In preparation for the upcoming holiday season, thanks to the recent generous donations of the community, Pastor Birgit Solano’s food pantry at the Good Shepherd Church in Weehawken was so stuffed with food that she had to stash the excess underneath the church’s back pews. She will be working with a Union City-based shelter system to give food to local people in need.
“It’s like a bodega!” one of Solano’s younger congregation members remarked recently at church. But at this particular bodega, the food is free.
Solano works in conjunction with Executive Director Emory Edwards and his crew at the Palisades Emergency Residence Corporation (PERC) shelter and soup kitchen down the road at 111 37th St. in Union City; a partnership which, she said, is essential in order to begin to properly address the issues of increasing local hunger and homelessness.
“We are a grass roots effort,” Solano said. “The church can’t solve problems, but we can make them visible.”
Both Solano and Edwards have witnessed the increase of joblessness, homelessness, and the need for food in the community over the years. “Last year was by far our busiest year at the shelter,” Edwards said. “We served an unprecedented 72,000 meals. This year, we are well on our way to serving 81,000 or more.”
“People who need food get food.” –Pastor Birgit Solano
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Nowhere to turn
Solano and Edwards’ observations are mirrored statewide and countrywide. Unemployment in the U.S. has risen from 4.6 percent in 2007 to 9.1 percent. This does not take into account what Edwards termed the “underemployed;” or those who work several part-time or even full-time jobs and cannot make ends meet.
“There is this unfortunate stereotype that the homeless are lazy,” Edwards said. “This is simply not the case.”
According to the N.J. Corporation for Supportive Housing, homelessness in the state has steadily increased over the years. Based on what they call the “point in time” method, where volunteers actually walk the streets to count people without shelter, there are 12,825 homeless people in the state this year. Hudson County landed in the top 10 with 480 — and the count applied to those they could find outside at a specific time.
The PERC homeless shelter on 37th St. has 40 dormitory beds. It cannot accommodate anyone under the age of 18.
Edwards reported that while the shelter housed around 14,400 guests last year, 2011 will run well over 15,000.
Aside from a marked increase in demand for food and shelter, he has also noticed one surprising difference: demographic. “We have seen an upsurge in young men between the ages of 18 and 22 looking for shelter,” he said.
Edwards believes this is a result of families’ growing inability to financially support their children once they become adults, and blue-collar jobs becoming more scarce.
Tale of the diploma
Edwards recalled one rainy night this past year when an 18-year-old man called the shelter looking for a bed. The young man specifically told Edwards he had his diploma, and Edwards replied, “Good — that will help you find a job.”
“No,” the young man replied. “I have my diploma and I don’t want it to get wet.”
It was the only possession he had left.
“Imagine your life reduced to half a locker, or even less,” Edwards said as he stood before the guest dormitory’s wall of blue lockers, half the size of those found in schools. “We take for granted how much stuff we have in our apartments or homes. What would you take with you?”
People who need food get food
The Census Bureau reported that the national poverty rate climbed from 14.3 percent in 2009 to 15.1 percent in 2010 — the highest it’s been since 1993. The Bureau also reported that the U.S. median household income fell 2.3 percent since last year and is the lowest it has been since 1996.
Although many may still be able to make their rent, Solano said, they may not necessarily be able to afford food.
The church pantry hands out food to around 50 locals a week on Wednesdays. They also provide sandwiches and sodas for lunch, since PERC’s guests are required to leave at 8 a.m. after breakfast and can only return at 6 p.m. for dinner.
“Those who come to the church may be one or two paychecks away from being homeless,” Solano said. “People who need food get food.”
To make that happen, Good Shepherd works closely with Weehawken’s Boy Scouts, Women’s Club, Park Methodist Church, and of course, the community to collect the money, volunteers, and supplies they need.
And if they come up short — for instance, if the hungry cannot cook for themselves — Solano refers them to PERC.
As winter approaches and the weather becomes colder, there is a permanent overflow of people who need shelter.
What if they’re full on a cold night?
“That’s when the shelter switches to ‘Code Alert,’ ” Solano said. They refuse to turn guests away when the cold poses a health threat. So PERC’s dining room turns into an overnight extension of their dormitory.
“It’s actually worked out quite well for the community,” Edwards said.
Every guest who stays in the dormitory must be clean and sober, but those who face addiction issues are permitted to stay in the dining room (the city provides security during those times).
“It’s sort of like the chicken and the egg conundrum,” Edwards stated. “It is difficult to say whether the addiction caused the homelessness, or vice-versa.” But he has witnessed some who have cleaned themselves up and moved on after staying in the dining room.
“The classic expectation of homelessness has changed, and we are trying to change with it,” Edwards said.
PERC’s headquarters are located at 108 36th St., their shelter and food pantry are at 111 37th St., and their thrift shop is located at 113 37th St., all in Union City. For volunteer opportunities or more information on PERC’s shelter, visit their website at www.percshelter.org, or call (201) 348-8150.
Good Shepherd Church and their food pantry are located at 98 Columbia Terrace in Weehawken. Call (201) 863-2029.