Larry Thompson, an African American single Newark resident in his early sixties, had served our country proudly as an Army Cannon Crewman. The US veteran was referred to Goodwill NYNJ’s Homeless Veterans’ Reintegration Program(HVRP)  in August 2021. He was homeless and had been sleeping by a Stop and Shop store. So our team immediately took Larry off the street and placed him into a hotel with the help of one of our partners.

Then, our team provided Larry case management wraparound supports, including connection to partners offering the basic services to secure permanent housing, to address food insecurity and clothing to stabilize his life. Then the team took Larry to a treatment facility so he could receive the support he needed to address substance use recovery. Finally, to help him secure work, they help him develop his resume, and only three months later, in November, a breakthrough! Thanks to his perseverance and his trust in Goodwill, the team helped him get a job as Warehouse Associate at Stop & Shop earning $15/hr. In this position, Larry organizes and packs online orders. The fast-paced environment keeps him on his toes and his supervisors are very pleased with his performance.

Thanks to Soldier, one of our community partner specialized in tackling homelessness among Vets, Larry received a housing voucher through the US Veterans Administration (VA). And on December 16, Larry moved into his own apartment, where he enjoyed the holidays in the warmth and safety of his own home.

Goodwill NYNJ operates a Homeless Veterans’ Reintegration Program(HVRP) to provide US veterans job training, counseling, and placement services (including case management, wraparound supports, career services, retention supports, job readiness, literacy, and skills training) to expedite the reintegration of homeless veterans into the labor force. Goodwill offers these services in seven Northern New Jersey counties: Bergen, Essex, Hudson, Morris, Passaic, Somerset, and Union.

Submitted by:

Beatriz Baldwin, Senior Vice President of Northern NJ Division
Chrisovalanti “Chris” Beckus, HVRP Career Advancement Specialist