Tag Archives: The Spotlight

News

Mary Gay Abbott-Young Looks Back on Decades of Service as Rescue Mission CEO

By Rebecca Heath

Mary Gay Abbott-Young may have recently retired from a 50-year stint as CEO of the Rescue Mission of Trenton, but the veteran advocate who led the organization through a period of evolution and growth, says she “never worked a day in her life.”

“I’ve had a wonderful career and met some of the most amazing people from our community, from New Jersey, and really, in some cases, from well beyond the New Jersey borders,” Abbott-Young said in an interview with The Streetlight. 

Abbott-Young, who concluded her career at the Mission in June, has always been driven by a passion for service. Following a brief stint as a volunteer with the AmeriCorps VISTA, she landed her first role at the organization in 1978 as a program coordinator, shortly after graduating from Temple University with a degree in social work. “I loved [the Mission] from the day I got there,” Abbott-Young said.

The social justice trailblazer subsequently moved up the ranks, becoming CEO and the first woman to lead the long-standing nonprofit in 1986. 

As a woman asserting her place in the organization, Abbott-Young recalls facing stigma from her male counterparts. While interviewing for her role, she said she was asked if she was married and if she was going to have children, to which she replied, “I don’t think you’re allowed to ask that question anymore.”

“You can imagine this young woman, fighting, coming out of the women’s movement and ready to take on everything,” she said. “And [I] get this conservative guy, who has the nerve to ask a question like that.”

Despite the initial challenges, Abbott-Young said she and her co-workers were united by a common desire: “To make the Rescue Mission the best place it could be for those people we served.”

Throughout her tenure as CEO, Abbott-Young says she was amazed by the resilience of the Mission’s patrons and the collective efforts among nonprofits, government agencies and private sector organizations to address the growing issue of homelessness in Mercer County. Abbott-Young cited initiatives such as the Continuum of Care Program, which has helped alleviate the homelessness crisis through providing funding for efforts by nonprofit providers. 

“The stars have all lined up throughout my career with very, very few exceptions,” she said

However, at the root of the homelessness crisis is economic poverty, which “opens up an entire world of different issues,” Abbot-Young said. In order to create a systemic impact in alleviating poverty, issues like racial, economic and educational inequality must first be addressed, she explained.

“Unless we are willing to move into those areas, all of the wonderful progress that we’re making will continue to be individual based rather than system based,” she said. 

For the Mission, Abbott-Young said the biggest hurdle in effectively serving the community has always been finances. While her predecessor refused government funding, even as the organization was “close to closing,” gaining support from local, state and federal agencies marked a pivotal step in the organization’s history. 

“We had a knock-down fight about it, but I believed we had to accept it to keep serving people,” she said. “Eventually, he agreed to support my direction. That was a pivotal change for the Rescue Mission.”

“The culture changed when we took government funding,” she added. “But the support from the state, business community, and government was remarkable. Instead of pushing people away, they were asking, ‘How can we help you help these people?’”

Since its inception in 1915, the Mission has grown to encompass a shelter, behavioral health center, a thrift store, food pantry and vocational development services. In the last year, the organization has helped more than 4,000 individuals and served nearly 200,000 meals, according to the Mission’s website. 

“The organization has never missed a day of service,” Abbott-Young said. “We never failed to open that shelter door. We never failed to be there for them and to keep our residents who were in treatment for behavioral health issues safe in a residential building. That was not the work of a lone CEO. It is the work of the entire organization’s dedication.”

Despite her decades of service and transformative leadership, Abbott-Young considers her greatest accomplishment to be raising her two children. Her daughter, who is now an attorney, advocates for homeless families at HomeFront, and her son, Barrett Young, has succeeded her as CEO of the Mission.

Although Abbott-Young said stepping down from her post was “more bitter than sweet,” she realized during the Covid-19 pandemic that her “lack of ability to use technology was a deficit to both me and the organization.” 

 “If you could figure out how to make me 50 years younger and I can start my career again at the rescue mission, I’d be happy to do so,” she said. 

As she looks ahead to the future of the organization, Abbott-Young said she hopes whenever someone steps on to the Rescue Mission’s property, the first question will always be, “Did you eat today?” 

“And second, I pray that everyone who interacts with our clients is able to look in that person’s eyes and see not only their pain, but also see their potential.”

News

College Opens Innovative Food Pantry in Ewing Township

Editor’s Note: Last winter, The Streetlight reported that a food pantry was in the works for The College of New Jersey. In the time since, the facility has opened its doors.

By Hannah Keyes and Brie Wells

The SHOP @ TCNJ is not the typical shopping destination for most college students, but for many, it provides resources needed to get through the week.

