STRIVE's Hidden Heroes of the Frontline

Not everyone has equal access to the American Dream.

STRIVE is here to change that.

We exist to remove the barriers that stand between our students and economic mobility that disproportionately impede Black and Brown communities.

That pursuit of economic justice is why we serve whom we do:

You’ve met these graduates as hidden heroes of the frontline, making our communities a better place. 

You see what we see in them: Talent. Determination. Value. 

Your donation to STRIVE helps to stop economic injustice. Give before June 30 and your donation will be matched up to $40,000. 

Every gift helps fund an immediate need:

• $50 gives a student the clothing and equipment needed for a new job

• $250 brings a student five remote one-on-one career coaching and support sessions with staff

• $500 provides the personal protective equipment needed for a graduating class to work in essential industries

Our students are determined to overcome the challenges placed in their way. They come to STRIVE ready to seize their own destiny, in pursuit of a life-changing career. 

We can’t do this without the partnership of donors like you. Thank you for supporting STRIVE and doubling your impact.  

STRIVE's Hidden Heroes of the Frontline: Catana

Our graduates are our hidden heroes of the frontline, and we are inspired by their determination to keep their communities moving and operating safely during these extraordinarily difficult times. We are grateful that you believe in STRIVE and our work to help change the lives of those who face the biggest obstacles to employment.

Meet STRIVE graduate Catana, who is a construction project manager for Universal Construction Resources and part of the emergency response team that prevents disasters in NYC. After a year of incarceration, Catana went through 7 different programs that left her frustrated and still unemployed. Then she found STRIVE. Catana credits STRIVE for making her a stronger person and is proud to go to work every day and contribute to the community. Listen to her story:

You can have double the impact! Make a gift by June 15 and your donation will be matched, up to $40,000. Every gift funds an immediate need:

• $50 gives a student the clothing and equipment needed for a new job

• $250 brings a student five remote one-on-one career coaching and support sessions with staff

• $500 provides the personal protective equipment needed for a graduating class to work in essential industries

Your donations help STRIVE to care for and prepare our determined students for life-changing careers. Thanks to you, STRIVE’s hidden heroes across the nation are working diligently to help our communities. Will you support them with a hidden heroes gift?

Thank you for your generosity.

STRIVE's Hidden Heroes of the Frontline: Erika

At STRIVE, no matter where in life a person is when they walk through our doors, they leave with the skills and confidence necessary to excel in careers that make them essential to their communities. 

We’ve seen many of our students and graduates heroically helping protect their communities during this pandemic. STRIVE is honored to share their untold stories of what it’s like to be a hidden hero of the frontline.

This week we are celebrating STRIVE graduate Erika, a safety administrator for Monadnock Construction, which builds affordable housing in NYC. Erika was unemployed for a year and needed to make a change. She signed up for our construction cohort, and now has a thriving career as an essential worker.

Every day, Erika visits 3 to 4 construction sites and makes sure the workers are following safety guidelines, including those protecting all workers from COVID-19. Grateful to have a job, Erika describes what it's like to be a frontline worker during the pandemic in this video: 

We support Erika and the countless STRIVE hidden heroes working in our communities nationwide. Thank you for believing in STRIVE. Your donations continue to prepare those who face the biggest obstacles to employment for new, life-changing careers, even in these difficult times.

STRIVE is proud to partner with Urban Strategies for their work with Monadnock Construction.

Student Story: Erika

After a year of being unemployed, Erika decided she wanted to go back into construction, but didn’t know how to go about it. She knew she needed to take the next step somehow, and after doing research, she found STRIVE. She was very surprised to learn that STRIVE’s services are all completely free, and signed up for STRIVE’s construction cohort.

STRIVE’s free resources and training helped prepare Erika and put her on the path to her desired career. Less than one week after Erika’s last class at STRIVE, with the help of her career coach, she went on an interview with a construction company for a safety administrator position and was offered the job!

STRIVE helped Erika learn that holding back on the confidence she already has would only keep her from being her best self. Four months later Erika is thriving at her job at Monadnock Construction!

“I am so happy and grateful to STRIVE for providing me with this opportunity. Thanks to STRIVE I feel so much more confident and motivated to keep on striving,” Erika said.

STRIVE is proud to partner with Urban Strategies for their work with Monadnock Construction.

STRIVE's Hidden Heroes of the Frontline: Che

Heroes can come from anywhere.

At STRIVE, we’ve seen many of our graduates protect their communities during this pandemic. We’re more proud of them than ever, and we're determined to give their heroism the spotlight it deserves with firsthand stories of resilience, grit, and hope. 

This week we are celebrating Che, a STRIVE graduate working in building maintenance at a women’s homeless shelter. Every day, while most of us stay home, Che does the essential work of ensuring safety and protection from COVID-19 at the shelter, harnessing the teamwork and job skills he learned at STRIVE to truly save lives. Watch his video of what it's like to go to work on the frontline:

STRIVE is honored to be a part of so many hidden heroes’ stories, helping those historically left behind by America’s job market find and maintain stable, fulfilling careers. In these trying times, more than ever, we're especially grateful to our generous donors who help us change lives, helping even more people become the heroes they’re meant to be.

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Student Story: Che

After four years in prison, Che had to make a choice: he could return to the street life, or he could try something different. He had a wife and child, Che decided he wanted to turn his life around. He wasn’t quite sure how—it was hard to readjust to life after prison and find a job—until he came to STRIVE.

STRIVE provided Che with resources, programs, and career coaches to help him stay on track to reach his goals. With STRIVE’s help, Che found a job just six months after leaving prison, as a maintenance worker with benefits. And after less than a year, he was promoted to supervisor!

Che learned that with dedication, drive, and hard work, anything is possible. This is just the first step for him on his career path.

“The transition with the help of STRIVE was like night and day,” Che says.