HOBOKEN — While Hoboken has received many donations, its longtime homeless shelter still needs specific items. Please read the following for various updates:
The temporary evacuation shelter at Wallace School will be shutting down Tuesday due to heating issues and in preparation for the school’s re-opening; however, city spokesman Juan Melli confirmed that Hoboken Hospital will be able to accommodate those who are being moved out of the location. There were still 16 displaced people there as of Tuesday morning.
Meanwhile, the city also has a longrunning permanent shelter where 50 adults can sleep. They also serve 400 meals daily to those who are needy. The Hoboken Homeless Shelter, at 300 Bloomfield St., is at capacity. If more people come knocking during the nor’easter, there is a countywide plan in place to transport them to other shelters, a plan that is run in conjunction with the United Way.
The shelter at 300 Bloomfield St. needs the following items:
Paper Towels, Tissues and Toilet Paper
Coffee and Sugar
Any and all cleaning products
Soap
Socks
Gloves – Vinyl and plastic
Paper goods – napkins, plates, cups, forks
Executive director of the shelter Jaclyn Cherubini explained Tuesday that a “winter emergency initiative,” which is typically enacted when temperatures dip below a certain point, will go into effect if the anticipated nor’easter continues to displace residents.
For those who are low on needed items because of the storm, the Hoboken High School donation center has seen over 500 volunteers (including local moms with their babies in tow) and some driving in for the day from places like Baltimore, Pittsburgh, and Upstate New York to lend a hand. Resident Carly Ringer, who also volunteered her time for Hurricane Katrina, has acted as the head of distribution at the high school.
“What impressed me the most was the people that gave up their weekends,” said Ringer. “People were here until 11 p.m. on Friday night.”
The distribution center is running like a well-oiled machine, with point people in charge of various functions. There are sorters, greeters, schedulers, even a “box man.”
Ringer explained that currently the high school is the only distribution center in town; however, there were seven points of distribution (P.O.D.S.) strategically located around senior buildings and low income housing as a convenience to the elderly who may not be able to walk too far. The high school as of Tuesday is not distributing to individuals, but does still offer an open P.O.D. in the back of the building.
Hoboken High School distribution center is beginning to outsource some of their donations to affected towns like Newark, Staten Island and the Jersey Shore, while they continue to sort and distribute locally. A National Guard truck piled up ready-to-heat “Heater Meals” on Tuesday morning to drive down to Newark.
City Hall also saw 250 volunteers on Monday alone.
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