Homeless L.I. Intel Semifinalist’s Family To Get A House In Bay Shore

January 13, 2012 6:30 PM

Samantha Garvey and her mussels at Brentwood High School – Brentwood, NY – Jan 12, 2012 (credit: Sophia Hall / WCBS 880)

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BRENTWOOD, N.Y. (CBSNewYork) – A homeless Brentwood High School senior, who is a semifinalist in the prestigious Intel Science Talent Search, received some exciting news Friday.

Suffolk County Executive Steve Bellone announced 17-year-old Samantha Garvey will be getting a three-bedroom, rent subsidized home in Bay Shore where she’ll live with her twin sisters, brother and parents.

The family lost their home after Garvey’s parents were injured in a car accident which left them unable to work. They have been living in a homeless shelter since New Year ’s Day.

1010 WINS’ Al Jones with Samantha Garvey

“This is just the most amazing thing you could ask for, we’re all in tears here, we could barely compose ourselves enough to speak,” Garvey said.

Bellone said the family can move into the house in about 10 days. The Marriott will be donating all the furniture for the home.

Garvey is one of 61 Long Island students who have a chance at the Intel Science Talent Search‘s top prize of $100,000. Her two-and-a-half year project focused on predators’ effects on ribbed mussels.

WCBS 880′s Sophia Hall With The Good News

Garvey’s story of grit and determination has touched a lot of hearts.

A day after her story became headline news, an anonymous donor came forward to kennel and vaccinate Garvey’s pitbull. The teen feared her dog would be euthanized.

Garvey said she dreams of becoming a marine biologist after attending Brown or Yale.

Please leave a comment below…

Chris

I like the featured comment, “don’t let em get you down, keep your dreams alive.” I am glad there is a response to help her family off the streets.

After a near fatal health situation for me and several members of my immediate family much changed. I am grateful for all the helping hands and support we received. Nice to hear that people have reached out to her family too.

Blessings to those who know what it is like to have hard times and still keep determination and the candle of hope burning.

This is a great and needed story in stressful times.
John Dewey

Work for nothing.

It will be given to you by your Mac Daddy Obamessiah.

He will take it from others who do the work, and give it to you.

So let it be written.

So let it be redistributed.

Spanky

Peggy Joseph!

Joe Doakes

I’ve struggled a buch of times in my life, the one reason I didn’t take any help was because I thought I’d be taking away from people like this who deserve it far more.
jnsesq

I’m betting this family won’t be living off the taxpayers’ dime for long, let alone generations. Wonder what makes the big difference? Hmmmm, what could it be?

Spanky

whuffo u ax dat?
Meester Bibbs

You raciss!

Robert Moses

Homelessness and other social ills are supposed to happen only in CITIES, not in suburbs (where REAL Americans live). This is just another example of Bloomberg “solving” NYC’s crime and poverty problems by imposing them on us. When will Suffolk County sue the City for reimbursement?
jacques poutine

i find it nice that the gov’t uses the good ole pick and choose system to try to rectify a symptom of a drastic underlying problem. now they can say they did the right thing meanwhile NOTHINGS CHANGED.
Deb Budd

Sorry that word should read ‘straits’. I wasn’t paying attention to my typing as I gathered my thoughts.
Jay Arnold

HOW COME NO DETAILS ON THE CAR ACCIDENT!? It happened 2 YEARS ago!!!! They’re ‘Homeless’ and they have a DOG????? Working people are SCHMUCKS as they have to continue to foot the bill for those who are to lazy to work.
Gerry

Samantha Garvey needed this help and I am glad to see that people who can afford to help her and her entire family have stepped up to do so. Great story.
MN Guy

I had been very concerned about the mussels. Now I am concerned about the preditors.
Ghostsouls

So, to get a home today, you need to somehow get into the news, and garner sympathy from people, get section 8 housing and move to the front of the line to get it. Where I live, section 8 housing list has been closed for 2+ years, my sister has been on the waiting list for over 3 years and holding…and people get in the news and get it immediately… how does that work exactly? In the section 8 housing program it states there is no emergency vouchers, nor can you be moved to the front of the line out of necessity, because everyone on the list needs the voucher. I am glad the family has a home, but they cut in line in front of another needy family who now has to wait longer.

