BREAKING THE CYCLE OF POVERTY

Every year, our programs give nearly 400 women, children, and families the tools they need to begin their journey toward a life of self-sufficiency.

WHO WE ARE

St. Joseph's Home
St. Mary's Residence
The Nurturing Place
Breaking the Cycle of Poverty

From Our Instagram

York Street Project Impact Report for 2025

LETTER FROM OUR EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

“You cannot get through a single day without having an impact on the world around you. What you do makes a difference, and you have to decide what kind of a difference you want to make.”
– Jane Goodall

Dear Friend,

Every day at York Street Project we make a positive difference in the lives of each woman, child, and family who walks through our doors. We get to witness their resilience and courage. Many are experiencing homelessness, unemployment, and living with unsa fe or unstable relationships. They are scared, but not hopeless. They are tired, but not defeated.

York Street Project is their lifeline. In 2025, we worked alongside more than 380 individuals to bring them out of crisis. Our innovative programs provided emergency shelter, transitional and affordable housing, high-quality early childhood education, and the wraparound supportive services that build stability and bring about transformational change.

Thanks to your generosity, families who once feared for their future are finding new strength.
Under a safe roof, families worked to address their barriers to housing. Our two -generational approach addresses the needs of both the parents and children, ensuring that the needs of the whole family are met. Families receive mental health support through our social workers. They attend workshops, participate in life skills training and parenting programs, and gain access to community resources through our case managers.

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Participation in our employment and training program helps them increase their income. Children are nurtured and cared for through our early childhood development center. The holistic approach to addressing the needs of those who come to us helps them build confidence and access the tools they need to pu rsue a life of independence. This is the impact York Street Project has on the lives of those we serve.

As you know, this has been an extremely difficult year for many communities in New Jersey and Hudson County. Several factors have made it almost impossible for working families— especially single-mother households—to build a safe and stable life:

  • Market rents for a 2-bedroom unit in Jersey City have increased 57% since 2015.¹
  • Hudson County has one of the highest homelessness rates in NJ.²
  • Homelessness in Hudson County increased by 64% since 2022.²

York Street Project responded to these challenges by standing up even taller and leaning on the power of community to deepen our impact by:

  • Advocating for individuals and families who are at risk of or experi encing homelessness
  • Implementing a Trauma Informed Care organizational model to create an environment of safety and trust for those in our programs
  • Ensuring that ALL staff are trained to manage stressful situations in a manner that is consistent with our values and mission

”I made a promise to my children that we would never experience homelessness again. And I meant it. The York Street Project played a pivotal role in our journey. Their support was nothing short of life-changing. They uplift women and children when they need it most, offering them the tools to rebuild their lives with dignity and hope. I am forever grateful.”
– Barbara, Rapid Rehousing resident and mother of three

The need is still great. New restrictions on programs like Medicaid and SNAP go into effect in 2026. We know that this will leave many women and children without access to quality healthcare and nutritious food that they desperately need. The unemployment rate is rising and we know that it will cause more families to have to make impossible choices between rent, utilities, and other life necessities. It is our shared responsibility to step in with even stronger crisis support and safeguards—so that families can continue building momentum and not slip back into poverty or homelessness. We cannot let this happen on our watch.

As we close out 2025, I invite you to make a difference by making a special year-end gift to the York Street Project. Every gift will help us make a positive impact in the lives of those we serve by providing shelter, education, supportive services, and the hope for a family to begin again. It will allow us to offer even more effective, life-changing services that ultimately uplift our entire community.

Please, take a moment to donate and help a family move from crisis to confidence—your generosity truly changes lives.

We wish you a blessed holiday season and a happy New Year!

With gratitude,

Susanne M. Byrne
Executive Director

¹ https://www.huduser.gov, Final Fair Market Rents Documentation System, 2024
² Monarch Housing Associates, NJCounts 2025 Data Dashboard, January 2025.

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