Catholic Charities participates in Project Homeless Connect in Warren County

Warren County, New Jersey, is home to many beautiful mountains, lakes, historical buildings, and bridges. Over 100,000 people live in Warren County and according to the 2020 census, Phillipsburg had 15,249 residents. Philipsburg is the most populated municipality in Warren County and unfortunately continues to combat the issue of homelessness.  Warren County’s Department of Human Services offers resources to help those in need who are unsheltered or at risk of losing stable housing.

On January 25th, Catholic Charities, Diocese of Metuchen took part in Project Homeless Connect to help those who are homeless or in danger of being homeless in Phillipsburg and the surrounding area. Project Homeless Connect was held at St. Philip & St. James Church on Main Street in Phillipsburg. This is usually an annual event, but it has not been held since 2020 due to the pandemic.  The event is organized by the Warren County Department of Human Services in hopes of assisting those in the community.

One of the main reasons for this event, besides providing resources, is the National Point-In-Time Survey that is administered by Monarch Housing as part of a Housing and Urban Development (HUD) initiative. This survey helps to determine the number of people in Warren County who are homeless, chronically homeless, unsheltered or living in transitional housing. The survey, which is anonymous, asks twelve questions pertaining to an individual’s source of income, household characteristics, and the issues that caused them to become homeless. The survey also asks what services they would like to receive, if any. The participant is also asked where they spent the night of Tuesday, January 24th into Wednesday, January 25th to help determine the number of homeless and/or unsheltered people.

“A big concern is with people that are unsheltered. It’s difficult to hear, but some homeless people don’t want to be found, but we try our best to help,” said Pat Testa, Youth Services Coordinator at the Warren County Department of Human Services. Testa emphasizes that she could not run this event without assistance from all the agencies that show up with resources to help people.

Centenary University students were the first people to greet those who walked into St. Philip & St. James Church.  They conducted the survey with the participants. Once finished with the survey, individuals and families were escorted by a student to visit all the agencies present. The Centenary College students have been trained in their social service classes to help in the most comfortable and compassionate way.

Twenty-three community agencies were present for this year’s Project Homeless Connect. Zufall Health conducted HIV testing, Warren County Public Nursing administered flu shots, and the Warren County Key Club provided clothing to those in need. Also offering resources at the event were the Warren County’s Division of Child Protection and Permanency, Family Promise, Aging and Disability Services, Easter Seals, and the Veterans Association.

Testa says, “About 125 people are usually helped during this event, and everyone looks forward to this day.” Her hope for the future is that more people participate so they can grow the event. “Today, Project Homeless Connect is also in Hackettstown, but it would be nice to be in Washington and Blairstown, that way we cover all of Warren County.”

Sister M. Michaelita, Catholic Charities’ Program Director for Warren Basic Material Needs, was on site and very happy to see the annual event unfold. “People of all agencies come together for this event,” Sister M. Michaelita said. “It’s a great spirit here and a nice feeling all around. People realize they don’t need to be embarrassed to come to us for help.”

Being a part of this event is second nature to Sister M. Michaelita as she has clients that come into the Social Service Center who are at risk of becoming homeless. Sister M. Michaelita operates the center at 387 South Main Street in Phillipsburg where individuals and families receive resources that include access to the food pantry and thrift store. She welcomes anyone who is struggling and promises there will be a friendly and compassionate person present once they walk through the door. She and an amazing team from Catholic Charities were on site at Project Homeless Connect assisting those who needed help with a number of different services that Catholic Charities provides including basic needs, outpatient services, Independent Living Programs, and Children’s Mobile Response and Stabilization Services.

Overall, thirty-four people and their families attended the event and were greeted by twenty-three community agencies providing resources to services and free give-a-ways. Catholic Charities played a huge role in this event securing the Mercy Hall location for Project Homeless Connect in Phillipsburg.

If you or someone you know is homeless or at risk of homelessness, please call 211 for assistance.

For more information about Catholic Charities, Diocese of Metuchen, please visit ccdom.org. LIKE and visit us on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter @ccdom1 to stay updated on upcoming events and ways we help clients get the services and assistance they need.

Tiffany Workman is the Communications Specialist in the Office of Communications and Public Relations at the Diocese of Metuchen.