JFW

No, Ghost, the way most of us get a home today is by hard work, saving up for cost and doing it ourselves, without gov’t, i.e. everyone else’s, money.

Paul Revere

You’re missing the point

TTMICH

She got into the news because she is an outstanding student who is in the semifinalist in the prestigious Intel Science Talent Search. And her family happens to be homeless after the parents’ accident.

Are you or anyone in your family who is a hard working and outstanding student like her? If you are not then don’t complain. The public generally have sympathy for the hard working and talented people who are down to their luck, not for the poor and whiners.

Paulnashtn

This is what I was thinking but you said it MUCH better
Ghostsouls

My sister, who is 3 years on the section 8 waiting list as I said, he husband was a volunteer fireman and died as a result of cancer. His insurance paid the bare necessities and nothing more, her home is in foreclosure. She worked 8 years at a local factory, and left when she got pregnant for the first time. By the time her husband was even diagnosed with cancer, they had 4 children. So don’t give me she gets it because she is smart crap. According to the Dem libs, everyone is equal. And her 2 oldest have been on the deans list for 3 years in a row…. so go troll somewhere else. You get section 8 after filling out forms waiting your time, NO WHERE on the application does it say if you have such and such IQ you move to the head of the line and do not have to wait! My sister worked, her husband worked, served his town and county, and they are doing the best they can. This section 8 will help them immensely. But there are just as many people out there that need it as well with similar stories. They should wait their turn like everyone else.

swissik

Obama’s aunt, here illegally from Kenya for years, lives in section 8 housing and receives welfare from the government, why don’t you pick on her?

mornin joe

I think Obama’s aunt and drunk uncle should both be picked out, picked on and effin’ DEPORTED since they are ILLEGAL ALIENS. Where in the World can you compare this girl and Obama’s deadbeat relatives????? The ole’ saying is true – you cant fix stupid!
Ghostsouls

I did pick on them for being here illegally, but they did wait in line for their section 8, just like everyone else, they did not go to the head of the line, which is my point. And like I said I am happy that she and her family got a place to live, what I am unhappy about is that they jumped in line in front of everyone else who is waiting who have similar and tragic stories as to why they are where they are now. These are FEDERAL rules, getting on tv or being smart allows you to ignore the rules? That is what I have a problem with. Now if the community wanted to pitch in and help them with an abandoned house they could go live in, until their section 8 became available that would be great, they would not have gotten a house another family has been waiting years for.

GABlueStarMom

I am curious why y’all being her family don’t help her?

Willy

Because the new Macbook Pro that he uses to write comments here was just too expensive. Priorities, you know.

Ghostsouls

Why do people assume???? You need to look at my checkbook, to see the checks I have written and my debit card to see how much money I transfer to her… so don’t even go there! And I have been helping her support her family and taking care of mine by myself for over a year, when I found out what kind of trouble she was in. I had to redo my entire budget including our food budget to make sure they do not go without. So don’t lecture me!

Willy

It’s just interesting to see that you can afford a computer and internet access while trying to get everyone else to pay your sister’s way. My guess is you’re doing just fine, like my own sister. My sister expressed a fear that she was going to lose her house by not being able to afford her mortgage payments. That same year she took two vacations to Europe. We Americans have a very distorted view of the terms “wealth” and “suffering”. I have a feeling that if I looked at your finances, I’d find those same distortions.

