No signs on the street mark the entrance to the headquarters for the Urban League of Hudson County on Bergen Avenue in Jersey City. People in the neighborhood know where it is, pushing open its brown metal door for the long climb to the second floor. While many low-income people of all ethnicities and races have come here for help, seeking the jobs, training or day care that the non-profit organization provides, it is mostly single mothers with children that come here for help. Since the 1970s, the offices here have provided programs that might help remove the curse of poverty from people in the decaying neighborhoods in Jersey City and around Hudson County. In the halls, one can still hear the clatter of typewriters, although a sprinkling of computer terminals has made its way into the various programs. Over the next year, however, many of the services provided here will move to a new headquarters, one without the worn paint or the long climb, offices where computer terminals will seem less science fiction than a day to day reality. Slightly over a year ago, the Urban League broke ground on a new headquarters building at 253 Martin Luther King Drive in Jersey City. The idea was to bring more power to the effort going on there to reclaim the blighted inner city and bring about a sense of pride to the local community. ULHC President and CEO Elnora Watson said “Protect Reclaim” would be an integral part of the MLK Redevelopment Plan – a joint effort that combines private, city, county and state funds to help reshape the center of a once-thriving business district. Over the last several years, the Jersey City Economic Development Corporation, the New Jersey Economic Development Authority and others combined efforts to convert a six square block area around MLK Drive to create a new environment that will supply jobs and housing to the most economically-stricken part of Hudson County. The New Urban League headquarters will be in the center of that re-development area. “We hope to be enablers for the indigent, and we know that it will take significant effort,” Watson said. “The idea was to play a part in reclaiming the old neighborhood, getting in early in order to help supply the services that a new budding community will need to succeed.” To help pay for the move downtown, the Urban League helped elicit a low interest loan, part of a $5.1 million package from the New Jersey Economic Development Authority that will create a multi-purpose facility where residents can get computer training, health care, ATM services and other programs. A long history Although employed at the Hudson County Urban League since 1972, Watson said her connection goes back to 1966 when as a student she came into contact with it as part of a career day program. Back then, Hudson County hadn’t yet established its own office, but was a satellite of Essex County. “I liked the Urban League back then, but I went off to college, got married and then found myself coming back to it,” she said. “A friend of mine said there was an opening, and I remembered always liking the place, so I got an interview and was hired for the program.” In 1990, she took over as president and chief operating officer. The organization had only 20 employees then and only offered five programs with an annual operating budget of less than $2 million. In the decade since, the organization grew to 200 employees, offering a variety of services for more than 47,000 people. Although primarily located in Jersey City, the Urban League also has a facility in North Bergen, and offers services to poor people throughout the county through a series of programs that include educational after-school and mentoring programs for kids as well as training programs for adults. The Urban League opened one of the first charter schools in Hudson County in 1997. Job training Its employment center, located near Journal Square in Jersey City, offers free job placement services to elderly, poor and welfare-to-work people throughout the county. Some of the programs address the needs of people 55 or older and some programs address those just reaching their teens. Some of the job programs range in skill level and salaries, from minimum wage training positions to those with salaries commensurate with a fully-trained employee. But behind these training and placement programs is a fully-supported network that will fill in the gaps that poor people usually find when seeking a job. People seeking to get off welfare often struggle because they have little or no daycare facilities for their children, Watson said. While some of the programs were developed on a national level, many were developed right here in Hudson County to meet the unique problems faced by people in this part of the country, and even the programs that come from the national level are often adapted to fit local conditions. “We’ve always been an advocate for our community,” Watson said. “We’ve always address the critical needs of people our area. But the idea was to help people develop through growth and opportunity.” Watson said the Urban League has taken a lead in the welfare-to-work effort, doing so with recognition that people need more than employment to make the transition. The Urban League tries to guide people through the process while helping them through the dramatic transition from dependence to independence. “The Urban League addresses what people will likely need to obtain meaningful employment,” Watson said. “If they need training, we try to provide that training.” This covers everything from supplementing educational programs for kids to training for adults. “I’ve always believed we could be a channel for people who wanted to attain beyond their status,” Watson said. Showing off for the nation At the National Urban League Eastern Regional Conference from March 16 to 19 at the Crowne Plaza in Secaucus, Urban League of Hudson County President and CEO Elnora Watson will get to show off her success for host of national dignitaries that include Rev. Al Sharpton, Newark Mayor Sharpe James, NJ NAACP President William Rutherford, Assemblyman Joe Charles, and others. Gil Nobel, host of the TV show “Like It Is,” will moderate a plenary session called “Common Public Policy Agendas,” and leaders will discuss mobilizing community organizations to focus on common issues and promote inter-organization relationships. The four-day event will bring together representatives from 35 Urban League affiliates from eight states to provide technical assistance and training. As host affiliate, the Urban League of Hudson County has been working with various business and community leaders and elected officials to develop the goals for the conference and identify potential sponsors, who are expected to attend the ULHC’s 22nd Annual Equal Opportunity Awards Dinner on March 17. “The conference is an important avenue for sharing information that will enhance our ability to serve residents in Hudson County,” Watson said.