HOWELL – Two local high school seniors readily admit they’ve grown up in comfortable suburban homes, never having to worry about access to heat and hot water. But as Cory Reavis and Tristen Bennett returned to school this fall, they’re not just focused on their studies and college applications.
Instead, they’re resurrecting a project they started as members of the Howell Police Athletic League during the COVID-19 pandemic. Their initiative, Operation Warmth: Helping the Homeless Prepare for Winter, aims to raise funds and provide essentials to ensure the unhoused in Monmouth and Ocean counties can survive the winter months.
Cory, 17, and Tristen, 18, have remained best friends since they first met in the second grade. Although they both still live in Howell, Corey and Tristen attend different high schools as part of the Freehold Regional High School District’s magnet programs. Cory is a student in Freehold Boro School’s Computer Science program, with hopes of attending Georgia Tech, while Tristen is enrolled in the Business Administration program at Marlboro High School, aspiring to study at New York University.
Both young men have grown up in families that stressed the importance of community service. When he was a child growing up, Cory was instructed to divide his allowance into three parts – one for savings, one for giving to others, and the last to spend on things he wanted. He said that he’s watched his mom constantly give back to the community.
Tristen said that his mother also emphasized how critical it was to be a person for others. She phrased it as “men and women for others” as something engrained in her heart. Tristen has also witnessed his mother live by her favorite mantra.
The idea for Operation Warmth was born from a previous initiative Cory and Tristen led in January through March 2021, a time when the pandemic’s impact was particularly severe. The two learned of the plight of the homeless as participants in Howell’s Police Athletic League (PAL).
Corey and Tristen have actively participated in Howell’s PAL for several years. Tristen currently serves as the vice president of the group’s youth leadership. Both young men credit retired Howell Police Sgt. Chris Hill, the PAL’s president and CEO, and Jeffrey Mayfield, a retired Howell Police captain, for opening their eyes to the issue of homelessness and providing guidance on how they could help.
In just three short months in 2021, Operation Warmth raised over $1,700 in donations.
Back then, Cory and Tristen delivered vital supplies to a homeless encampment behind the Shop Rite in Neptune. They admit they were stunned when they saw the dire living conditions of at least a dozen older people without a roof over their heads.
“They’re literally living in the woods,” Cory explained. “It’s like they’re camping – but that’s their whole life right there.”
“I remember one guy who had just come back from the hospital with a huge gash on him,” added Tristen. “It was really tough to see people living in those conditions.”
A recent court decision directed at the occupants of the Neptune encampment orders them to abandon the site no later than the end of October. Authorities are working with outside organizations in hopes of finding them homes.
Meanwhile, Mayfield has identified other small camps where the unhoused live without essentials. Operation Warmth has committed to helping those left behind in Neptune and others in Barnegat, Manchester, and South Toms River.
“I do this as a Christian ministry,” shared Mayfield, an elder in the Forked River Baptist Church. “I’ve been doing this for 20 years as an outreach to share the gospel of Jesus.”
“The camps change, and there’s always a new face that comes in from week to week,” Mayfield added. “Jesus tells us that the poor will always be among us. So, there will always be a place to help these people.”
While Mayfield acknowledged that some of the unhoused have mental health or addiction issues, he turned around accusations that his mission “enables” others. Not only does he feel that everyone is entitled to assistance, but the retired police captain has also seen that enabling has meant that some have gone from homeless and addicted to recovered and gainfully employed.
Many in the community have gone out of their way to join Mayfield in his work. By way of example, Mayfield said that the German Butcher in Forked River donates a considerable amount of food to feed those in need. A couple of women from Forked River Baptist Church cook between 75-100 meals a week based on the local butcher’s donations.
Operation Warmth 2024
One of the most urgent needs for people experiencing homelessness, especially as the weather turns colder, is propane. Mayfield was able to establish an account with Seaboard Welding Supply in Ocean Township to secure a steady supply. While most propane is purchased through donations, Mayfield has occasionally used his funds to ensure it’s always available.
The propane is used with Little Buddy heaters, which can provide around 100 hours of heat from a single 20-pound tank when set on low.
“Our main goal is to raise enough money to fund an account to provide enough propane for the whole winter,” shared Tristen. “So, the people who are unhoused might not have to ration, because that’s typically what happens. There’s not enough to go around, and they have to use what they have sparingly.”
Corey added that with the help of PAL and community members, Operation Warmth is also hoping to gain donations through an Amazon Wishlist so that the unhoused will have the essentials they need for the winter. The Wishlist can be accessed here: amazon.com/registries/gl/guest-view/22231G54RNESJ.
Zero-degree grade sleeping bags and waterproof tents with an eight-person capacity are in great need, as are gloves, socks, and thermal underwear, and baby wipes. Donations can also be dropped off at the Reavis residence, located at 3 Hearth Court in Howell.
Those who would like to make cash donations for propane can do so by scanning the Venmo code or searching for Corey Reavis @operation warmth to transfer funds.: Cash and check donations will be used to purchase propane; checks can be made out to Cory Reavis and mailed to 3 Hearth Court, Howell NJ 07731
According to Tristen, Hill has agreed to redirect dues routinely collected by PAL over the next few months. The money will be deposited in an account set up to purchase propane.
Anything collected in excess of the project needs for the identified communities will be passed on to Destiny’s Bridge run by Minister Steve Brigham. A homelessness advocate for decades, Brigham has said that approximately 30 people remain in the camp he organized in Winding River Park in Toms River.
Operation Warmth hopes to make all final distributions by Thanksgiving weekend. The two young men also hope to leave a blueprint of the work they’ve done for the next group of leaders within PAL.
To contact Tristen Bennett or Cory Reavis regarding Operation Warmth: Helping the Homeless Prepare for Winter, emails can be submitted to OperationWarmthNJ@gmail.com.
