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are very powerful as a collective and can really move our communities forward.”
She would go on to study education at Princeton University and, as a student-teacher at Trenton Central High School, became familiar with the city’s culture, history and sense of community, but also its social and economic struggles: She noted that 36 percent of its students don’t go
to school regularly, while 90 percent are not on grade level for math and 80 percent are not on grade level for English. What’s more, she said, only 10 percent are college-ready by the time they graduate.
That pushed Tung, as a sophomore at Princeton, to launch HomeWorks in 2016 alongside classmate and Trenton native Brenaea Fairchild. Funded by corporate and community-based philanthropy, it has operated as a supplement to city schools, aiming to provide a safe and supportive residential environment in which students live at the site from Sunday night to Friday morning and are shuttled to and from their school each day. At night, the scholars take part in a family-style meal along with academic tutoring and study hall, helping improve their outcomes without leaving their home city of Trenton.
“It really was to almost
replicate something that I got at Lawrenceville, but making it more accessible to students who may
not be able to afford it,” said Tung, who was also mindful of “how I had to leave Hong Kong, to leave my family and culture behind to get this experience and wanting to make sure that that doesn’t happen with other scholars and that they can still stay in their community.”
The organization to date has run five programs with a combined 30 students, starting with a summer residential pilot in 2017.
It just completed its
first academic-year-long program, while marking another milestone this year with the graduation of its longest-tenured participant, Darae, who was accepted to nine colleges and is attending Montclair State University on a full scholarship.
It has also raised more
than $2 million in cash and
in-kind donations, while
building a team that now
includes 11 staff and eight
board members. Meantime,
it has earned recognition
from the likes of Princeton University, McKinsey & Co., Comcast, The Rachael Ray Show and a host of other organizations.
Even so, Tung laments that HomeWorks has had to change locations every year — from single- family homes to boarding school campuses — grappling with the cost of renting and the regulations of operating a dormitory facility. Some landlords have been better than others, she added, while “it’s just inconsistent for the kids to go to a different campus or go to a different dorm every single year.”
She also noted that only one of
the locations has been within the Trenton city limits. Moving to 1212 Edgewood Ave. would provide such a location while addressing many other concerns.
“What we’re really hoping to do is go back to Trenton, be able to be
Founded in 2016, HomeWorks Trenton acts as a supplement to city schools, providing teenage girls with academic, social and emotional enrichment in a dormitory-style setting. Students live at the site from Sunday night to Friday morning and are shuttled to and from their school each day, while they take part in a family-style meal along with academic tutoring and study hall at night.
rooted in the community, to be in control of our housing,” she said, while removing the hassle of moving each year and “to be able to design
a home that really is going to fit our scholars’ needs.”
Zinder, the project’s architect, was responsible for connecting Gnad of
loan for HomeWorks,” Gnad said. “I have no doubt that Natalie Tung will expand to other cities and change the lives of those high school girls that participate in this affordable prep school program. I also want
to note that my partners on deal, Helmut Fischer and Lauren Parker of MKTG digital, have also donated their valuable time and energy.
“I’ve worked on many very large (commercial real estate) deals over my 25-year career. This one could be the most important and satisfying.”
Having the support of Gnad, Fischer and Parker has already made a difference, Tung said.
“I just feel very confident, having them on our team ... to be able to get this done and just very, very grateful for their generosity, for their time and their expertise and support,” she said. RE
George Gnad
Lenders Capital with HomeWorks after the two had worked together on a project
in Princeton. The veteran mortgage broker said several well- known, New
Jersey-based banks have expressed interest in the opportunity, adding that the team could wind up syndicating the loan.
“It’s a pleasure to donate my time on raising this $2 million construction
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