Nonprofit
A Helping Hand
BY ANGELA MATUA
AMATUA@QNS.COM
Anonprofit that provides jobs and
career training to people who
struggled with homelessness
moved to Long Island City.
The Association of Community Em-ployment
Programs for the Homeless
(ACE) celebrated its 25-year anniversary
by moving to a bigger space at 30-30
Northern Blvd. ACE, a nonprofit cre-ated
in 1992, has helped approximately
2,500 New Yorkers secure full-time
jobs. The nonprofit runs initiatives such
as Adult Basic Education, a vocational
rehabilitation program, and gives par-ticipants
access to affordable housing.
Previously located in Manhattan, the
ACE Center for Workforce Development
moved to a 7,100-square-foot space in
Queens that includes two classrooms for
job training and education, a computer
lab with 20 computers and a kitchen
and common space.
Several Queens elected officials
have worked with ACE to provide jobs
to clients who clean and beautify ma-jor
streets in Long Island City, Astoria,
Woodside, Jackson Heights, Corona,
East Elmhurst and Forest Hills. Recently,
Senator Jose Peralta allocated $75,000
40 JULY 2017 I LIC COURIER I www.qns.com
to hire two ACE clients to clean Roo-sevelt
Avenue.
“The opening of ACE’s Center for
Workforce Development in Long Island
City, Queens means greater access to
life-changing, job-skills training for men
and women who are homeless,” said
James Martin, ACE executive director.
“We are proud to now call Queens home
and look forward to giving back to this
great community. ”
ACE’s programs include Adult Educa-tion
Program, Project Comeback, Project
Stay and Project Home.
Adult Education Program offers
classes and workshops in literacy, nu-meracy,
computer proficiency and job
readiness and life skills development.
Project Comeback is a four- to six-month
vocational rehabilitation program that pro-vides
recovering homeless individuals with
skills and supported work experience.
Once clients graduate, they are pro-vided
with support groups and one-on-one
counseling with a certified rehabili-tation
counselor through Project Stay.
Monthly recreational events are also
held to reunite with ACE staff.
Some graduates are also provided
with a three-year rent subsidy and have
to pursue education or job training in
return as part of the Project Home.
Photo via Facebook/ACE New York
The opening
of ACE’s Center for
Workforce Develop-ment
in Long Island
City, Queens means
greater access to
life-changing, job-skills
training for men and
women who are home-less.
We are proud to
now call Queens home
and look forward to
giving back to this
great community.
JAMES MARTIN
ACE executive director
