After the shuttering of a temporary homeless shelter in Newark on one of the hottest days of the year, the city has reopened the extreme weather facility through the end of the summer. The shelter at 224 Sussex Avenue was originally opened to protect homeless residents temporarily during extreme, extended winter, but Newark officials pushed for it remain open past its original closure date in March. On July 2, though, the program ran out of funding, and the facility that was then providing shelter from the summer heat shuttered. Officials have since sought private funding, and on Friday, the businesses stepped in to help the homeless in the city. Newark homeless plead with city to keep temporary shelter open The facility, which is operated by a private sheltering organization, will reopen and house the residents until August 31 with financial support from United Airlines, PSEG, RWJBarnabas Health, Prudential/NJ Devils and … [Read more...] about With private funding, Newark reopens temporary homeless shelter
Stepping stones homeless shelter
Sen. Lankford tours Food and Shelter; aims to address federal restrictions
NORMAN — Sen. James Lankford said he’s seen a lot on his recent return visit to his home state. But in all his travels, from one corner of the state to the next, he said he’s never seen anything quite like Food and Shelter’s McKown Village.“There’s nothing I know of like this in the state,” he said. “It’s great … The key thing here is it’s the community that has taken the lead. The federal government is assisting with a very small percentage, but the people in the community are donating and providing volunteers and taking care of families.”The 32 tiny homes on site are among about 70 transitional homes that Food and Shelter manages while serving roughly 250 people per day. Since it opened in July, the new headquarters has had a significant impact on many lives.Lankford said he has used his latest Oklahoma visit — a multi-week trip and his longest so far this year — as a way to connect with people and … [Read more...] about Sen. Lankford tours Food and Shelter; aims to address federal restrictions
In a Changing South Bronx, Residents See New Jail as Step Backward
Supported by N.Y. / Region By ASHLEY SOUTHALLAPRIL 2, 2018 Continue reading the main story Share This Page Continue reading the main story In the shadow of the Bruckner Expressway in the South Bronx, behind a metal fence topped with barbed wire, is a tow pound with a pivotal role in the city’s campaign to close the notorious jail complex on Rikers Island.The city plans to build a jail on the lot it owns at Concord Avenue and East 141st Street, in a residential and industrial area of the Mott Haven neighborhood. The preliminary proposal, announced in February, is a key prong in the city’s plan to close Rikers and replace it with smaller, safer jails in Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens and the Bronx.But opposition is brewing among residents in the once-blighted neighborhood, who say the city’s plan is an unwelcome step backward for the South Bronx as it works to shed its synonymity with urban decay. Residents and some elected officials, concerned about safety … [Read more...] about In a Changing South Bronx, Residents See New Jail as Step Backward
Bus program sends homeless people out of San Diego to live with relatives in other cities
Family Reunification Program in San Diego pays for one-way, one-time bus tickets so homeless people can live with relatives or friends in other cities. It’s relocated 1,700 people in six years.Critics call these efforts “Greyhound therapy” and say all they do is move the homeless from one place to another. Officials acknowledge it is hard to keep track of the travelers once they leave.The San Diego Housing Commission considers it a success and recently more than doubled its grant to the program, which is run by the Downtown San Diego Partnership.Several homeless people who used the program say it changed their lives.FULL STORYFrom all appearances, Judy Bryant wanted out of San Diego.For six years, the 48-year-old woman has been homeless here, and when she walked into an office at St. Vincent de Paul Village on a recent morning, she said she’s had enough of sleeping on concrete. She spent the previous night on the back steps of a downtown apartment building.Her … [Read more...] about Bus program sends homeless people out of San Diego to live with relatives in other cities
Homeless people get professional headshots for job searches courtesy of their local shelter
A professional-looking “headshot” can be a key factor in clinching an online job search. But for homeless people who need jobs the most, getting such a photo portrait can be a near-impossibility. Enter Stepping Stone, a local homeless shelter, which went all out Wednesday to give its 66 residents the best possible headshots. The facility brought in a professional hairstylist, a makeup artist and a photographer, all of whom volunteered their time “to help people experiencing homelessness put their best foot forward in online job searches,” Stepping Stone said in a press release. Stepping Stone bills itself as the only homeless shelter serving adults in the five-county area of Anoka, Carter, Dakota, Scott and Washington. It currently has a 250-name waiting list. Residents stay at the facility for periods ranging from a few days to a whole year. … [Read more...] about Homeless people get professional headshots for job searches courtesy of their local shelter