Wednesday, March 7, 2012
Speakers share personal tales of struggle, ask for more help
The director of the Ocean Board of Freeholders defended the county's spending on social services Wednesday while rejecting the possibility of an additional surcharge on filed documents to bolster a Homeless Trust Fund. Freeholder Director Gerry Little likened the optional surcharge to an unnecessary tax at the board's regular meeting, which was marked by several pleas from speakers for more assistance for the county's homeless and vulnerable population. "We have no inclination to adopt a new and expanded tax on the backs of the people of Ocean County," Little said. Speaker Carol Gay of Brick reiterated pleas by others in recent months for the county to consider the $3 surcharge on documents filed with the Ocean County Clerk's Office, as …
Friday, January 6, 2012
Lakewood township wants the homeless to leave their camp
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Friday, January 6, 2012
Those living in a makeshift camp in Lakewood can stay for now while homeless advocates and township officials settle eviction proceedings in court, a judge ruled on Friday. Superior Court Judge Joseph Foster said that, while the current living situation is not sustainable, he would not order the homeless to abandon the Tent City camp, NJ.com reported. Lakewood officials want to clear the area of its homeless population, who they have said are living illegally on public land. The Huffington Post reported that advocates for those living in the camp near Cedar Bridge Avenue maintain that Ocean County is required by state law to provide shelter for the homeless. Jeffrey Wild, an attorney fighting the township, said that the camp is an "…
Tuesday, October 25, 2011
11-Year-Old Bear has found a home, after a previous adoption fell through
There was a sense of relief when a willing dog lover stepped up to adopt Bear, an elderly German Shepherd left homeless following the death of his owner at the end of September. The news came with an enthusiastic, exclamation point-riddled email from the woman who helped lead the charge for the adoption of 11-year-old Bear from a nearby animal hospital. Unfortunately, the enthusiasm was short lived. A strict, no large breed lease agreement from the landlord of Bear’s prospective new owner meant the boy was once again in need of a home. With time running out and Bear having used up much of what little time remained for him as a charity case, Angelina - the woman who first contacted Patch earlier this month asking for help in finding him a …
Thursday, October 20, 2011
Speakers press Board of Freeholders to do more for displaced residents
Advocates for the homeless delivered a clear message Wednesday to the Board of Freeholders: Ocean County must do more to help its most vulnerable residents. A standing-room-only crowd packed the freeholders' regular meeting in the county Administration Building to plead for new solutions to the plight of the homeless, arguing for the establishment of a trust fund, among other measures. Activists held supportive signs as speakers shared their stories and asked for greater cooperation with the county freeholders. Homelessness is a "social justice issue," argued Larry Meegan, the president of the Kiwanis Club of Jackson. "A lot of people are slipping through the safety net." "This problem must be addressed by all of our energies," said the …
Stinger
7:29 pm on Saturday, March 10, 2012
If you wish to give money to the homeless by all means do so, it is a noble cause and you are a noble person who should be commended. However, use your own finances not the taxpayers. We all rise and fall of our OWN accord and right now my priorities are to MY family not some homeless person who took all the wrong roads in life. Perhaps one day I will be in a better position to pay it forward and… more ›