More than 30 children lined up Monday afternoon help break ground on a pending $1.2 million community center on the corner of Sixth and Jackson streets across from Hoboken’s public housing neighborhood.
All the hard-working little hands waited patiently for their turn to take a golden shovel and excavate a pile of dirt, marking the beginning of construction on the three story 7,800-square-foot Jubilee Family Life Center.
The All Saints Community Service and Development Corporation, a division of the All Saints Parish on Seventh and Washington streets, will be overseeing the construction of the facility. The facility will provide after-school tutoring, teen and children’s youth groups and summer programs for the public housing community.
The idea evolved out of a five-year partnership between the ASCSDC and local mothers who live in the Hoboken Housing Authority projects.
“This center will be the pinnacle of a dream,” said Laurie Wurm, director of the ASCSDC, Monday. “[In 1996] there really weren’t any places where children could receive tutoring after school, and these kids needed a caring environment where they are able to have fun but also get help with their homework.”
In 1996 the ASCSDC assisted lifelong public housing resident and mother of three Melvona Hicks in starting up the Homework Club tutoring program in one of the Housing Authority’s community rooms. It has been running every year since.
Currently there are approximately 45 students in the club, and everyone involved believes the prospect of the new building will only improve the program in the future.
“We [the Homework Club] only have the community room for a few hours a day,” said club leader Karen Ferguson. “It’s not our space. Our kids need a touchstone besides school and home. We need a place for our kids to go, especially little children, that’s in their own neighborhood. The Jubilee Center will be that place.”
The ASCSDC obtained the $1.2 million construction loan and permanent mortgage from the Thrift Institution Community Investment Corporation, which is funded by a consortium of Hudson County banks, including Haven Savings Bank of Hoboken, Bayonne Community Bank, Pamrapo Savings Bank in Bayonne, the Provident Bank of Jersey City, GSL Savings Bank of Guttenberg, Kearney Federal Savings Bank of Kearney and Hudson City Savings Bank of Paramus.
Kids delighted
While the ASCSDC is excited that construction has begun, it might be the children that are the most delighted. “We really need it,” said 12-year-old Tawana Jones. “It’s fun to have a place to go after school where we can get help with our homework and also can play games and work on our art projects. It’s also is good for our parents who won’t have to worry about us getting into trouble and not knowing where we are after school.”
The parents are enthused that there will be a safe place in the area where children of working parents can spend their afternoons.
“It’s so nice,” said mother of three Myna Solar. “These children will have a place that they are eager to go to while parents will have the confidence that their kids will be in a protective, caring and secure environment.”
Also attending the groundbreaking was Mayor-Elect David Roberts, who in a short speech praised the work of All Saints Church. “It’s a great day for Hoboken,” said Roberts. “The true gauge of a community is how we take care of those in need. A project like this is a shining example of the community coming together to bring relief to those who need it most.”
Reverend John P. Croneberger, Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Newark, officiated the ceremony and, in an interview afterward, said it is important that the church reach out to the community.
“It is imperative that our worship and prayer are not confined to the church building itself,” said Croneberger. “We have to go out and support or neighborhoods and support our children and make a real effort to do something that makes our communities a better place.”
Two years ago, the Hoboken Housing Authority itself held a press conference to announce that it would be building its own community center. However, calls to HHA Executive Director Troy Washington to find out the status of that project were not returned by press time.