Kevin Jenkins Success Story

Written by Urban Upbound Team Members

Kevin Jenkins first came to Urban Upbound in April of this year, with a mission to find a full time job, after he was struggling financially. The first step to his success was attending a 3-day Job Readiness Orientation at our Jobs-Plus Long Island City office. During this three day program, clients prepare to enter the workforce, complete a self assessment, meet our team, work on resumes, discuss interview techniques, and learn about all the services Urban Upbound has to offer.

“This program was what got me out of bed every morning. I liked coming down there and was excited to go each day,” says Kevin Jenkins. He explains that this process gave him the push he needed to turn his life around. “The Urban Upbound team was able to get the ball rolling and pave the way for success,” says Kevin.

It wasn’t long after finishing the orientation program, that Kevin found a full time job. He was able to use what he learned in orientation to ace his interviews and was fortunate enough to have several job offers to choose from. While finding employment was Kevin’s initial goal, his desire to succeed did not end there.

Understanding that financial stability goes far beyond a paycheck, Kevin attended a financial workshop where he met one of our financial counselors, Nicole De La Torres. After the workshop, Kevin set up a counseling session with Nicole to take a look at his credit report and find out more information on safe banking options.

“We pulled his credit report and found he had no FICO score because of his lack of credit history for 20+ years,” says Nicole. “We discussed secured credit cards and the FCU’s credit builder loan to help establish and build credit.” Soon after, Kevin opened up a credit and debit account at the Urban Upbound FCU and is working with the team to develop, and stick to, a savings plan.

Over the past three months, our team his been inspired by Kevin’s dedication to lifting himself out of poverty. Kevin has been working diligently to get back on his feet and taking full advantage of our wrap around support services. Since April, Kevin has been able to find a full time job with the help of our employment team, begin building credit and savings thanks to our financial team, find affordable housing with guidance from our housing counselors, and open up a credit and checking account at the Urban Upbound Federal Credit Union. He was even able to refer his daughter to Urban Upbound who is now working with financial counselor Nicole as well!

“Urban Upound is really a one stop shop. You have everything right in one place and it couldn’t be easier,” says Kevin. “I was looking for solid ground. I came to Urban Upbound and everything started coming together for me. People should take advantage of it — If I can do it, so can you!”

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