To safely accommodate an unprecedented surge in the number of individuals experiencing homelessness who are seeking shelter and emergency services, the Rescue Mission of Trenton says is dedicating additional space and adding staff to serve up to 85 more people a day.
“In just the past two years, there has been a 90 percent increase in the number of people asking to come to our shelter. And that need becomes life threatening for those living on the streets during the below-freezing temperatures of winter,” said Barrett Young, chief executive officer of the Mission. “So, we knew we had to do something different to respond to this urgent need.”
To accommodate this need, a new Comfort Center will be housed where the Mission’s Thrift Store is currently. The store size and operations will be reduced until March.
In 2020, during the pandemic, that space was converted in a similar fashion to address the need for social distancing to safely accommodate more people who were seeking refuge.
The Comfort Center will be open seven days a week from 3 p.m. until 7 a.m., serving breakfast and dinner, through March.
In addition to meals and a respite from the cold, individuals can also engage with The Mission’s professional team to gain access to healthcare, behavioral health counseling, addiction treatment, financial assistance, and the possibility of obtaining housing.
James Rein, a Trenton native, who just turned 60 and has been periodically going to The Mission’s Shelter for more than a decade, said: “I’ve known I can always get a warm meal and a safe place to sleep here. This year, though, I am very grateful for the additional space that has been added. The shelter has always been crowded when the temperatures turn freezing in winter. But this winter, with so many more people coming to The Shelter, there just was not enough room for all of us.”
Alyese Patterson, a case manager in the shelter, described Rein as “a seasonal guest, who likes to stay to himself, and is a joy to be around.”
Smiling at her description of him, Rein said: “I grow a beard in the winter to help keep warm. Then when the weather gets warmer, I stay with my brother or friends or I’ll put up a tent. After this winter, though, I know I’m getting too old for this. I want to work with Alyese on how to find my own subsidized place to stay.”
To operate The Comfort Center, three additional full-time employees are being added. Including food, the additional costs are projected to amount to $170,192.
“While we did not anticipate these additional expenses, we know that this need cannot wait,” Young said. “So we are moving ahead — with the belief that, through the compassion and generosity of our donors, somehow, those expenses will be met.”
