For Abdoulie, this Father’s Day started out with work, just like most Sunday mornings. Abdoulie is a cab driver, and the wee hours of the weekend are when he does some of his best business.
But Father’s Day 2017 is different for Abdoulie. Thanks to Single Stop, a longtime Robin Hood partner, all of his children are now full-fledged American citizens. Robin Hood was the founding funder of Single Stop, an organization that provides streamlined access to critical social services for those in need.
Abdoulie moved to NYC from Gambia in 1989. He found work in the kitchens of Houlihan’s and McDonald’s – his favorite menu item was Chicken McNuggets – and later became a taxi driver. His wife stayed behind in Gambia and raised their growing family with the money he sent back.
But as his children grew older, Abdoulie and his wife decided it was time for the entire family to join him in the Bronx.
“Because here, there’s a lot of opportunity,” Abdoulie explains. “So they can do better for themselves. They’re young, but when they grow up, I’m sure they’re going to be doing better.”
While Abdoulie never once regretted reuniting his family, there were challenges – big ones. The cost of living in New York City is much higher than Gambia, and even though he was driving five days a week he had trouble feeding his children.
On the advice of a friend, Abdoulie visited a Single Stop in West Harlem operated by the Center for Urban Community Services. Over the course of a few visits, staff members helped him sign up for food stamps, get an apartment in the Bronx that his family loves, and secure citizenship for his children. All of his kids are now thriving, and his 17-year-old daughter dreams of becoming an engineer.
“When I went there, I didn’t know what to do,” Abdoulie said of his first visit to the Single Stop. “Since I went there, my life is different. Definitely.”
Robin Hood wishes a very happy Father’s Day to Abdoulie and every dad who has devoted his life to helping his children do better.
Single Stop is now in nine states and has connected low-income Americans to over $3 billion in benefits.