P.O. Box 595 · 230 East Maple Ave. · Wildwood, NJ 08260 · (609) 729-2002
United Way helps identify and assist homeless residents
Sunday, February 3rd, 2008
The community hall at the First Baptist Church is abuzz with activity every Thursday when United Way volunteers and staff host a hot lunch program for county residents in search of a hot meal and other basic needs. That’s why it seemed like the perfect place to hold the county’s second annual Project Homeless Connect day, a national initiative aimed at raising awareness about homelessness and providing information to county residents on much-needed human services.
In addition, those who attended the event were served a warm meal of hot roast beef sandwiches by local volunteers.
“Since we have the facilities and the volunteer base here already, it made sense for us to host the event,” said United Way Executive Director, Suzanne Nardi.
Almost sixty residents attended the event and met with representatives from agencies from around the county, who had set up information tables about the services they provide. Those, who attended included: The County Board of Social Services, CARA, Cape Counseling Services, Social Security, Cape Human Resources, Cape Assist, PRAC, EIRC, Exchange Club Family Center, DYFS, and South Jersey Legal Aid.
In addition, the Cape May County Department of Health, and volunteers from VIM and the Parrish Nurses Association were on site to provide free health screenings, and the United Way food pantry and clothes closet were also open.
Attendees also participated in a “point-in-time” survey to assess the overall impact of homelessness in the county, and they received a gift bag of personal care items like warm socks and hats, soap, toothpaste and toothbrushes, toilet paper and a towel.
Sabrina Hand, the coordinator of the County Human Services Advisory Council said that she believes the event met its goals. “If we can encourage people to come for services - that’s the biggest thing,” she said. “but also its to raise awareness and to encourage the agencies to dig a little deeper (to find out what people need).”
Hand said that several of the people who attended the event had found permanent housing, but they are at risk of becoming homeless again because of their income levels. Others in the county are housed in temporary housing paid for by vouchers provided by the Board of Social Services.
Hand said the data collected from the event is being compiled, and is not yet available. But according to Monarch Housing, the point-in-time survey performed on Jan. 25, 2007 identified 241 adults and 60 children, who were homeless in Cape May County. That number was 93 percent greater than the statistics collected in 2005.