{"id":1287,"date":"2021-12-16T14:28:09","date_gmt":"2021-12-16T14:28:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.bowery.org\/updates\/?p=1287"},"modified":"2026-01-08T18:46:18","modified_gmt":"2026-01-08T18:46:18","slug":"michaels-hope-story","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.bowery.org\/updates\/2021\/12\/michaels-hope-story\/","title":{"rendered":"Michael’s hope story: “Now it’s my turn to help others”"},"content":{"rendered":"
<\/div>\n

Michael came back to New York City at the worst possible time, but he found hope and help here at The Bowery Mission<\/strong>.<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Michael was born in New York City but spent his childhood in the Dominican Republic. At an early age, he developed a passion for medical work and helping people. As a young man, he worked as a translator for medical teams from humanitarian organizations, including after the 2010 Haiti earthquake. Seeing firsthand the need for medical care \u201cleft a lasting impression on me,\u201d Michael says. \u201cMy ultimate goal became to study medicine and then come back to serve people in need.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

His savings \u2014 and hope \u2014 were running out<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

It was February 2020 when he moved back to New York City \u2014 just before the pandemic hit. He had saved money with the plan to get a job to pay his way through medical school.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But no matter how many resumes he sent, Michael couldn\u2019t find a job \u2014 any job. \u201cAs time went on, my savings slowly disappeared,\u201d he says. By November, his money was gone. Michael had no choice but to start looking for a shelter. He found The Bowery Mission. \u201cInitially, I felt scared. I knew this was going to be a challenge.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Soon after meeting with someone on our clinical staff team, Michael was able to join our short-term men\u2019s Residential Program. He had concerns about what life might be like living at a shelter. But at The Bowery Mission, he was amazed and grateful to have a comfortable bed, nourishing food and the support and encouragement he needed to move forward.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cEvery staff member I met with was extremely supportive of my ambition,\u201d he says. His fellow residents were also a big help \u2014 some even volunteered to participate in Michael\u2019s clinical practices. \u201cThe other gentlemen I met here\u2026.they are all really great people who are just in unfortunate circumstances, which by no means define them.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n
\"Carlos\"\/<\/figure>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Earlier this year, one of our volunteers, Gloria, shared about Michael: “We had a great conversation. He’s pursuing a career in the medical field. I let him know that we had something in common in that area. Now, every time I serve, I get the opportunity to talk with him. Recently, he shared that he passed his midterms!”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Taking the next step to pursue his dream<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

In January 2021, with the guidance and encouragement of our staff, Michael enrolled at a local college to become a medical assistant. He also began networking for a job and got one at a gastrointestinal and internal medicine practice. In May, he moved into his own apartment. He loves working as a medical assistant. \u201cI don\u2019t treat my job as work anymore. It\u2019s literally something I enjoy. I\u2019m getting hands-on medical training every day.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Michael is grateful for his time here at the Mission. He says the best word to describe it is fulfilling<\/em>. From his own experience, Michael shares words of advice to help others:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n
\n
\"Carlos\"\/<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
\n
\n

\u201cNever give in, no matter how bad the circumstance. When you\u2019re challenged and you\u2019re struggling, that\u2019s where your true colors show. And if you never give in…that\u2019s a testament to your character.\u201d \u2014 Michael<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

Michael is still working toward his dream of a career in medical care and humanitarian work. He says, \u201cNobody succeeds alone. In the end, it\u2019s kind of like a never ending circle\u2026.The help keeps moving forward. The Bowery Mission helped me; now it\u2019s my turn to help others.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/div>\n\n\n\n
\n

You can help others find a fresh start and true hope<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Your support<\/a> helps give people like Michael the opportunity to start fresh and pursue their dreams. Thank you for being part of the chain of generosity that makes the life-changing work of The Bowery Mission possible!<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Michael came back to New York City at the worst possible time, but he found hope and help here at The Bowery Mission. Michael was born in New York City but spent his childhood in the Dominican Republic. At an early age, he developed a passion for medical work and helping people. As a young […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":1288,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[9],"tags":[59,36,66,46,60,47],"class_list":["post-1287","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-stories","tag-covid19","tag-homelessness","tag-hope-story","tag-mens-programs","tag-residential-programs","tag-vocational-services"],"yoast_head":"\nMichael's hope story: "Now it's my turn to help others" - The Bowery Mission: Updates<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Michael came back to New York City at the worst possible time, but he found hope and help here at The Bowery Mission.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.bowery.org\/updates\/2021\/12\/michaels-hope-story\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Michael's hope story: "Now it's my turn to help others" - 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