Bolstering a safety net
Angel and Julissa Rivera were blindsided by their descent into homelessness last summer.
They were struggling to make ends meet as they raised two young daughters in their apartment in East Boston. Julissa was unemployed, and then Angel lost his job, too.
Still, they were hanging on — Angel was doing odd jobs for their landlord — in exchange, he thought, for reduced rent.
The news that the arrangement had broken down came not from the landlord himself, but by way of an eviction notice.
More than 3,800 families in Boston are homeless, a number that has risen substantially in the past year, according to the city’s latest homeless census. That number doesn’t even include the 1,100 families living in hotels and motels being paid for by the state.
The Riveras, though, were lucky. A social worker directed them to Travelers Aid Family Services, a remarkable agency that provides aid to the homeless. It also helps families that are on the brink of disaster, a growing population.
“Many of them are paying 50 to 70 percent of their income in rent. It doesn’t take much to put them into serious situations where they can’t pay their rent,’’ said Bruce Liddell, executive director of Travelers Aid Family Services.
Travelers Aid was one of five agencies that took part in a city program intended to help families like the Riveras avoid becoming homeless.
Using federal stimulus money, the agencies award grants for back rent, utilities, or, if necessary, a new place to live. About 170 families have gotten assistance so far.
Not only is the program a boon to distressed families, it also saves a lot of money, Liddell said. “We’re spending about $3,000 a family to help them avoid becoming homeless. That’s compared to $25,000 a year in the state’s emergency shelter program.’’
When the Riveras found out in June that they were being evicted, they had one month to find a place to go, and very little cash. Their options appeared to be moving in with relatives or into a shelter.
“I thought we were going to be on the street,’’ Julissa said. “It would have been one thing if it was just us, but we have two daughters.’’ Her eyes welled up at the thought.
“We’re a family, and we need to be together,’’ she said. “I can’t thank Travelers Aid enough for everything they’ve done for us. They didn’t just help me; they helped my daughters.’’
I’ve written before about Travelers Aid, a small agency with a large presence in the lives of many homeless and formerly homeless families in the city. But in this season — when the financial stress on families increases, and the spirit of the holidays puts special emphasis on helping fellow citizens — another mention is warranted.
The program that helped the Riveras is just one of Travelers Aid’s initiatives to get people out of homelessness and emergency shelters, and back on the path to independence.
One of its boosters is Mayor Thomas M. Menino, who is donating use of the Parkman House on Beacon Hill this Thursday night for the group’s annual Home For The Holidays fund-raiser.
The Riveras did leave the apartment they were living in, but with the help from Travelers Aid, they now live in another apartment in East Boston. They have also made impressive strides in getting back on their feet.
Angel Rivera just completed a certificate program at a technical school in Lynn and is hoping to land a job in information technology. On Friday, Julissa learned that she had just landed a new job, working in customer service. Both said they want their time on assistance to be as brief as possible.
“This has made us want to do things more quickly,’’ Angel Rivera said. “We appreciate the help, but we don’t want to depend on it.’’
Adrian Walker is a Globe columnist. He can be reached at walker@globe.com. For more information on Thursday’s event, call 617-542-7286. 
