By Donald Gilpin

HomeFront, a nonprofit seeking “to end homelessness in Central New Jersey by harnessing the caring resources and expertise of the community,” is ramping up its efforts during the holiday season amidst increasing challenges.

“The job has grown in recent years because wages have stagnated, but rental and home costs have soared,” said HomeFront Founder and CEO Connie Mercer. “Now working families who never have become homeless before are living too close to the edge financially, and one bump in the road can lead to eviction.”

HomeFront’s Homelessness Prevention Program provided funds to 208 families this year for security deposits and other home needs. Also this year, through their Furnish the Future program, HomeFront provided 440 families with donated beds, bureaus, tables, and couches for their new homes, as well as food to stock new pantries, Thanksgiving dinners, and even Christmas presents to ease the traumas of homelessness.

“We are delighted so many families will spend the holidays in an apartment of their own, who otherwise would have been homeless,” said Mercer.

In addition to supporting security deposits and payment of back rents, HomeFront manages 120 affordable apartments. At HomeFront’s Family Campus in Ewing, 38 families are receiving temporary shelter and the support they need to become self-sufficient. 

“As we count our blessings this holiday season, here’s an amazing thing to count,” a press release from HomeFront noted, “25,350 times this year, the community made it possible for our neighbors in need to come to HomeFront and receive shelter, food, and life-changing assistance. That is a holiday miracle.”

HomeFront’s mission revolves around four core beliefs: that families deserve safe, secure housing; that families need basic necessities to live a life with dignity; that children nurtured by love and support will grow on a path to realizing life’s possibilities; and that, with the right tools, all families can succeed. 

“We lessen the immediate pain of homelessness and help families become self-sufficient,” asserts HomeFront’s mission statement. “We work to give our clients the skills and opportunities to ensure adequate incomes and we work to increase the availability of adequate, affordable housing. We help homeless families advocate for themselves individually and collectively.”

For more information, visit www.homefrontnj.org.