If you met Jamie Aylward, you would find a very confident and passionate man who has big goals for hosting a radio show. However, when he first moved to Amandla Crossing, he suffered from severe social anxiety and post-traumatic stress disorder from his life leading up to living with Mission First Supportive Housing: Edison.

Jamie, who has been blind since birth due to Leber congenital amaurosis, and his mother had many struggles when he was growing up and found themselves homeless. In February 2018 while living in a hotel supported by social services and unsure of their future, Projects for Assistance in Transition from Homelessness (PATH) – a federal program facilitated through Rutgers University designed to assist mentally ill individuals who are homeless – connected them to Mission First’s Director of Program Management Melissa Mascolo to find a permanent living situation.

“As things started to relax and my mom and I started to heal from that process, I started to become stronger as a person. Even when I would worry about things, I thought ‘look at what you and your mom went through and look how much stronger you have become’,” a sentiment that Melissa also reminds Jamie of when he is feeling down or being hard on himself.

Recently, Jamie’s mother was moved to an assisted living facility that could care for her health needs. With that Jamie had the option to stay in his apartment as a disability accommodation or move to a second floor one-bedroom apartment. Jamie took on the challenge of the upstairs apartment, further showing his growth in determination and confidence in himself.

“I am super grateful that I’m still able to remain here,” said Jamie right after transferring to a one-bedroom apartment. “I have built such an amazing community of friends and people who I would definitely consider family. I never thought I would have my own apartment and here I am.”

Now 33 years old, Jamie lives an independent life as a part-time student and member of the Honors Society at Middlesex College, studying Liberal Arts with a concentration in Communications. He is hoping to earn his associate degree in the next two years and move on to Rutgers University, New Brunswick. Jamie’s dream is to host an Indie Underground radio show where he can meet artists, interview them and explore their music, providing them with “a chance to be heard” on a larger scale.

In talking about first moving to Amandla Crossing Jamie said, “When I first got here, I was a scared soon-to-be college freshman, and since then I have learned to be more confident and do more things on my own.”

Jamie has taken advantage of an array of supportive programs offered through Mission First Supportive Housing: Edison to help him navigate his life. “It is important to utilize the services in any way you can,” said Jamie.

Melissa connected Jamie with the Joseph Kohn Training Center (JKTC) which offers people who are blind and visually impaired an opportunity to learn adaptive life skills. The program helped Jamie with independence and mobility, and “the best part of that experience was that at the end of the program there was an optional work experience program, and I was very fortunate to work for Melissa.” Jamie worked at Imani Park getting coffee for staff, distributing resident memos, shredding paper and more. “It was really awesome to give back to (Melissa) for all the help she has given to me, getting me that far.”

Together, Melissa helped Jamie with his college paperwork, which was not an easy task during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. They worked on submitting the FAFSA, researching the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program and many other documents. To further his accessibility at school, Jamie works with a mobility instructor from the New Jersey Commission for the Blind and Visually Impaired who walks him around Middlesex College before the semester begins to ensure Jamie can navigate the campus and get to class independently.

Jamie also takes advantage of our connections to Volunteers of America for help with his social security and other important documents, the Rutgers University Behavioral Health Care for his mental health services, and NJ ACCESSLink to help him get around town. He also attends our Community Meetings and holiday events to connect and engage with other residents.

Another meaningful connection Jamie has made is with our annual Rutgers University interns who coordinate programs for residents. Beyond the programming, Jamie has found great value in talking with the interns as well as fellow college students discussing their academic goals. “It really helped motivate me more to pursue my career at Rutgers once I graduate from Middlesex College.”

“A lot of residents are inspired by Jamie,” said Melissa. “I have heard them say it. I think by watching him and what he has accomplished, they can take that for themselves.”

Most recently, Jamie was connected to Middlesex County Area Transit (MCAT) so he can visit his mother. He has also been working with his mobility instructor to navigate his mother’s new care facility so he can pop in without any worries to surprise her and bring her things she needs or special gifts. Jamie’s mother is a huge part of his life, and being able to see her more frequently with this access has a great impact on both of them.

“It has been an honor to watch Jamie’s journey and to be part of his journey to see all that he has accomplished,” said Melissa. “The growth that we have seen in Jamie is remarkable over time and it is not only seen by me, but it is seen by the other wraparound supports. I am looking forward to see what’s next.” So are we Jamie!