Resident Stories: Meet Naomi

Naomi is a Black Latina and the young mother of two boys. They reside at our Upper West Side location. Despite the challenges of the pandemic, Naomi has shown a fierce determination to build a better life for herself and her boys. Even when finding childcare was difficult, she completed a home health aide training program.

She enrolled her four-year-old in pre-K, where he has participated in virtual learning. She didn’t let language barriers stop her as she helped her son with virtual learning while still learning the technology herself.

Naomi lost her restaurant job in summer 2020 due to pandemic closings but applied for jobs nonstop. This past winter, she shoveled snow for the sanitation department—exhausting work that she did well. She’s committed to being a positive role model for her two sons.

An update on Naomi: Her resiliency is remarkable—but it shouldn’t be this hard.

Naomi is in the process of obtaining a voucher for permanent housing that will allow her family to transition out of our Upper West Side family shelter. She and her two sons are doing well.

She works in housekeeping at a hotel, while another young mother resident babysits the boys. Naomi is enrolling her sons in 3-K and kindergarten, and looks forward to working as a home health aide once her sons are in school.

Thank you for sharing your story, Naomi!