Located at The College of New Jersey’s (TCNJ) Campus Town in Ewing Township, The SHOP is a food pantry that provides resources to those who may be experiencing food insecurity. The SHOP offers many different resources such as canned goods, hygiene products, some clothing items, microwavable meals, bottled water, feminine care products, fruits, grains, and vegetables. The SHOP also offers vegetarian and gluten free products for those who may have other dietary concerns.

It is open not only to college students, but also to faculty and general community members who may be in need. There are no questions asked.

Alana Adams, the College Enhancement Intern for The SHOP, mentioned that “food insecurity impacts nearly 40% of college students nationwide, so there should be no shame associated with utilizing the resources your campus or community provides.”

However, there is often a negative preconceived notion surrounding the use of a food pantry and seeking help.

“We don’t know what you’re going through, but we are here to support you in the best way that we can. We want to have an experience with you. We want to provide a welcoming, comforting, inclusive, and safe environment where you are seen as a person,” emphasized AmeriCorps member and TCNJ Garden and Food Security program assistant Horacio Hernandez.

TCNJ students in Mercer County are the catalysts that brought light to the situation that many members of the community face everyday. The inception of The SHOP began when concerned students asked for referrals or file requests to provide emergency aid to those struggling to eat constantly or to find adequate housing. This need became especially apparent during extended school breaks.

“TCNJ has a Student Emergency Fund, which students can apply and receive limited funding for temporary housing or food. With the help of other organizations, the Dean of Students Office launched the SHOP in February 2019, which serves as a more long-term solution to students in need, where they can receive food and other supplies on a weekly basis,” Adams added.

The building space that The SHOP occupies was offered by the chief of TCNJ’s Campus Police and allowed for everything to officially get started.

In order to support the surrounding communities, The SHOP works in conjunction with Mercer Street Friends Food Bank, TCNJ Student and Academic Affairs, and TCNJ Campus Police. According to the Program Associate of the Adult Hunger Programs at Mercer Street Friends Food Bank, Pamela Sims Jones, “The Food Bank is here to support The SHOP with non-perishable and perishable commodities as needed so that The SHOP can continue to support the TCNJ community members who may be food insecure.”

With the aid of Mercer Street Friends Food Bank and the rest of their partners, The SHOP hopes to be able to provide resources to those who do not have access to food and to help end the stigma surrounding asking for help. In the future The SHOP not only wants to provide basic necessities but to also give additional support for various aspects of life.

Donations and offered help are always accepted and valued by The SHOP. Recently there was a Greek Life food drive competition to see which Greek organization could donate the most food to The SHOP.

There are many additions that The SHOP hopes to add services as time goes on, such as extra training for staff members, more partnerships with other organizations, the ability to provide hot meals, and the list goes on. The SHOP has a lot in store for the future.

News

Here to Help: Mercer Street Friends

By Hannah Keyes

The Mercer Street Friends Food Bank for Nutritional Health and Wellness is one of six food banks in the state of New Jersey. Established in 1987, the Food Bank secures and distributes food and provides related nutrition assistance to help ensure that citizens do not go hungry.

According to the Program Associate of Adult Hunger, Pamela Sims Jones, The Food Bank distributes USDA, state-purchased, and donated commodities to 48 member agencies within Mercer County. The 21 mobile pantry sites receive donated perishable and non- perishable items, and the 13 senior citizen housing sites receive designated USDA non-perishable commodities for the 520 Commodity Supplemental Food Program participants. Mercer Street Friends member agencies include a network of pantries, shelters, youth programs and the Trenton Area Soup Kitchen (TASK) and their sites.

“Mercer Street Friends is 61 years old and the Food Bank is 31 years old. With a staff of 9 and over 2,400 volunteers a year, the Food Bank distributes more than 4 million pounds of food a year,” stated Sims Jones.

Within this food distribution, the Food Bank has multiple programs seeking to help reduce hunger, such as “Send Hunger Packing,” a program that partners with local public schools and provides healthy kid-friendly food on Fridays for children who are at-risk for suffering from hunger so they can have meals to eat over the weekend. The Food Bank also provides breakfast and lunch for children facing meal gaps during the summer when they cannot get food from school. Additionally, there is a mobile pantry that delivers monthly meal boxes to around 200 low-income seniors.

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Preventing Poverty in Princeton

By Joyce Vilson, Alyssa Sedacca, and Joshua Trifari

Housing Initiatives of Princeton (HIP) is a non-profit organization that was founded in 2004 to target homelessness and offer low-income housing in the Princeton area. The group, run entirely by volunteers, provides low-income families a second chance to establish a permanent home in the community.

