HELP meeting this Monday @ Toms River library branch

The next combined meeting of Homelessness Ended through Local Partners (H.E.L.P.)  and Clergy and People for Workforce Housing will be held at 7:00 p.m. on Monday, December 9, 2013 at the Ocean County Library in Toms River.   (The meeting will be in the "Home Town Dairy Room" on the second floor.  The address of the library is 101 Washington Street, Toms River.  It is right across from the Court House.  Parking can be found on the street in front of the building or in the parking garage behind it.)

As always, all who are interested in addressing the critical, related problems of homelessness and affordable housing are welcome to attend.  Please join us, and invite others who share that concern.

Homelessness Ended through Local Partners (H.E.L.P) and Clergy and People for Workforce Housing

Joint Meeting – December 9, 2013

Agenda

1.            Introductions and information sharing

·         Review of materials

·         Reports/discussion re forum at Georgian Court and event at OC Library in TR  (Pam, Ginger, Rosemary and others)

 2.      Tent City/homelessness/affordable housing report and discussion:

·         current status of Tent City settlement and litigation overall

·         current status of endeavor to produce (a) shelter/”Lodge”/emergency housing center and (b) long-term affordable/supportive housing

·         use of revised power point as a follow-up advocacy tool

·         presence and advocacy at Special Response/Board of Social Services

3.      Other proposed events and actions:

·         Report on effort to have clergy preach sermons on Dec. 21/22 addressing homelessness and calling for action/advocacy (Ginger)

·         Discussion and final preparations and assignments for “candlelight vigil” on 12/21

o   Location, time, parking, microphone, other logistics, etc.

o   Purpose and goal: message, speakers, actions/advocacy efforts to ask people to accomplish, etc. (calls to Freeholders and Mayors, etc. re need for shelter, establishment of Homeless Trust Fund, need for permanent supportive/affordable housing, etc.; distribution/collection of pledge cards re attending meetings, making calls, etc.; other)

o   Getting the work out:  flyers, newspaper articles, other publicity, distribution of same, etc.

o   Materials, handouts, other information distribution

o   Other

·         Appropriate/possible responses to Freeholder comments re Tent City / homelessness at 12/4 public meeting

·         Initial discussion of other possible follow-up events:  attend public meetings of county/local governments; private meetings; call/postcard campaigns;  a facilitated “working” conference emphasizing causes of the problem and, by the end of the event, producing a draft outline of a plan to implement effective solutions; other

4.  Review of ongoing developments regarding the post-Sandy rebuilding effort.

 5.    Other issues and concerns

6.    Set next meeting date and adjourn