It’s the Little Things.

This month’s Street Story comes from our Director of Follow Up Care, Tricia Philbert. Tricia and her team stay in contact with our guests after our outreaches end. They walk alongside each person that that is looking to make positive changes in their lives. Tricia’s story is about Mary and her family who were evicted when they couldn’t pay for their apartment during the pandemic.

Standing on line and seeming to become a bit impatient, Mary still managed a smile when approached by Tricia, our Director of Follow-Up Care. Tricia began with an apology for the wait. “It’s ok,” Mary responded, “I am just happy you came.” Mary was tall, late 40s, slender, and exhausted. She shared that she wanted some information about employment, because she urgently needed to find work. Once Tricia explained that she had some resources for employment that she could provide, Mary seemed relieved and went on to talk a bit more about her current situation. 

Mary had been street homeless for only the past month after being evicted in early February. When Tricia expressed concern for her whereabouts over the past month, Mary said that she had been sleeping in train stations and on the street with her 20-year-old son and their cat, who had been part of their family even before her son was born. Mary seems numb after just one month on the street, and anxious about keeping both her son and her cat safe. Tricia immediately switched gears from looking for employment to finding shelter for Mary and her family.

We are currently inviting more of our partner organizations to join us at outreaches. We’ve found that the more partners we get, the larger number of guests we serve, which means we can make more connections to resources. It so happened that this was the first day in which Community Partner, Deborah Berkman, from New York Legal Assistance group (NYLAG) was on-site. Tricia walked Mary over to see if she could assist with shelter. After meeting Mary and making sure she was a good candidate, Deborah referred Mary to the Adult Family Intake Center (AFIC). Mary was thrilled with the opportunity to actually be able to get off the streets. After a pre-screening, Tricia called them an Uber, provided her with some employment information, and told her to expect a call from follow-up in a few days. 

A couple of days later, Mary contacted Tricia to share that she was at the shelter with her son but was not going to stay because the shelter staff had just informed her that she could not keep her cat due to a no pet policy. She could not bear the thought of parting with the cat that had been a part of the family for 20+ years, so she decided they would leave the shelter to return to the street. There was no way she would give her companion up, even if that meant suffering through cold nights and long days without shelter. There are very few options for people that are experiencing homelessness who have a pet. These animals often alleviate much of the loneliness they experience. After contacting NYLAG, Deborah said that we have to get a reasonable accommodation for her cat as an emotional support pet so it can stay alongside Mary and her son.

With that said, Deborah began communicating with the Department of Homeless Services to request an accommodation. Tricia began to search for a psychiatrist that could help assess that Mary needed her cat, Katche, to provide emotional support and that it was an integral part of getting her off the streets. 

While waiting to get new accommodations sorted, we placed Mary and her family at the Doxie hotel in midtown Manhattan. Mary was extra grateful because she had broken her wrist over the many weeks of carrying a 100-pound suitcase everywhere. 

After a few days on Mary’s behalf, we finally received the documents that would keep Mary and her cat together. She was thrilled and excited that she did not have to part with her furry friend. Although her son had decided to try to find other accommodations, she still had the comfort of Kache. Currently, Mary is safe and sound in her own room and finally getting the rest she needed and acclimating to being off the street. She will now be able to seek medical attention for her wrist and begin her search for employment. 

Everyone has their own path towards putting their life back together. There are so many obstacles Mary still needs to overcome, but for now, we have given her the things she needs to move forward: a place she can rest, options to move forward, and companionship so that she is not alone. 

-Tricia Philbert, Director of Follow Up Care