When a family member who lives far away needs help, travel expenses and loss of wages can quickly drain savings and lead to rental arrears.
Craig Murray’s parents immigrated to New York City when Craig was very young and always told him how lucky he was to grow up here. He proudly served in the US Marines for 15 years, married his high school sweetheart, and had three children. While serving in the Marines, he
acquired many mechanical skills working on different equipment, and has now put his training to work as a mechanic at the local VA hospital.
Whether serving his country or caring for his family, Craig’s motto has always been “Semper Fi” —always faithful. So, last spring, when Craig’s oldest son, Kevin, became quite ill, Craig quickly traveled to the Midwest to care for Kevin and help with his son’s family. Craig’s travel expenses, loss of wages and helping out with Kevin’s expenses, put Craig five months behind on his rent.
“My son needed my help,” Craig explained, “and I had to go. What else could a father do?”
Because Craig had been a good and reliable tenant over the last six years, his landlord was very willing to work with The Bridge Fund of Westchester to come up with a resolution. Bridge Fund staff worked out a plan in which VA services provided two months of rental arrears, Craig himself paid $3,379 and The Bridge Fund provided an interest-free loan of $1,766. The family’s housing was secured.
Craig is grateful for the dedicated support of The Bridge Fund in resolving his arrears and has already begun to pay back his Bridge Fund loan. “I was so lucky to get this help, and I want to pay this back so others can be helped too.”