Quincy woman's life transformed by generosity of readers

A year ago, Jean Hurley was homeless and hopeless.
She had just divorced her alcoholic husband, just watched the bank foreclose on the home she'd spent years paying for. She and her 3-year-old daughter had been living in a shelter for seven months while she worked two jobs, seven days a week to try to save money to get back on her feet. "I started to lose everything I worked so hard for for the past nine years," Hurley said.
But with the help of a Patriot Ledger reader who read her story during the newspaper's Lend A Hand campaign last year, those days are a thing of the past. "God sent one person to read my story," Hurley said in an interview in the apartment she now shares with her daughter. "Her name is Barbara from the Quincy Housing (Authority). She is like my angel guardian." The reader helped Hurley get a federal Section 8 low-income housing subsidy. Hurley talked to the owner of an apartment building under construction and arranged to move into a unit in the new building to start her new life.
Meanwhile, $1,000 donated by other Patriot Ledger readers helped Hurley get a car to help her travel between jobs. "She was so motivated to do well," said Helen Ferullo, who works with Hurley and her daughter through Quincy Community Action Programs. "She did all the legwork. We just kind of helped her get there."
These days, Hurley is working hard to catch up on bills. She was a nurse in Brazil before moving to the United States nine years ago, and since her certifications didn't transfer, she'd like to save up money to go back to school. She also wants to buy a car in better condition so that she doesn't have to go to the mechanic so often. But most of all, she is grateful for what she now has. "I'm much more happy," she said. "I have peace, I have peace in my mind."

Category:

Nonprofits & Activism

Tags:

• ghsvid
• ghsnevid
• patriot
• ledger
• quincy
• lend
• hand