LIFT

Carlos and Dorka Santana came to LIFT after hearing about its services through the City of Boston and the Circle of Promise, a community-wide initiative to provide critical supports and resources to parents of Boston Public Schools' students (where LIFT-Boston is a lead partner). Working with their LIFT advocate Carly at LIFT-Boston's center in Roxbury, Carlos and Dorka obtained emergency rental assistance and utilities shutoff protection to stay in their home while they searched for work. Dorka recently secured a job interview and enrolled in English classes to improve her communication skills, and the couple is working toward increasing their family’s economic stability.

After working over 25 years in the hospitality industry and working his way up to managerial positions, Bill Viera was laid off from his hotel job in 2007.  He lived off of his savings for three years and struggled to find work, and he was eventually forced into a homeless shelter. With the help of a long-term advocate, Bill was able to turn his life around with a new job with a local retailer, better healthcare, and renewed optimism about finding a permanent home.

Francois Desjardins had been living in an apartment on his own, but was struggling to make ends meet on the small weekly checks from his unemployment insurance.  With only three weeks of unemployment insurance coverage left, Francois was desperate to find a new job.

He contacted LIFT-Somerville for help locating new employment.

After losing her job in March 2007, Maria Selamoglu was struggling to get back into the workforce. With no income and little savings due to a recent divorce, she was falling behind on her rent and utility payments. She found LIFT-Somerville and immediately began working with volunteers to update her résumé and expand her job search.  With LIFT-Somerville's assistance, she soon secured part-time work at Massachusetts General Hospital.

This past year, George Uwanawich became a victim of the foreclosure crisis that has swept through communities across the country. George was living as a tenant in a multi-unit house when he was received the news that what had seemed like a stable home was in the midst of foreclosure. He had gotten to know the volunteers at LIFT-Cambridge as a tax preparation client, so he immediately turned to them for help.

See Safiyah featured as SplashLife's Volunteer of the Week

LIFT-Cambridge volunteer Liz Powers was hooked on serving people in her community from the first time she volunteered as a freshman with a local homeless shelter.  She became deeply invested in the needs of the people seeking refuge there and wanted to develop more meaningful, impactful relationships with them beyond serving breakfast a few hours a week.  After seeking out other programs, a professor recommended that she contact LIFT-Cambridge and she dove into volunteering immediately.  Three years later, diploma in hand, Liz is continuing to serve LIFT clients and the greater Cambridge community.

Chris Whitney first contacted LIFT on the advice of his friend, former LIFT-Cambridge Summer Director Hari Ramesh. Chris, a Vassar College sociology major, had "an interest in what makes people poor and what people who have more resources can do and do about poverty." He wanted to take his coursework in social welfare policy and education and apply it outside the classroom, and Hari’s account of his work with LIFT seemed to offer that opportunity. The former camp counselor and mentor for high school students in the Poughkeepsie community near Vassar was also intrigued by the opportunity to work with adult clients, saying, "Most college students only get to work with kids." Knowing he would make strong connections with experienced social workers at the Cambridge Multi-Service Center clinched his decision and soon Chris was headed to Cambridge to begin volunteering.

Swati Shah came to LIFT through a different avenue than most volunteers. Two years of working as an intern with a large banking firm gave Swati, an Economics and Community Health major, professional experience, but the opportunity to do something more hands-on was what attracted her to LIFT. "With LIFT, you feel a sense of your own power. There is no hierarchy because everyone is working toward the same goal. You become a leader, you’re making a difference, and you’re making a change that you can actually see." The Tufts University sophomore landed the position of Summer Director in the LIFT-Somerville Local Office and set to work bringing about that change.