I have a friend who lives in Jericho Housings Kingsbridge Terrace location. I have to say that it feels a bit awkward at times when I have to leave my ID downstairs in the lobby. I feel uncomfortable with it. Sometimes I'm afraid to visit my friend because of the fear of violating a rule that I'm unaware of that could potentially get my friend in trouble. To be honest the set up that the building has is a bit too strict... for a building that advocates helping veterans it seems like they have rules in place because they don't trust their tenants. At times it feels like I'm visiting a patient.
The Jericho Project is an amazing organization, that I have had the privilege of working with for the last year and a half. The staff, board members, and volunteers are incredibly dedicated to helping not only veterans but the entire homeless population. Jericho's unique approach to homelessness offers a whole range of services to assist people.
Jericho Project has a dedicated staff and group of volunteers who work very hard for this organisation. I've been involved with Jericho since it was a tiny project working out of a squalid office in a run down SRO. Even then the help provided to its 20 or so clients was transformative. I'm still friends with some of the reisedents I met there in the early 80's, men and women who have been loving to their family, friends and larger community. It's amazing what a little consistent help and support can accomplish. Now Jericho has a large budget and helps thousands but still one wonderful human at a time and for as long as they need help.
Jericho Project provides the tender loving care so many people lack in their difficult lives. Expecting people to be honest hard working, etc. the folks at Jericho are helpful and supportive and remain so even when people fall short of these expectations. As with all of us, we need our support systems most during the trying times in our life. Jericho is there for people when they are at their neediest and when they are on a roll, they can take advantage of all the many available resources in education, technical training, employment, medical health and family services etc. Jericho meets my idea of a nearly perfect social service organisation.
This is a generous group of people (staff, volunteers, board members) that provide a solution to the homeless. On any given night, a virtual army of 150,000 veterans are homeless across the nation, including an estimated 1,200 in New York City. I think we all get a little desensitized to the meaning of numbers that are cast about day after day ... A billion here, a trillion there, five hundred million over here, and after awhile all the talk and all the numbers become mindless background noise.
The Jericho Project as an Organization has made a tremendous impact on the Community as a whole. Experiencing the accomplishments first hand by taking part in the Associate Board and our various events, you see what the Organization really means to not only the veterans but the homeless community as well. The Staff and fellow board members are very enthusiastic and involved and it is an amazing Organization to be part of.
Jericho has played an incredibly important role in getting people “off the streets & on with life”. There is no better way to say that. With an issue like homelessness it is great to see an organization like Jericho be so hands on in the process. The additional training, counseling and goals of the organization show that it is truly here to help people for the long run. It is amazing to see the actual process first hand not only through our many generous monetary donations at different events, but also in the form of volunteers helping to furnishing, painting, etc. of a new home for a needy family. I started attending events by the associate board about 3yrs ago and I was so impressed that I became a proud member of the associate board about 1yr ago. It is great to see a continued effort to get more people involved first hand because that can only help to lead to more success in the future.
As a proud member of Jericho’s Veterans Advisory Board I have had first hand experience in all of the good that they are accomplishing in the New York City area. Helping spread the word about all of this is a no brainer, everyone likes to hear good news especially when it has a direct impact on their own neighborhood. Whether it be helping out organize an event or just talking to friends about The Jericho Project, I’m happy to do my part.
I am a pround member of this wonderful organization. Jericho is one of this country’s leaders in providing supportive housing for the homeless, including homeless veterans. Jericho’s unique supportive housing model goes far beyond merely providing shelter; it includes comprehensive counseling, job training and family reunification. Through our Veteran’s Initiative, we are currently building two state-of-the-art, LEED-certified veterans’ residences, featuring small studio apartments and staff offices. to be able to actually see the dollars at work, and being employed so cost effectively is one of the things that sets this organization apart from the rest
As a long-time Jericho member I have seen the amazing growth and development if this organization. I am continually amazed by the dedication of staff as well as the very high success rate. This is an organization which is unusually well run and consistently achieves its goals.
