at Suares is soft-spoken and hardworking. He has had a job with Goddard Riverside’s TOP Opportunities program for five years, and he lives in a bright studio apartment in Corner House, one of Goddard Riverside’s four supportive housing residences. He gets together at least once a week to cook dinner with a group of friends from the building.

Seven years ago, Nat was jobless and homeless. “I was dually diagnosed,” he explained, referring to the clinical term for people with severe mental illness and chemical addiction. “I was staying in a one bedroom apartment with my sister. I was staying in the living room. Then we lost the apartment.” Nat was living on the street. Then he heard about Project Reachout, Goddard Riverside’s continuum of homeless services, and decided to stop by the drop-in center. “It was great,” he recalled. “They helped me get a room in a shelter that same night.”

That night was the beginning of a deliberate and demanding journey Nat would make with the support and guidance of Project Reachout staff. In addition to helping him find shelter, they provided emergency food and clothing, and engaged him in appropriate mental health care and substance abuse treatment. He began staying in Safe Haven, Goddard Riverside’s transitional supportive housing, and attending the therapeutic day program at The Other Place (TOP). The program at TOP helped him understand his dual diagnosis and improve his life skills in preparation for permanent housing.

Nat began working his way up through TOP’s vocational training program. While he had managed to find work over the years, his varied job history spoke more to the turmoil in his life than to a cohesive employment record. “I was a professional acrobat for Big Apple Circus,” he said. “I worked for a dude ranch. I worked in Saks, seasonal, you know. I was a messenger. I worked at Burger King.”

Nat got a job with Green Keepers, Goddard Riverside’s social purpose business which provides horticulture and maintenance services. He worked for the team assigned to the Lincoln Center Business Improvement District and then moved on to the Riverside Park Team. “We do a lot of things,” he said. “We rake the leaves, maintain the park, and change the garbage. We do weeding, planting, shovel snow, and break ice. Fall, winter, spring, summer – we’re outside. Spring is my favorite.”

Today, as Assistant Crew Leader he is responsible for acting as a liaison to the Riverside Park Fund and for supporting and training crew members, all formerly homeless adults with mental illness. “Most are familiar with the work,” he said. “It’s basic.” He understands, though, that the social aspect of working can be the hardest adjustment. “We’ve had a member for seven months. He doesn’t talk to anyone, but he’s a good worker. He needs to open up.”

Nat has lived in Corner House for four years. He likes the combination of privacy and on-site support. “It’s really nice. It’s my own space. I got my kitchen. I got my bathroom. I don’t have to go down the hallway.”

Looking to the future, Nat imagines he’ll have the same apartment and job six years from now. His words of advice to others: “You’re supposed to stick with it. When it’s working don’t give up.”