, Valerie and Dan left the shelter and moved into their new apartment in Union City.  Together, they had managed to accumulate enough funds for their first month’s rent and security deposit.  They will be collecting furniture, clothing, and other household items for their apartment from PERC's donation program, and they are back to feeling optimistic.  Now, setting up a savings account is first on their must-do list. 

Valerie and Dan turned to PERC when they had nowhere else to turn.  Thanks to the support, help, and training from PERC, Valerie and Dan are back on their feet and self-sufficient once again. 

Hard times can fall on any of us.  People like Valerie and Dan are glad to know that PERC is there to help.