I was able to meet all of the staff and board members, as well as directly see the tangible results with the people utilizing Jericho. It is an amazing organization providing a solution to the homeless. The awareness campaign of our organization is crucial to our continued expansion and growth in helping the homeless with a permanent solution and not temporary solution.
As an Associate Board Member of the Jericho Project, I help organize fundraisers and community initiatives. The entire board is enthusiastic about contributing their creativity, passion, and can-do attitude to such an important mission. In the last year, we have organize a Thanksgiving dinner for the program's residents and put on several events, raising money and helping to publicize Jericho’s mission. Working closely with the organization, I have learned about the issues surrounding homelessness and the kind of lasting solutions that are possible.
I approached them to raise funds because I believed their comprehensive model of reaching out to and inspiring a person is the best way to approach homelessness. As a combat veteran, I've witnessed firsthand the effects of war and have also seen the impact Jericho can make on a life. It is this reason I chose Jericho among many other organizations to dedicate the funds I raised in conjunction with the Ironman. For a couple months I had the pleasure to volunteer with them and was extremely impressed with the professionalism, dedication and compassion each staff member demonstrated from the top to the bottom of the organization. Their foundation hinges on the belief that each person, regardless of background, can achieve "success" with the right resources and support. This idea is something we should all consider. I will continue to support them as they build up their programs for veterans.
As a Board member, my goal is to make sure Jericho has the best management and staff possible, and to support them in every way possible as they help homeless weterans. Our veterans in deserve nothing less. Very impressed with the deep and experienced advisory council Jericho has assembled to guide the organization on working with veterans from Iraq (OIF) and Afghanistan (OEF).
I have been supporting the Jericho Project for the past twelve years. What keeps me involved is the organization's holistic solutions and the real-life stories of success that I have heard. The team - from the counselors, to the administrators to the board - are incredibly dedicated to changing people's lives and it is inspiring to work along with them. I would also add that Jericho's demonstrated results prove that best work can be done without the greatest cost. In that respect, Jericho is a model for many non-profit organizations.
I have been involved with the Jericho Project since 1992, and have been on its board since 1996. Jericho is an outstanding organization because it addresses the root causes of homelessness and, by providing a host of supportive services, helps its clients stay sober, find jobs and, where appropriate, reunite with family members. NYC's shelter system of "3 hots and a cot" costs NYC taxpayers about $30,000 per person per year, and does nothing to help homeless people find a means to sustain themselves and move to independent, taxpaying life. Jericho provides the support services its clients need to kick drugs and alcohol, build careers and pay their own way in society, yet only costs $11,000 per person per year. There are countless success stories, but one of my favorites is of a former Jericho resident who had been an alcoholic for many years and had gotten so low that she was drinking nearly a gallon of rum a day and "Just waiting to die". She had no job prospects and lacked even a high school diploma. She came to Jericho, having decided to get sober and make something of her life, and with the tremendous support she received from the Jericho Project, got her GED, earned her undergraduate degree and earned a Masters degree in Social Work from a prominent NYC university. She now works for Jericho, counseling other residents and showing them what you can accomplish when you decide to do it. Each year, Jericho hosts an awards ceremony as part of its Thanksgiving celebration, and recognizes a resident and a graduate from each of its sites for their outstanding achievement. The nominations come rolling in and it is often difficult to choose finalists from among the many stories of dedication to sobriety, working hard at a career, and generally restored dignity of contributing to society that our residents demonstrate. Since its origin in 1983, Jericho has had a long and proud history of leadership in recognizing and addressing the most important crises contributing to the homelessness in NYC (crack in the 80s, AIDS in the 90s, and our newest crisis, the flood of homeless veterans). Its model is effective, evidenced in its success rate of graduating roughly 30% of its residents each year into sober, independent, tax-paying life; and Jericho accomplishes all this for a fraction of what it costs to house someone in a shelter ($30K per person, per year) or a jail ($40K per person per year). Jericho's model is sustainable and scalable and extremely cost-effective. And the best part? It works. Jericho is an investment in our future.