Wearing her home health aide uniform, Jashirse Gonzalez took to the podium and introduced herself to a packed conference room at Catholic Charities of New York’s 80 Maiden offices as a single mother of a 5-year-old boy. He was in the audience, beaming with pride.
“I left college before becoming pregnant and found myself with no income,” explained Gonzalez. “Relying completely on my parents for support, I knew that to get ahead, I needed to either find a job or finish my education. But my biggest challenge was figuring out how to care for my child while I did so.”
“Then my mother gave me a brochure for this training program; I called right away and enrolled,” said Gonzalez.
Catholic Charities of New York launched the program, Bridge to Healthcare, in 2024 to meet two growing needs: language training and workforce development to help New Yorkers find dignified work, as well as the growing labor shortage in the healthcare industry.
“It was perfect for me because the sessions were offered in person and digitally. I was able to complete the course and get hired shortly after. It was exactly what I needed to secure a flexible job and allows me to work part-time or full-time,” said Gonzales.
Accomplishments and New Beginnings for a Dignified Career Path
The crowd she spoke to consisted of over 50 fellow Bridge to Healthcare students and graduates, also wearing work scrubs, and an equal number of prospective students looking to join a January cohort. The gathering doubled as informational recruitment and a celebration of the students’ achievements.
Since Bridge to Healthcare’s launch, the program has helped more than 90 students earn home health care aide (HHA) certification and secure job placements. At the celebration, we announced we will expand offerings to include certified nursing assistant (CNA) training.
Also in attendance was María Luisa Castañeda, Assistant Director of Education at 1199SEIU’s Division for Training and Employment Funds, who was an early adviser in establishing Bridge to Healthcare.
“Over the course of the home health aide training, you have proven that you possess the empathy, the patience, and deep sense of responsibility needed to succeed and to work in this new profession,” said Castañeda, addressing the students and graduates. “Technology can never replace the human touch and compassion you bring to this vital profession.”
Castañeda emphasized that many Bridge to Healthcare students are new Americans learning vital English skills through the program.
“The country needs immigrants like you. Our healthcare system, our communities, and our society are made stronger, richer, and more compassionate because of your hard work, your diversity, and your dedication,” she said. “This country is full of doors waiting to be opened. I strongly encourage you to keep learning English. I’m still learning, just like you. I’m also an immigrant. You had an excellent team here at Catholic Charities for helping you along the way, and today you are writing your own stories, your own success stories.”
Those words resonated with Bridge to Healthcare graduate Mamadou Saliou Diallo, originally from Guinea-Conakry. “When I came here, I was afraid to speak,” he said. “This program gave me opportunity, clarity, and the confidence to speak, to introduce myself, and to find work that I’m proud to do.”
Diallo plans to take Bridge to Healthcare’s CNA course when it opens up in the spring and hopes to continue his studies to become a doctor eventually.
The event was not without its dashes of quirk and entertainment. Julie Merlot, a personal trainer, bodybuilder, and fitness influencer, led participants in a group workout, incorporating resistance bands that they all got to take home. A pair of clowns mingled with the crowd.
Supporting Students and Building Community
Olga Merediz, Tony Award–winning vocalist and actor from Broadway’s In the Heights and many major films including Encanto, Blockbuster, and Evita, joined Catholic Charities of New York Workforce Development Manager Vivial Villar Gaudry to deliver a bilingual presentation of SMART (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound) goals.
Merediz, a native of Cuba, has been an important source of moral support for Bridge to Healthcare, creating videos to encourage students along in their training.
“We have an aging population,” said Merediz. “We’re going to need a lot of nurses and home healthcare workers. It’s a wonderful profession to get into. And Catholic Charities is really providing them with a pathway, step-by-step, to having a wonderful career helping other people.”
Villar Gaudry delivered remarks about Catholic Charities of New York’s ambitions to create a community of support around its workforce development offerings. “Bridge to Healthcare is more than an English and a job training program,” she told the crowd. “It is a place to learn, to grow, build confidence, and create new opportunities. Our mission is to help people prepare for a career in healthcare and build a better future.”
She told the recruits, “You are in the right place. We want to take care of you. We hope the stories you hear tonight will inspire you to believe in your own dreams.”
Taking the Next Steps: Brdge to Healthcare Expands
Elaine Roberts, Director of Catholic Charities of New York’s International Center, the organization’s provider of English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) instruction, spoke about why Bridge to Healthcare provides a “double-benefit” to the community through workforce development.
“There is a shortage of healthcare workers at all levels nationwide, and in New York City in particular,” said Roberts.
“A lot of the folks that we’re working with were professionals in their country of origin. Some of them were doctors, nurses, and physical therapists,” said Roberts. “They’re very eager to work professionally here. It’s not the best use of someone’s skills to have them working in a pizza kitchen if they were a registered nurse in the birth country.”
Roberts explained that Bridge to Healthcare graduates had a role in advancing the CNA offering. “Many of the students from the first two years of the program said to us, ‘HHA is great; what can I do next?’ Based on their input and feedback, we’re designing a program that will help them prepare for their next step in the field.”
By welcoming alumni and prospects together to celebrate Bridge to Healthcare, the team delivered a message that the program was growing in its journey just as they were. Villar Gaudry summed it up well in her speech: “Every journey starts with a dream, but success comes when we take the first step.”
Catholic Charities of New York, Bridge to Healthcare, the International Center, and our colleagues want to thank all of the funders, volunteers, supporters, and students who have made this event, and the workforce development initiative that it commemorated, a success!
We are currently partnering with The New York Times Communities Fund to raise $1,000,000 to support Bridge to Healthcare. Give today to make a difference for job seekers while helping address a critical healthcare worker shortage.