Ghostsouls

We have helped her, she lives in another state, we send her money every week for groceries and to keep her utilities on. I have a family of 4 and we are stretched to the limit with every dime we have left over to help them. It’s hard enough raising one family let alone two. All that is here to help them is my, and my mother, and my mother is retired on social security, so she can’t help much. I’m single I work, take care of my mortgage, plus all our bills and help her as much as I can to keep her afloat until she gets her section 8.

fed up with crabs in the basket

Wow, you are seriously confused or a really bad liar. first you say you have a family of 4 and then you say you are single. If your “sister” is in such dire straights, she should move in with you and your imaginary family.

fed up with crabs in the basket

There is your problem. your sister and her husband were working. Therefore they could afford a place to live. This girl’s family was homeless, and disabled. therefore that creates a higher priority. Not becuase of her academics.

Don’t know where you live but fireman can make 35-45K and your sister worked at a factory for 8 years, probably union, so made roughly the same amount. together that is 70k-90k. so answer why should you sister get section 8 housing?

miguel

I’d like a few details on the accident and the injuries the parents supposedly received.

TTMICH

It’s not your business!

mornin joe

It’s actually everbone’s business – public record is a funny thing when looking for the truth. It is ESPECIALLY our business if we are paying for the new flat they are getting to be sure they are not like many of OBAMA’s other media ‘plants’ from the past – disingenuine frauds, fakes and outright LIARS who ususally resurface months later in some TMZ sting for insurance fraud, prostitution or some other form of low life as the Obama’s both seem to attract – Tony Rezko anyone?

Bill W

If the occuptants of Section 8 housing were investigated and scrutinized, many would be found to have beaucraticconnections to politicans or donors.. Its refreshing to see an instance of where the assistance is used both in a commendable and a positive way. God bess and keep these folks happy and together !

Section 8 is FREE housing

Isn’t Obama’s illegal immigrant aunt on Section 8?
David

How many? I’m guessing 20% have “connections”.. HOWEVER, I think about 80% have unreported sources of income. Ask any Section 8 LANDLORD.

Nate

Another young American girl gets spoiled by getting things handed to her…and everybody cheers? Come on now, she was homeless for less than two weeks.

This is just a story to make people feel good about society (in a delusional way)…while this one girl gets things handed to her, thousands of homeless people have frozen to death as a result of homeless shelters being closed in the interest of “making the streets look nicer.”

Wake up and smell the slime.

geez

How can you be so dark and down on humanity? This girl has nothing to do with the other homeless people. It is a good thing that her family got help in a bad situation. Just because there is a worse situation somewhere doesn’t make people without equivalent problems evil.

Nate

“Other homeless people” please, she was homeless for two weeks. She’s had it so hard.

FADED

Dude, you’re a freak!
geez

So since her problem wasn’t big enough, she should have been ignored? And that would be helpful to those with more serious problems?

Nate

No, I don’t believe her problem was big enough to warrant people “coming to her rescue.” She was almost 18, and if she had gotten herself out of the situation, she would have been much stronger for it.

On the other hand, their are many people out their that are unable to better their situation without help, and often times that help never comes. People just don’t care about somebody if they aren’t a young white girl. Which goes to show just how selfish this “compassion” really is.

lol

Um…looks at her pic.

Is that a more acceptable race for you now?

JByrd42

Nice. Always brining race into it. Take your meds please.

geez

OMG – really?

Her parents got in an accident and lost their jobs. The whole family was homeless. Not that it should matter, but she is not white. READ the story before you decide to get on the mount and deliver your sermon
helpful

Maybe you can give her partial credit for skin tone. Maybe that will be enough forgiveness of her assumed whiteness for you to be able to see her as a fellow human being.
geez

I see all other points regarding your misunderstanding of the story have been ignored and you have focused on whether or not her appearance is worthy. That is not one of my criteria so you are on your own. Scold away, Happy!
JayG

At 18 she could have graduated HS and got a job to help her family, or we could help the family and allow her to go to college and possibly become a scientist of some sort helping all of society.

David

Amen, geez. How people could see this wonderful story of perseverance, hope, faith in America, and hard work, and instead try to piece together facts into inferences about her parents instead says a great deal about the posters. G-d bless the Garveys. Keep your head up, Samantha. Keep up the good work.

