Mr. and Mrs. Benicio have lived in Fair Haven for many years. They have two children, ages eight and three. Mr. Benicio was laid off from his job as a construction worker in December due to lack of work, leaving the family in a desperate situation. To make matters worse he was not eligible for unemployment. and Ms. Benicio is a stay at home mom, the family suddenly had no income. The family was in a desperate situation and struggled to pay the rent, and pay their bills.

 

The family was able to get assistance from their local church for help with utilities. However, that still left the family with the problem of getting food on the table and clothes on their back. Ms. Benicio heard about Centro San Jose from a friend, and during the month of January the family participated in our Coat Drive, receiving coats, hats and gloves. While at Coat Drive, Mr. Benicio met with one of our case managers who enrolled the family in our food pantry program. Because of Neighbor 2 Neighbor / United Way funding Centro San Jose is able to offer our food pantry one day a week. This funding also enables us to allow our clients to choose from a variety of healthy foods including fresh fruits and vegetables. The program also offers eligible clients $50.00 food vouchers to local grocery stores in order to purchase items such as baby formula, and household supplies. The Benicio family is particularly thankful for the availability of fresh produce each week for their growing children. Mr. Benicio thanks the staff at every visit, and has stated that the support he receives from Centro San Jose has prevented his children from having to go to bed hungry, and allowed him to be able to focus on finding employment to support his family.

 

Mr. Benicio was able to work out a payment plan with his landlord, and found employment during the month of March. The family continues to utilize our services and programs.