Interfaith Neighbors

Neighbor Spotlight | Twelve Years of Assisting Neighbors In Nee

With twelve years of service at Interfaith Neighbors, Maura Comer reminisces on rewarding times, hard work, and unexpected challenges as she moves on to her next chapter. Maura and her family moved back to the Jersey Shore from Virginia in 2010 and, with all her children in school full-time, began searching for somewhere to build a fulfilling career. It was in November 2010 when she was hired at IFN as the Director of the Rental and Mortgage Assistance Program, the program the organization was founded on almost 35 years ago. The Rental and Mortgage Assistance Program is designed to help prevent homelessness and provide financial stability to those living in Monmouth County. As Director, Maura oversaw the process of screening hundreds of clients each year and assisting those who qualified with rent arrears, mortgage payments or security deposits.

When asked what her favorite part of working for Interfaith Neighbors has been, Maura didn’t hesitate, disclosing, “knowing we made a difference in peoples’ lives every day is what I loved most about this job.” She explained the stories that stood out to her most over the years were families referred by medical professionals who had sick children, stating, “being a mother myself, I really felt for struggling families and parents over the years.” In her role, she realized that one family member having a serious health issue could change the entire family dynamic, with parents having to endure taking time off work to care for them, skyrocketing medical bills, and emotional challenges. “It’s truly an unexpected expense that families aren’t prepared to deal with. That’s why these stories stick out to me—they really need the help,” Maura expressed.

Maura described Sandy and the COVID-19 Pandemic as two of the biggest challenges Rental and Mortgage Assistance faced during her time at Interfaith, due to the increase of families and individuals in need. “I am hopeful that the program will soon see an end to the effects COVID-19 has had on struggling families because we are still seeing that today” Maura described. After twelve years of service at Interfaith Neighbors, Maura’s children have all completed college, and she’s ready to move on to a new stage in her life. She’s confident the time is right and is leaving the Rental and Mortgage Assistance Program in the hands of her hard-working colleagues, Judy Nelan and Emma Hess. “I know they’ll continue to make such a tremendous impact on the lives of those we serve because of the time and effort they dedicate” Maura stated. Thank you to Maura Comer for twelve amazing years of dedication to Interfaith Neighbors. We wish you the best of luck in your next chapter!

The IFN Rental & Mortgage Assistance Program provided assistance to approximately 400 families in 2021 providing $798,613 in direct assistance in the form of rent, security deposits or mortgage payments.

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