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Project Homeless Connect 2007 Report!

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Project Homeless Connect New Jersey 2007 Served 5,305 Individuals!

Monarch Housing Associate's Ending Homeless Team, in collaboration with the New Jersey Alliance for the Homeless (NJAH) coordinated and planned the first ever statewide Project Homeless Connect (PHC) in the country on January 25, 2007. This inaugural event was enormously successful. A total of five thousand three hundred and five (5,305) individuals were served and nine hundred forty (940) volunteers participated. Two hundred three (203) emergency shelter beds were provided. Thanks to all who helped to make Project Homeless Connect a success!

To view a power point on the highlights click here. To review the most recent posts on the Monarch Blog, which includes press releases, video links, and other information click here.

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To view the numbers for each county please
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Highlights from the 2007 Project Homeless Connect New Jersey

Partnerships with local Continuums of Care
Monarch Housing Associates has a unique relationship with all twenty counties that participated in the first annual Project Homeless Connect New Jersey. Currently Monarch’s Ending Homelessness Team is contracted to prepare the annual Continuum of Care for fourteen (14) of the twenty (20) counties. Three of these are developing ten year plans to end homelessness. In addition, Monarch’s other teams that are involved in housing development have relationships in all of the remaining counties.  These relationships proved to be invaluable as we worked to pull the state together for the coordinated effort.

Partnerships with the Public Sector
State, county and local government partnerships were essential to the success of many events throughout the state:

The New Jersey Housing and Mortgage Finance Agency, that coordinates the statewide HMIS collaborative, became involved in the statewide PHC effort from the beginning.  Staff from the agency helped to plan local events and also volunteered at PHC sites throughout the state.

Local elected officials became involved throughout the state including the Mayor of Trenton who sent a letter to the community inviting them to the event. 

The County Executive in Essex County held a planning meeting as well as a press conference prior to attending the PHC site in Newark.

Partnerships with the Private Sector
Tyco International assisted the Mercer Alliance to End Homelessness, the nonprofit agency implementing the county’s ten year plan, planned and coordinated the PHC event in Mercer County.  Tyco International, a major sponsor of the Mercer Alliance, helped support the effort. Stephanie Wolcott, an executive from Tyco volunteered at the event. This type of partnership will encourage additional private sector involvement in future annual Project Homeless Connect New Jersey events.

Partnerships with Private Non Profits
Private non profits in New Jersey worked very hard to successfully host forty-four (44) sites in twenty-one (21) counties.  Local Non profits hosted many events, and also provided volunteers and staff to ensure the success of those events. 

The New Jersey Alliance to End Homelessness partnered with Monarch to raise awareness for and coordinate the statewide effort.

The Corporation for Supportive Housing, who led the statewide Point in Time count that took place on the same day, worked hand in hand with Monarch to ensure that the two events were well coordinated.

United Ways from across the state were very much involved in events, providing donations and support.  In Cape May County, the UW was responsible for much of the planning. In other counties United Way’s filled gaps by providing funding for table and chair rentals, informing the 2-1-1 call centers of PHC events, and reaching out to board members for donations to fund gift certificate and other items that were used as ‘giveaways.’ 

Partnerships with Volunteers
In Passaic County, nearly fifty (50) AmeriCorps volunteers took part in PHC by helping to plan, advertise and volunteer at the events throughout the county.  The volunteers willingness, excitement and energy proved to be invaluable.  Secretary of State, Nina Mitchell Wells attended the event because of the involvement of the AmeriCorps volunteers.

The Hudson County event was able to secure a number of donations and volunteers as a result of placing advertisements about the event, need for volunteers, and donations on public and community based web sites such as Volunteer Match, Craig's List, and other localized web sites.  Many of these volunteers have expressed an interest in taking part in the event next year as well.

Partnerships with the Community
Across the state local communities embraced the idea of Project Homeless Connect and became involved:

Lets Rock America, a NJ online music magazine for independent musicians held a concert to collect blankets for the homeless.  All of the more than two hundred (200) blankets that were collected were given to counties in the state to distribute at their PHC sites.  Due to the success of the event, Lets Rock America has formed a partnership with Monarch and plans to make the concert an annual event and continue to donate the blankets to Project Homeless Connect New Jersey.

Monarch staff and Project Homeless Connect volunteers attended local community meetings including neighborhood association and neighborhood watch groups proved to be a successful way to inform local groups about Project Homeless Connect in Hudson County. After receiving information about the event at meetings, group members were able to pass information along to others in the community through work and/or social activities.

In Counties throughout the state, local Girl Scout Troops became involved.  The activities varied but mainly the troops were able to collect much needed items for the event while learning about homelessness and earning a badge.

Partnerships with the Medical Community
In Camden County, Project Hope's Medical Outreach teams not only performed flu shots to individuals attending the event, but also did street outreach and gave shots to individuals on the street and in transportation centers.

Partnerships with Local Educational Institutions

In Hudson County, at least twenty (20) St. Peter’s College students played an important role at PHC by spending the day helping out as needed.

In Mercer County, five (5) Temple University dental students performed over two hundred (200) dental exams throughout the course of the day.  The group also distributed toothpaste and toothbrushes.

In Passaic County, Nursing students from the Passaic County Community College performed blood pressure screenings and gave flu shots to many of the attendees at PHC.

Master Level Social Work interns from Rutgers University worked to plan and to organize the event in Middlesex County.

Students from local high schools in Bergen County served food to homeless individuals throughout the day.

Partnerships with Faith Based Groups
Many faith based groups throughout the state played a very important role in Project Homeless Connect including hosting many of the PHC, and collecting items that were distributed.

In Sussex County, a rural community which faced some major transportation issues, a telephone number for a local Baptist Church was posted on all flyers and volunteers from the church were on call to provide transportation as needed for individuals who wanted to attend the event.

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