NJCDC Partners with Passaic County Organizations For Annual Homeless Count

As in previous years, New Jersey Community Development Corporation (NJCDC) will be working alongside various Passaic County organizations engaged in addressing the issue of homelessness – including Eva’s Village and St. Paul’s CDC – for this year’s Project Homeless Connect and the Point-In-Time Count. These events are designed to provide referrals and resources to those experiencing homelessness while assisting them in acquiring emergency shelter, clothing and food in a convenient, one-stop method.

Both of these events will occur on Wednesday, January 28, 2009. From 12:00 a.m. to 11:59 p.m., volunteers for the Point-In-Time Count will take to the streets of Paterson to survey homeless individuals and refer them to charitable organizations such as Eva’s Village and St. Paul’s CDC, where they will be provided shelter and needed services. Sandwiches, coats, hats, gloves and blankets will be distributed throughout the day, with many of these items being donated by local companies through clothing and food drives.

Project Homeless Connect, which will serve as a clearinghouse of available services by Passaic County agencies, will take place from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Eva’s Village.

“It is only logical that during times of economic crisis, homelessness rates in urban areas increase. Paterson currently has the highest foreclosure rate in the state of New Jersey, making the Point-In-Time Count and Project Homeless Connect more important than ever in 2009,” notes NJCDC President Bob Guarasci. “We need to help those in Paterson get the services they need, but we also need to make sure we have enough services to fulfill this need. The work of the many volunteers on the streets of Paterson and at Eva’s Village on Wednesday help make that happen.”

Individuals are still needed to volunteer in 4 hour increments, beginning at midnight. If you are interesting in volunteering for a 4 hour shift, please contact Jen Shukaitis at (973) 945-6466 or jshukaitis@njcdc.org.