TTMICH

She got into the news because she is an outstanding student who is in the semifinalist in the prestigious Intel Science Talent Search. And her family happens to be homeless after her parents’ accident.

The public generally have sympathy for the hard working and talented people who are down to their luck, not for the poor and whiners. Her hard work and accomplishments are commendable and she is a celebrity for that.

Poor people, you don’t have to smell the slime for long if you work hard and posses some talents, Lazy whiners and complainers will smell the slime for life !

Ghostsouls

Go troll your high and might butt somewhere else.

Em Spearing

The taxpayers all must be so grateful. Work hard and pay your taxes! We love welfare.

Bert

This is what is what is wrong with society today. People like you, putting down people down in their luck. God forbid that this happens to you and no one comes to your rescue.

marlene klim

It’s not so much down on their luck. Did they not have car insurance. Did they cause the accident. Was there no savings. There is more to this story, guaranteed.

Tax Payer

There is! Come see the “Section 8″ people who live next to us!!! And their new car, free food, free rent and utilities and perfectly healthy not working or even trying!!!

Dave

This is one case where I don’t mind section eight housing to be used . I wish it was all this way .

Deanne

Some of you out there really don’t know all the hoops one has to jump through in order to get accepted into Section 8 Housing. The Govt. Housing Authorities really make one go through a thorough process for an access of subsidized rent.

girlkansas

Seems O’s aunt didn’t have any trouble, and she’s not even a citizen.

Alex H.

indeed – it’s like saying “illegals don’t vote that is against the law” – Lefties – not a spine between them

Alex H.

Oh and this si the point were someone writes back whining that nothing says she is illegal and that I must be a racist, becasue they are incapable of reading beyond a buzzword and assume I was stating somethign about her rather than the denial mentality

DDT

This is awesome, for everyone including the doggie! Thank you to the people who helped and made her family and us witnesses smile.
n s

This just shows that there are good people in the world still ! With all thats going on in the world this story makes me smile ! Good luck and best wishes to you and your family !!!!

afsdf

ummmm how exactly does this indicate she is “good”? YOu lefty retards need to stop spinning everything. So is it a good thing that soemone gets preferential treatment becasue she’s smart? Or that she made it into the paper? Or is it OK just becasue it’s a woman, or maybe it’s OK for them to get preference becasue the story makes you feel all warm and fuzzy. Mental midget. BTW good for her, I hope she goes far and I hope her family gets some assistance if needed from neighbors and fasmily and charities AND the gov. in due time and through due process just like everyone else.

there is always hope

Great kid, great story, great determination. This cleary shows that you can set your goals and be what you want to be. It is just a matter of focusing, keeping hope, and a knit family. Good for her and her family!!!! Congratulations!!!!

Shammalammadingdong

HUH? What goals were set that ended up in welfare housing?

Come to think of it….should someone be praised for having the lofty goal of welfare housing?

Get a job or move into the park….I’m tired of paying for lazy.

Nate P.

Shamma,

It must be an awful simple reality you’ve created for yourself when you can make such broad sweeping generalizations about a situation that you have little to no knowledge of. Anyone that doesn’t have a job is just too lazy to get one, is that it? Seriously? You have no idea how much it detracts from any kind of point you might have been trying to make when you use completely ridiculous over-simplified views to define the world.

What you just said is no more stupid and asinine than me saying that anyone in the world who is missing an arm or a leg must have lost it because they gambled it away in a poker game. Nevermind the complete disconnect from reality, that’s just how I want to see the world and so it shall be.

The only people you convince with pathetic logic like that are the people who already share your views. That makes you little more than a cheerleader.

Shammalammadingdong

Bah. Nothing more than PC nancy-boy rationalizations.

Been making money since I was 12. Still making money. If I can, so can they. So yeah, they aren’t…..therefore, they’re lazy bastiges.

Herpa derpa dee. Sorry Nate, that’s reali-tee
girlkansas

Explain to me Nate, what families did before section 8 housing, food stamps, headstart, free school meals, wic, medicaid, pell grants, utility subsidies, free laptops, free cell phones, etc.?

