“School wasn’t an option. I had to work. We arrived in New
York on October 10. I had a job on October 12.”
Pablo Delgado takes pride in living the strong work ethic he learned from his father, and shows his children that to accomplish their goals they must work hard every day. That is, in fact, Mr. Delgado’s story. He was only 17 years old when he immigrated to the United States. He taught himself English, got his GED while working full time, and performed any job he could find until he was admitted to the police academy.
All was well until June 2019, when his wife, Luisa, was diagnosed with a pituitary gland tumor that put her life and the life of their unborn child at extremely high risk. Throughout the pregnancy, Luisa experienced intermittent loss of vision in both eyes and a host of other debilitating symptoms. To help care for her and their children, ages 5 and 4, Mr. Delgado was often forced to leave work early, or to miss entire days. He had become accustomed to working as much as 60 hours a week to earn enough to comfortably provide for his family. As the pregnancy progressed, he could work only 30 hours a week. The family breathed a sigh of relief in February 2020, when a daughter was born and both mother and baby were well. Unfortunately, the coronavirus made returning to work dangerous, so Mr. Delgado remained at home for almost three months until he was cleared to return to work.
Bridge Fund financial assistance was provided to him within a week of his referral to our program. It included a modest grant and a $1,500 interest-free loan for rent, plus a $250 food card. This was all that was needed to keep this family safely in its $1,099-a-month, rent-stabilized apartment in Brooklyn. “Thank God The Bridge Fund exists! It’s nice to know there is someone out there fighting for everyday New Yorkers!” said Mr. Delgado.