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County Welcomes A House Of Hope
By Jo Ann La Russo
Faith, hope and charity are the cornerstones of The House of Hope in Toms River, which opened its door last week on the grounds of The Toms River Presbyterian Church at 253 Chestnut Street.
The grand opening celebration and ribbon cutting for the multilevel facility was attended by township officials, church parishioners and friends.
The House of Hope was built to bring help and assistance to families, children and the elderly. The facility will serve the community threefold, as it is home to three faith-based organizations. They are:
* Caregiver Volunteers of Central Jersey, a coalition of 58 participating congregations and over 1,100 trained volunteers. The facility also houses the Beachwood and Lakewood branches of Caregivers.
* Interfaith Hospitality Network of Ocean County, a cooperative effort between a dozen congregations, parishes and synagogues who lends assistance to the growing number of working families with children in Ocean County and provides short-term emergency shelter while working to find long term solutions to housing needs.
*The Community Outreach Center is a referral network for those who may qualify for social service programs. The center tries to match individuals with government programs. Also located in the House of Hope is the Food Bank of the Presbyterian Church, which is affiliated with Ocean County Hunger Relief.
At the House of Hope families, people will receive more than hope for a better future. They will have a chance to regain control over their lives in a meaningful way with the help and assistance from the facility's many volunteers and caring staff members.
"Although we are different organizations under one roof, we are all here with the same goal in mind," said Judi Dawson of Caregiver Volunteers. "We are grateful to take up residence in the House of Hope."
At the opening ceremony, a special award was given to honor Rita Kearny for her work in all three agencies housed in the House of Hope.
Kearney was instrumental in organizing and bringing Caregiver Volunteers of Central Jersey to Ocean County over 15 years ago and she currently serves on the board of directors of both the Interfaith Hospitality Network and The House of Hope, Inc.
"Rita combines an incredibly caring spirit with a great ability to organize and mobilize community resources. All three organizations are very grateful for her contributions over the years," said Lynette Whiteman, executive director of Caregiver of Central Jersey.
"The House of Hope is a place where clergy and the community can refer needy individuals for assessment and assistance," said House of Hope Director Trish Goodall, a family life educator and counselor.
Caregiver Volunteers of Central Jersey sends volunteers to the homes of seniors to help them with daily tasks allowing the seniors to continue living independently in their own homes.
"It is a wonderful, awesome adventure every day," said one volunteer, Dotty Gerhab. "The House of Hope really does give hope."
For more information about The House of Hope, call 732-341-4447.
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