These socialists programs are broke. Heck, the American taxpayer is broke.

If you think her story is bad, just wait.

The non-producers are in for a rude awakening.

Bullett

Within 24 hours the lives of this family have changed. What with and apartment, maybe things will turn in their favor. Now, if we can only find work for Mom & Dad, this would be and added step in the right direction. As for Samantha, best of dreams, and may they all come true.
bbc

When I saw it aired last night, I knew someone would help this kid and her family out. New Yorkers always come through when necessary.

OutfieldDan

I bet it was a Republican who came through for them. Mariott? They’re a corporation that’s supposed to be heartless.

The Democrat solution is for the govenment to do everything, so there aren’t many philanthropists among them.

Mark Leszkiewicz

Great story, just shows you that not all homeless people are stupid bums. It’s rough out there and many have the deck stacked against them like this family has, sometimes our neighbors, sisters, an brothers need help. Not once during the airing of this story did this young woman show shame, or place blame. More people need to follow her example, I know I will. Good luck Samantha.

Depock

Are smart bums more deserving than stupid bums? This was a chance for the state to piggy back on the notoriety a family has earned through their child’s academic success.

sj

I’d say hardworking folks are more deserving of help than slackabouts.

If we’re going to have a welfare state, I’d want to see folks like her at the head of the line.
dontgetit

So they piggyback on alcoholism and drug addiction when they help other people? Decency is a disqualifier for aid? It angers you to see someone so deserving get help? It would be better if you could be assured that they would remain in the gutter?

Depock

I don’t know how you’ve concluded that I’m angry. Perhaps you’re projecting. Generally state officials don’t grandstand for addicts, they’d rather just brush them under the carpet. And this is half the point, thanks for helping make it.

Deb Budd

Umm, the large portion of hardcore homeless people are not stupid bums but rather human beings with mental illnesses. There are many unanswered questions about how this family came to be homeless. As another poster queried-did they NOT have auto insurance, did they seek social assistance prior to their being evicted and would the help have flowed in so quickly if not for the young lady’s educational accomplishments? This help is wonderful for them but there are lots of long-term homeless families in far worse straights still waiting for help.

Mark Leszkiewicz

I was a homeless drug addict, I’m only stupid and lazy about 50% of the time. At age 49 I’m going for my grad degree in Social Work and I’m currently a drug counselor. Some people lose their way and need help, maybe her parents are the same way. But again, sometimes the deck is stacked and we might need help pulling ourselves back up…Thanks…

girlkansas

Tell us Mark, who paid for your degree in social work?

Linda Quick

Could someone please send this report to Warren Buffet?
Joseph Fornabaio

I think this just proves no matter your situation, dont let negative people influence you and anything is possible .

sfsfd

she didn’t achieve section 8 you idiot and she wasn;t made homeless by “negative people” nor does it say any negative people tried to waylay her achievement you mindless hack. You lefty droolers spin everything – even crap that doesn’t have to be spun. You are the morons that take the “hero” out of hero

Pi$$ed Off Long Islander

The BEST news I have seen in a long time.. Congrats to Samantha on all your hard work and determination and to the Garvey family to not let society take you down… Best wishes….

A “Going Postal” Worker

Totally agree!

Buddy P

x3

Shardez Lamount

society take you down???? what a blatant idiot you are – did society crash into her parents? Did society deny her an education? DId society reposses her house? You liberal loons can;t help yourselves can you? Tards like you assume that when someone criticizes the way soemthign is done that they are oppposed to anything being done. Me not wanting her to jump the line for housing just becasue it’s a good PR opp for the city doesn;t mean I don;t want a roof over her head – but you dishonest dopers that vote Dem against the best interest fo the country don’t differentiate. Sad

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Homeless L.I. Intel Semifinalist’s Family To Get A House In Bay Shore

January 13, 2012 6:30 PM

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