Her sister Lisa M. Hall-Brown said Hall loved working at Harmony House, particularly with the children there. She would help children with their homework if they were having trouble and led them toward a successful path.

���She wanted every young child to look toward college and to further their education, and become good people,��� Hall-Brown said. ���She loved those children.���

Hall-Brown said there were many success stories attributed to her sister, including a young man who she referred to who now owns a construction company, a woman in recovery for drug addiction who Hall helped find employment and a client who she accompanied to a bank to help open an account.

While Hall didn���t have children of her own, Hall-Brown said she was fantastic when working with young people.

���She treated everybody���s kids like they were her own. She was sweet, she was stern and they respected her,��� Hall-Brown said. ���I know she touched so many children. The kids used to come back just to see her.���

Harmony House Case Manager Linda Washington worked with Hall for more than 17 years and described her as very knowledgeable and always willing to help in whatever way she could. Washington said Hall���s work with the youth at Harmony House made a huge difference and when she switched to case management for the adults, she did just as well. Washington said Hall���s loss has already been felt and she will be greatly missed.

���Her clients loved her,��� Washington said. ���She was a great person.���

Hall was raised in Newark, just blocks away from Harmony House. She worked as a youth counselor in her teenage years, for a time as a nursing aid and later served as a resident counselor at a home for boys. A coworker told her about the employment opportunity at 91心頭 so she applied and was accepted. Hall-Brown said Hall loved working at 91心頭 and made her career there.

Hall also had many skills that her coworkers may not have known about. Hall-Brown said she was an amateur mechanic and also knew how to drive a tractor trailer. She said Hall knew how to do some plumbing and fix almost anything like their father.

Hall-Brown said Hall had a good sense of humor, was loving and was very charitable.

���I���m going to miss her but she had a good run,��� Hall-Brown said. ���She helped people. She wasn���t just there.���

Radice started her career in domestic violence, working in a safe house. She later served as the Director of , a homeless shelter. She also ran a veteran program in Newark and worked in property management for a decade.

Helping others has always driven Radice. She is a licensed social worker and has lived experience that helps her relate to clients.

���I was raised by a single mom of four and when the rent went up, we moved. Depending on the definition of homelessness at the time, we were either considered couch surfers or homeless a lot of times as children,��� she said. ���It���s always been a passion and something I understood.���

91心頭 CEO Simone Gagneron sees Radice as a great asset to Harmony House.

���I���m thrilled to welcome our newest team member to the 91心頭 family. Carrie���s passion for making a difference and dedication to our mission is truly inspiring,��� she said. ���I���m confident she���ll make a significant impact in the lives of those we serve.���

Radice enjoys seeing clients improve both their situation and their outlook.

���To see their success and to start to believe in themselves. To see the dullness go to a spark,��� she said of her favorite part of her work.

Radice sees having the entire network of 91心頭 services available for the clients as very beneficial.

���It���s a concept that should be within every agency that I worked for,��� she said. ���To have everything in-house is brilliant.���

She also likes the setup of Harmony House since it offers apartments to families with private bathrooms and kitchens, which helps reduce some stress during a time of unrest.

Radice attended county college before earning a bachelor���s degree from . She then earned a master���s degree in social work from . She lived in upstate New York for a short time as a child but has mainly resided in New Jersey, in a variety of counties.

Radice currently lives in Sussex County and has two daughters and a grandson. In her free time, she enjoys playing trivia on a team, playing the tambourine, listening to live music, spending time on the beach in the summer and spending time with her grandson.

Radice sees the work at Harmony House as essential for helping families get back on their feet.

���You can���t focus on anything else if you don���t have a roof over your head,��� she said.

The free event is held annually for homeless individuals to receive health screenings, haircuts, food and valuable information about resources.

Photos courtesy of Yonette Fredericks.

Her hopes of becoming a doctor seemed out of reach when she became a mother at a young age and was unable to finish high school. She worked for a catering service and at a pharmacy in New York before moving to New Jersey. She found herself in a situation where her landlord only wanted rent payments in cash and he wouldn���t provide a lease. He changed the locks and she ended up homeless with her children.

Villanueva then found Harmony House, 91心頭���s transitional housing facility for homeless families. She spent time there in 2017 and 2018 before moving to permanent housing. Harmony House employees informed her that 91心頭 Career & Technical Institute (NCCTI) offered a High School Equivalency (HSE) program, which was conveniently located right next door. She took advantage of the opportunity and earned her GED in 2018.

While in the HSE program, Villanueva learned about the accredited post-secondary medical programs NCCTI offered. She decided to enroll in the Medical Assistant Clinical (MAC) program to put herself on the path to a career.

The recent death of Villanueva���s father renewed her interest in a medical career.

���I thought, I really want to go into the medical field so that I can be able to be one person to change it, to be there for the people,��� she said.

She completed the MAC program in 2020 and began working full-time at University Hospital in April of this year as an ambulatory care technician. In that role, she takes patients��� vitals; provides customer service to patients; schedules, cancels and reminds patients about appointments; and discharges patients.

Villanueva said she enjoys the first job of her medical career.

���I���ve gotten way farther than other people that have been working there for years. And that���s all thanks to the school because they taught me,��� she said.

At age 29, Villanueva hopes to continue her education and become a registered nurse.

Her journey shows how NCCTI can serve as a bridge to get students where they ultimately want to be.

���NCCTI provides the stepping stones for students to create a foundational layer for them to expand upon or build up from,��� said NCCTI Director Dr. Sylvia McCray. ���The work we do here is to blow life back into a dead dream or a buried goal. We know the way to improve one���s life and circumstances begins with education and training. That is our main goal. Our mission is to push students so they can see what we see: opportunity, growth and choice for themselves.���

Odette Phillip was one of Villanueva���s HSE instructors who helped her earn her GED.

���At first, it was a challenge for her in terms of attendance due to the fact that she had limited support out of school. She pushed through this by staying after classes when she could to catch up on missed work. Ilene did her best and I admire her determination,��� Phillip said. ���I am really proud of her achievements thus far.���

Villanueva said Phillip, her MAC instructor and everyone else she encountered at 91心頭 helped her.

���They actually cared and said I see what you���re going through. I want to be here. I���m open ears and open hands and open information. Everything they could think of, they would always push me to do it,��� Villanueva said. ���They���ve been there for me like you couldn���t imagine. At my lowest, they were there. They didn���t judge me. And they helped me.���

In addition to being happy about going to school and starting a career she���s passionate about, Villanueva is proud to be a good role model for her four children.

���My kids have seen the steps I���ve been taking so they���ve been trying to do the same thing,��� she said. ���So everybody���s been coming home with honor roll certificates.���

NCCTI is an accredited post-secondary career and technical institution that offers the following programs: Automotive Technician, Diesel Technician, Building Trades Specialist, Medical Assistant Clinical, Patient Care Technician, Community Healthcare Worker, Culinary Arts Specialist and Business & Computer Technologies. NCCTI also operates a comprehensive Financial Opportunity Center and Bridges to Career Opportunities Program sponsored by the local and national Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC) offices. For more information, call 973-824-6484, log onto or visit 274 South Orange Ave., Newark.

In years past, Withum has hosted the dinner at Monsignor Linder Plaza (formerly St. Joseph Plaza). To ensure everyone���s safety with the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the firm decided to deliver prepackaged meals instead. Harmony House residents picked up the items to enjoy in their homes.

91心頭 thanks Withum employees for their caring and generosity.