Shining a Light on Youth Wellness: NJ4S Passaic County Hub Hosts Walk for Youth Homelessness and Provider Wellness Summit

View our photo gallery from the Hub's May events

Watch our short video recap of the Wellness Summit

May is Mental Health Awareness Month, and NJCDC’s NJ4S Passaic County Hub used it as an opportunity to uplift two often-overlooked groups — young people experiencing homelessness and the caring professionals who serve our county’s youth every day.

Through Project H.O.P.E. and the second annual NJ4S Wellness Summit, the Hub created space to raise awareness, offer support, and promote healing across our community. Despite rainy weather and busy calendars, residents and providers alike showed up in full force — demonstrating their shared commitment to youth wellness in Passaic County.

Walking to Make a Difference in Youth Homelessness

On Saturday, May 17, our NJ4S Passaic County Hub held its inaugural Project H.O.P.E. Walks to Make a Difference in Youth Homelessness at Goffle Brook Park in Hawthorne. The walk was more than just a symbolic gesture — it was also a heartfelt call to action on behalf of the thousands of young people who don’t have a stable place to call home.

Nearly 38,200 unaccompanied youths across the U.S. experience homelessness on any given night, according to the latest federal data. But local youth advocates say the number is likely much higher, especially because youth homelessness often looks different. Many young people “couch surf” with friends, live in motels, or remain under the radar — making it difficult to detect and support them through traditional systems.

NJ4S Prevention Consultants Tiahna Jiménez and Kenicia McGarrell helped organize the walk after learning about the extent of the issue close to home. Their office shares space with a local charter school, and through conversations with staff, they discovered that some students were attending class without clean clothes or school supplies — likely signs of housing instability.

“It was sobering to realize that this struggle is happening just steps from our office,” said Tiahna. “We took time to really think about how we can serve this population better.”

Thanks to generous community donations, the event collected much-needed hygiene products, including soap, lotion, and toothbrushes, which will be distributed to local organizations like Grandma's Place in Clifton and the Paterson Task Force.

The day also included tabling from community organizations such as Circle of Care and Child Focus, providing resources and information to families and youth. Rain may have dampened the ground, but not the spirits of the community members who came to walk, support, and uplift one another!

Kenicia said she hopes this walk becomes an annual tradition. “At the end of the day, we just want to give our kids a sense of dignity. That’s the ultimate goal.”

Prioritizing the Provider: NJ4S Wellness Summit

While the walk focused on youth, the second annual NJ4S Wellness Summit, held on May 28 at William Paterson University, centered on the adults who support them.

With the theme “Prioritizing the Provider,” the summit invited teachers, counselors, school staff, and youth-serving professionals to take a day for themselves — an important reminder that self-care is essential to sustainable service. Or, as Hub Director Kathy Barreto put it, “You can’t pour from an empty cup.”

The day began with a fun and reflective group activity, allowing attendees to share their backgrounds and roles — and to see the collective reach of this community of providers. As Kathy noted, NJ4S has now built relationships with 88% of applicable schools in Passaic County and has reached more than 52,000 participants since its launch in summer 2023.

The keynote speaker, Erin Pompa, delivered a powerful talk titled “Awakening Your Warrior Spirit.” A Paterson native, former teacher, and youth development expert, Erin reminded attendees that gratitude, even in tough times, is the key to sustaining optimism and impact.

Breakout sessions offered practical tools and strategies, including “Mitigating Burnout” (led by the Partnership to End Addiction) and “Creating Effective Self-Care Plans” (led by Anchor Therapy). After a delicious lunch, guests enjoyed trauma-informed yoga led by Kula for Karma and relaxing chair massages to round out the day.

Providers left the summit feeling supported, refreshed, and reminded of their vital role in shaping the lives of young people.

Until Next Year

As Mental Health Awareness Month comes to a close, our NJ4S Passaic County Hub continues its year-round mission: supporting students, families, and school communities through meaningful, compassionate, and collaborative work. Whether walking in the rain for youth experiencing homelessness or building a circle of care around the caregivers themselves, the message is clear — when we support one another, we all thrive.

Follow along with NJ4S Passaic County’s progress on Instagram, Facebook, and its new website.