New Jersey’s children are our future.
More than 60,000 children go to bed hungry or live in shelters.
Thus far the governor’s office has not been helpful in our pleas for help with New Jersey’s people in crisis.
Women and children who have been thru domestic violence and abuse, often with little job training (even college grads are working as waitresses or cab drivers) are expected to rebuild their lives in 60-90 days.
Before you go off on vacation, I urge you to think about what can be done and either support our shelters or meet with us to find solutions.
Keep in mind that the children are our future.
Through a great miracle, Strengthen Our Sister’s mortgage note was assumed by Columbia bank.
For this we are eternally grateful and although we are assured we won’t lose our seven houses, we don’t have money for utilities and gas.
While we worked diligently to keep paying the mortgage when it was in foreclosure, we got behind on operation costs.
DFC is trying to help and we’re working with them; however, we need your support.
The dedicated people that comprise the SOS unpaid staff (10) are working day and night.
We accept people most of whom are not eligible for social services payments because they have already used their 60 days’ worth of per diems, and other shelters turn them away.
This is horrendous and unfair, and we urge you to support and reach out to others that want to help change this situation.
This is a statewide problem - four New Jersey shelters are closing because sometimes people refuse to leave at the end of their time limit as they have nowhere to go.
The shelter operators are forced to go to landlords tenant court, which can take up to three months for an eviction; during this time the shelter does not receive reimbursements for those participants.
We do need money, but let’s also work together and start a grass roots action to change New Jersey’s stipulation limiting a shelter stay for only 60-90 days (60 if you’re battered and 90 if homeless).
It’s unfair to think a person coming out of an abusive situation can goes into fortifying and preparing a person to take charge of their life and start on the road to become an independent, strong person after being beaten down.
They not only have themselves to renew, but the children often need counseling, tutoring, etc.
Sixty days is simply too short a time.
Our miracles take a little longer, but the results are priceless.
For more details or brain storming ideas, call me, Sandra Ramos, at (973) 831-0898 or email susanscb@comcast.net.
Sandra Ramos,
Strengthen Our Sisters founder