At ONE|NB, we were pleased to participate and invest in Mayor Jorge Elorza’s Providence Guaranteed Income Pilot Program, which provided $500 monthly to 110 Providence residents through our Central Providence Opportunities initiative.
“It’s tough being a single mom, with two dependents, two young children under the age of 18,” said Ms. Perry, a recipient in the Providence Guaranteed Income Pilot Program (PVDGI). “Already, in the first month of the Pilot, my car broke down and I had to get the kids to school. I had to get to class and that money helped me to get a rental until the dealership could refund the money and then that money could go to groceries [and] winter coats.
“With this money I intend to get through this holiday season, gifts and Christmas and birthdays, and then I’m hoping the rest can be saved … and at the end of the year, that’s a sizable amount of money to put down on a house – a home for my children so we don’t have to live in the projects anymore.
“Hopefully we won’t have to struggle. My children didn’t ask for this life – they didn’t ask for these struggles. I do the best I can. I work in healthcare and I feel the pressure of a lot of sickness on my shoulders.
61% of those receiving funds through the Providence Guaranteed Income Program are single moms.
“I’m sure I’m not the only one who works in health care who has the intentions of helping people,” said Ms. Perry. “We all know how moms are. If we can get us all up on our feet, a little bit better, we would be in a really great place despite all of the coronavirus.”
After receiving over 4,000 applications, 110 residents were randomly selected to participate in the Providence Guaranteed Income Program pilot and in November, received these residents received the first of twelve $500 monthly payments.
