Jersey Shore Magazine

J e r s e y s h o r e • F A L L / H O L I D A Y 2 0 2 0 14 BEACHCOMBER continued from page 13 Helping the Homeless at the Jersey Shore W hile the Jersey Shore may be perceived by some as afflu- ent, hiding behind the semblance of abundance is the grim reality of homelessness. The quiet yet sizable homeless populations of Monmouth and Ocean Counties have always struggled with securing the basics for survival, and the current pan- demic has worsened the situation tenfold. Where can those who have lost everything turn for life's most basic necessities? Fortunately, help is available through three established organizations whose shared missions aid the area's homeless and most vul- nerable residents. Just Believe – Ocean County Just Believe's CEO Paul Hulse long had a vision to assist the poor and disenfranchised in Ocean County, and in 2011, he brought the "Beat the Street" program he had started earlier that year in Florida to Toms River. Over the last ten years, his vision has become a reality and evolved into the nonprofit organiza- tion, a registered 501(c)(3) charity. "What makes us different from other service providers is we think outside the box," Hulse explained, "and seeing the lives affected by our work is what is most rewarding." The organization provides a num- ber of services to those in need and actively posts examples of their advocacy on their Facebook page. "Helping another collaboration to rehab. Waiting for intake," one recent post reads. Volunteers regularly assist with finding temporary and permanent housing, providing drug and alcohol rehabilitation services, repairing or securing vehicles so that people can travel to and from work and appoint- ments, organizing community meals and food distribution events, and coordinating with social services and other service providers. "On average, we have served seven hundred families and individuals a week during the current pandemic by providing them with crisis boxes and meals," Hulse said, adding that Just Believe volunteers have worked in collaboration with both the Toms River Community Church and the Alive Again Alliance Church to feed the homeless of downtown Toms River seven days a week. Hulse and Just Believe's staff and volunteers are a primary resource for Ocean County's Code Blue Emergency Shelter Initiative, also known as Code Blue. Their work prompted the Township of Toms River to change the trigger tempera- ture for when emergency shelter can be provided from 32 degrees to 35 degrees as well as statewide legisla- tion passed in 2019 that raised the Code Blue trigger temperature from 25 degrees to 32 degrees. "Our Code Blue shelter is the Riverwood Park Recreation Building in Toms River from November 1 through March 31, and it's open from 6:00 PM to 8:30 AM," Hulse explained. He noted that all Code Blue placements are screened before they are taken in, and those who need medical or mental health services are transported to the hospital. The current Code Blue shelter can accept a maximum of thirty individuals per night and is staffed by volunteers. The organization successfully placed twenty-three homeless individ- uals into permanent housing during the 2018-2019 season, but there's more work to be done. "The Code Blue shelter is temporary, but our goal is to eventually build a perma- nent shelter facility to serve Ocean County. There's an established need that must be addressed, and that's what we hope to accomplish." Amanda Mehrman Amanda Mehrman 80-year-old Godfrey, once alone in a motel without food, found his smile in a small bag of clothes and safety in a nursing home that a Just Believe volunteer helped secure. A group of homeless individuals and guests of the Riverwood Cold Blue Warming Center, along with volunteers, gathered at the Town Hall in Toms River to watch Paul Hulse and Just Believe receive a proclamation from the mayor on behalf of the town to honor their dedication and hard work for the community.

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