TOMS RIVER – At the Riverwood overnight warming center, a few dozen men and women were settling in for the evening. This was a few days before the blizzard.
Two people were playing pool in the building, which serves as a recreation center during warmer months. Three young men were discussing which version of the Bible they prefer.
Zach Gershonowitz, 31, was going through his backpack and making sure he had everything for the night. Originally from Staten Island, he’s now living in Ocean County’s shelters with his fiance, who has stage two breast cancer. They had been victims of fraud.
“All of our money was there one day, and gone the next,” he said.
A former addict, he has been clean for more than three years. Because of this history, he is aware of what it’s like to be homeless. Just Believe wasn’t around back then, though. This is the volunteer organization that runs the overnight shelter in the park’s recreation building.
“Just Believe saved us. If this place wasn’t here, I don’t know what I would do,” he said. “These are guardian angels without being angels.”
In addition to providing food and shelter, the staff provides another basic necessity: emotional support. They are someone to talk to and they know their way around and can give good advice, he said.
There are programs available for the homeless, but navigating the red tape and paperwork can be overwhelming.
“There are a million and one papers,” Gershonowitz said. “They help sort through the chaos of the outside world and your own chaos.”
Gershonowitz would likely have been there that night anyway, but this night had special significance. It was part of the Point In Time homeless count going on throughout the state. It’s an effort to find out where the most vulnerable people are.
The count came during a cold stretch, where the shelters were open for weeks in a row. They hosted about 30 people a night, said Paul Hulse, the CEO of Just Believe.
The age range is pretty broad. He said they’ve had as young as 19 and as old as 80. He told the story of an older woman who was sleeping in her car because she was scared of someone she was living with. There was a couple from Point Pleasant who fell on hard times and got evicted. He’s got a disability and can’t get help for it.
It would be easier if there was one place for them to all go – a centralized care facility – but Ocean is the only county in New Jersey without a permanent shelter.
The word “shelter” gives it a negative connotation, because it gives the impression that these are permanent homes for the homeless. The volunteers and staff prefer to call it “transition housing.” People come in with no place to go, and then the staff would figure out their needs so they can transition to a permanent home of their own.
Having one location helps build trust, he said. A lot of the clients he serves are worried about being taken advantage of and it takes a while to build trust.
He described a woman who had been homeless since 2018. By slowly establishing trust, they were able to get her to stay at Riverwood, the first place she stayed consistently in years.
This location, which is being allowed by Toms River, has two stories. The top floor has some games and books, tables and a few cots. Most of the cots are on the bottom floor. Women sleep on one side, men on the other, with staff in the middle.
This annual Point in Time survey is required by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD).
The 2022 numbers won’t be available for a little while. According to the 2021 Point in Time Count, a total of 366 persons, in 239 households, were experiencing homelessness in Ocean County. Of the 239 homeless households counted in Ocean County in 2021, 59 (25%) were families with at least one child under the age of 18 and one adult. Out of the 366 persons identified as homeless, there were 18 homeless veterans, 146 Victims of Domestic Violence survivors and 37 Homeless Youth (individuals and families with heads of households 24 years old or younger).
In Ocean County, the Point in Time surveys were done at: Alive Again Alliance Church, 1060 Church Road, Toms River; True Vine Ministry, 340 Route 9, Bayville; Lakewood Town Square; and New Life Christian Center, 211 E 4th Street, Lakewood.
Workers were also canvassing streets, woods, and other areas where the homeless are known to be in order to make sure they get counted.
The survey they have to fill out is brief, and it does not ask for any personal identification.
Katie Calhoun, who oversaw the Point in Time for Ocean County as a part of Monarch Housing Associates, attended a few of these locations and saw different people at each one.
Food, donations, and other services were being done at these locations as well. Once someone comes in, they are asked what they need help with so that they can be directed toward a more permanent solution. Some of the providers were the health department, behavioral health groups, and veterans groups like Soldier On.
How To Help
If you’d like to help Just Believe, you can send checks to PO Box 5441, Toms River, 08754. You can also shop at the thrift store near the Aldi’s on Route 37 – the money spent there goes to the charity.
Wawa gift cards go a long way toward helping people, but make sure they are activated before donating, he said.
If you’d like to volunteer or ask questions, email Paul@JustBelieve.org.
Minister Steve Brigham takes care of the people living in the woods. If you would like to make a tax deductible financial donation, you can send a check to Destiny’s Bridge, PO Box 692, Lakewood NJ 08701 or donate at PayPal: Destinysbridgefoundation@gmail.com
He’s always looking for Buddy heaters, 20lb empty propane tanks, sleeping bags, coats, gloves, hats and warm socks. Below is a list of drop off locations:
- Ian MacKenzie Smith, 10 Bucknell Drive, South Toms River. M-F 9-6 Sat 9-2. Please leave behind the van in the driveway.
- Nancy Jean, 72 Maxim Drive, Forked River. Please leave items in front of the garage.
- Kimberly Morelli, 1 Lorelei Drive, Howell. Please leave items on porch.
- Middletown Reformed Church, 121 Kings Highway, Middletown. Please leave items on the left side of the church in the walkway leading to the basement. If you have any questions call: 908-896-1682
- Mark and Maggie, 38 Buckley Road, Marlboro. Please leave items on covered porch.
- Smithburg Farms, 98 Smithburg Road, Manalapan. Drop off hours between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m.
- Holly, 19 Hoover Drive, Brick. Leave the items under the carport. Drop off between Monday thru Saturday 8 a.m and 6 p.m.