According to Carol Golden, chair of the Board of Trustees of HIP, Princeton is a very expensive town to live in, making homelessness deceptively easy to fall into.

“People fall on hard times, and often, there is no one to turn to to prevent them from falling into homelessness,” Golden told The Streetlight.

HIP’s transitional housing helps families who are struggling financially and those who are experiencing homelessness by receiving temporary shelter. This supportive service is available for up to 24 months, coupled with other job search programs. The organization also offers rental assistance through the form of a security deposit or first month’s rent.

HIP works with local institutions such as Princeton University and Princeton Medical Center in order to assist clients. There is a plan in the works for HIP to collaborate with the center in order to establish a healthy living program for the families served by the non-profit.

Aside from rental assistance and transitional housing, families may also seek assistance from HIP in regards to permanent housing solutions as well as other supportive services.

To contact HIP, call (609) 497-4535 or email them at info@housinginitiativesofprinceton.org.

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Men’s Mission House Opens in Ewing Township

By Jessica Middleton

Pastor Erik Lydick, sitting near the entrance to the Trenton Transit Center, immediately stands outin his black hoodie with the words “God’s Got This.” Lydick works at Restoring Hearts Ministries and is a very active part of the Trenton and Ewing communities.

He explained that at the Ministries, “the guys are sitting down, they are being taught the Bible,and everybody gets a breakfast sandwich”. Lydick and his fellow workers are able to talk to roughly 100-125 patrons each week in these Bible study groups. They also spend some time providing food for unsheltered individuals xperiencing homelessness roughly five times a week wherever the need is.

Lydick has a series of goals for his program aimed at making sure that those experiencing homelessness are receiving the care, guidance, and resources that they may not find through state-run organizations and initiatives.

First and foremost, his main goal is to make sure that these individuals know that someone cares about them.

“You guys have probably had some kind of interaction with homeless folks, people struggling in homelessness, so you understand that for the most part they really feel like they’re not valued. That nobody really loves them. That’s kind of one of our main goals. Our motto really is: work hard to establish trust, so that we can establish a relationship,” Lydick emphasized.

One of the newest projects that Restoring Hearts has taken on is a housing project on Ewing’s Iowana Avenue, which aims to offer safe housing to those who need it. Its functions surpass those of a typical recovery house.

More specifically, Lydick wants it to feel like home. While there is no limit to how long residents can live in the house, they must follow program guidelines during their stay. And while the house can technically house 14 individuals, it is being limited to only five.

This is in an effort to bring about that feeling of having a home, as opposed to simply some place to rest your head. Lydick proudly proclaimed the effect that this has had on those who have stayed in the house:

“In three short weeks, you start to see a change. They go from folded into themselves to initiating conversations with each other and joking around. Their personalities start to resurface.”

Lydick discussed his long term goals for Restoring Hearts over the next decade. He hopes to continue being able to maintain this feeling of family among his residents even as they create their own families and move into their own houses. He also hopes that more people come to recognize the group’s efforts and join them. He also wants create a location for Restoring Hearts within Tren- ton’s city limits, making it easier for those he serves to go here as opposed to needing transportation for the home in Ewing.

Inside the Men’s Mission House. Photo by Jared Kofsky/The Streetlight.

Signs inside the Men’s Mission House. Photo by Jared Kofsky/The Streetlight.

Exterior of the Men’s Mission House. Photo by Jared Kofsky/The Streetlight.

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Resource Awaits Across the River

By Paul Mulholland

Many Trenton residents receive food assistance across the Calhoun Street Bridge in Morrisville, P.A. One such food program is run by the Morrisville Presbyterian Church (MPC) at 771 North Pennsylvania Avenue.

The program is open from 9:00am to 12:00pm every Wednesday, and from 7:00pm to 8:00pm on the first Tuesday of the month for working families. Clients may only come once every calendar month.

The center serves well over one hundred families every week on a first come first serve basis. Potential clients are interviewed and are expected to have photo identification, proof of residency, proof that their children live with them, and income verification. Mercer County IDs, passports and bills are accepted as proof of address for adults, while school records can be used for children. Residency documents are not necessary for individuals experiencing homelessness.

MPC is able to give donated bags of fruits, vegetables, pasta, and high quality proteins to its clients. They are often stocked with chicken, beef, tuna, peanut butter and other protein items as well. The center will give one, two or three bags of protein depending on the size of the family.

Clients should have a plan to transport these bags to their home. A parking lot is available to clients with a car. The center also has volunteers that help carry food out as most receive far too much to transport alone.

Morrisville Presbyterian also carries basic household and hygiene items such as toothpaste, pet food, and garbage bags that are available upon request.