FREEHOLD – Monmouth County’s annual Project Homeless Connect, a one-stop shop of health and human services for homeless residents, was held today at the Atonement Lutheran Church in Asbury Park and New Beginnings Agape Christian Center in Freehold. 

 

“We offered a warm meal, a warm coat and friendly services to people,” said Freeholder Amy A. Mallet, liaison to the county Department of Human Services. “Project Homeless Connect is the umbrella name for a nationwide effort to bring attention to the efforts to end homelessness. Our local connection event is a way for county volunteers and staff to assist people right now.

 

“We connected with people by offering them help through many county and not-for-profit service providers,” Mallet continued. “Food and coats are important and needed, but we also want to make sure that each person who needs and wants assistance is being helped.”

 

People without a permanent residence or at risk of being homeless were encouraged to participate. Attendees completed a very brief survey form before being provided food, clothing, free health screenings, employment resources and other services.

 

“This was a unified effort to reach people without permanent shelter,” said Charles Brown III, director of the county’s Department of Human Services. “While county staff gathered information at the Asbury Park and Freehold locations, other workers were collecting information about people housed at emergency and transitional housing agencies and coordinating efforts with municipal representatives to locate unsheltered individuals.”

 

The primary goal of Project Homeless Connect is to gain an accurate picture of the number of people who experience homelessness and to work toward providing them with the needed services, Brown said. 

 

The Jan. 27 Project Homeless Connect event was part of an annual point-in-time survey of the homeless population in the New Jersey. U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) requires that such a count of the homeless be done every two years. Monmouth County conducts this event annually.

 

“Several business, not-for profit groups and county departments made considerable donations of time, space or resources to this year’s Project Homeless Connect event,” Mallet said. “I thank them all for helping to reach people in need and for contributing to our caring community.”

 

“Our site coordinators, Nancy Flanigan from Interfaith Neighbors in Asbury Park and Peggy Comfort from Manna House in Freehold, did an excellent job preparing for and managing the activities today,” Brown said. “Also, special thanks to the county’s Buildings and Grounds staff for receiving, organizing and storing all the coats, toiletries, and nonperishable items provided by donors from around the country.”

 

Organizations that donated time and resources for Monmouth County’s 2010 Project Homeless Connect include:

 

Affordable Housing Alliance

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