HOMEFRONT INC
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I have been associated with HomeFront for about a decade, first as a volunteer and later as a member of the Board of Trustees. What everyone needs to know about HomeFront is that it played a paramount role in emptying the motels along Route 1 of moms and children in need of emergency housing. HomeFront opened the Family Preservation Center - a "shelter" in a park like setting, which is unlike any shelter you've likely imagined. It is a safe, warm, friendly, uplifting, peaceful place where moms and their little ones are provided with private rooms, nutrious meals and an array of supportive services focused upon the children pursuing their education, as well as having fun and being provided with all kinds of opportunities, while the moms are helped along the road to self sufficiency and independence through job training, mentoring, parenting skills, GED and much much more. I am passionate about this organization because I have seen that it makes a huge difference in so many lives. I am passionate about this organization because it simply goes about its important business of serving those most in need day in and day out without a lot of fanfare - HomeFront does not talk about doing IT ACTUALLY DOES!!! I am passionate about this organization because it is staffed by women and men whose first priotity is to do whatever needs to be done - to do whatever it takes - to better the existence of our less fortunate neighbors. We are blessed to have this organization in our community.
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If this organization had 10 million bucks, it could...
literally change the face of the community. The Executive Director and the Board of Trustees as a collective body are proactive and visionary.
How frequently have you been involved with the organization?
About every month
When was your last experience with this nonprofit?
2009
I have been volunteering with Homefront for about 2 months now. There are so many things about Homefront that are incredibly impressive: the professional staff, the care with which they treat all their clients, visitors and each other, their ability to touch so many lives, what they are able to give, the number of people that know to contact them to help or to give, and that people know to contact them when they are in need. But what has impressed me most is how much everyone at Homefront cares! The people at Homefront give so much and care so much, you can feel it! I have worked in just a small portion of this organization and it is obvious to me that Homefront is changing lives! The depth of the organization is also incredible. They not only provide food, clothing, shelter and furniture to clients, they provide an incredible array of practical job training including computer training, resume writing and job search assistance. I look forward to being a part of Homefront for a very long time and hope to get others involved with them as well. If only we could create a million Homefronts all over!
The Great!
I've personally experienced the results of this organization in...
that I have seen hundreds of bags of food handed out, I've helped people with their resumes and I have participated in the efforts that have gone into the Thanksgiving food baskets and Children's Wish List gifts.
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What I've enjoyed the most about my experience with this nonprofit is...
that everyone cares, and Homefront touches individuals. They make a difference!
The kinds of staff and volunteers that I met were...
giving, kind and very professional. They take their jobs very seriously and give with all their heart!
If this organization had 10 million bucks, it could...
touch more lives by expanding and serving other counties and other states.
How frequently have you been involved with the organization?
About every week
When was your last experience with this nonprofit?
2009
I have followed the development of Homefront since its founding about 20 years ago. It is a incredible organization that serves homeless families and those in danger of becoming homeless. It has a visionary founder/leader, Connie Mercer, and one of the most professional and talented staffs I have encountered in the nonprofit sector. It has a comprehensive approach to working with homeless families, documented processes, an active board, and a large number of dedicated volunteers. In addition to delivering high quality services, HomeFront is an advocate for eliminating the causes of homelessness. This agency has earned the respect of funders, donors, volunteers, social services professionals, and clients for responding to the needs of clients promptly, wholistically and with dignity and respect.
The Great!
I've personally experienced the results of this organization in...
Observing the manner in which it met the needs of a co-working who was in danger of losing her home.
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What I've enjoyed the most about my experience with this nonprofit is...
HomeFront uses the time of its volunteers effectively and makes a successful effort to help people understand the root causes of homelessness.
The kinds of staff and volunteers that I met were...
Phenomenal!!Generous in every way and dedicated to doing whatever they can to eliminate homelessness and to help those caught in its clutches.
If this organization had 10 million bucks, it could...
Serve more people more fully and establish an endowment to carry it through difficult financial times in the future. I would use some of the money to compensate staff better so that they are not themselves housing insecure.
How frequently have you been involved with the organization?
About every week
When was your last experience with this nonprofit?
2009
Recently, I have had the privilege of being selected as a new member of the HomeFront Board. I continue to be impressed by the unceasing devotion of the staff to the mission of ending homelessness in Central New Jersey by accessing resources to help clients on the path to self-sufficiency through skill development and by increasing the availability of adequate affordable housing. As part of orientation, I served as an attendant at the reception desk. The flow of those in need both via foot and phone was nothing short of incredible. Bags of food were distributed and case managers contacted. This relatively brief stint further served to reinforce the critical role HomeFront plays in seeking to improve the life circumstances of those less fortunate in our community.
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The kinds of staff and volunteers that I met were...
Extremely dedicated and devoted much time and energy to this cause.
How frequently have you been involved with the organization?
About every month
When was your last experience with this nonprofit?
2009
HOMEFRONT INC When I retired fom a career in education and social services, I wanted to continue to do something to further the greater good of society. Volunteering at Homefront has given me that opportunity. For the past six years, I have seen the agency grow in its abililty to service the homeless families of Mercer County. I am impressed with the commitment of the staff to assist homeless families in many ways, but especially by providing them with living space (recently developed through shelters for families, pregnant women and affordable apartments) enriched with supportive services so that families can eventually become productive members of society. It is impressive how Homefront involves the client-base with its own sense of mission. I have seen a distraught mother come in with a crying child to receive assistance. Then, that same mother has come in a year later, smiling, with a donation of her child’s car seat for someone else to use. I have observed the good effect that volunteers have on each other. People who have seen others donate furniture to be shared with a family moving from a motel or a shelter into their own apartment have collected micro-wave ovens, cleaned and repaired them to distribute to these same families A 10 year old who knew his mother volunteered at Homefront donated his birthday money to Homefront. College students tutor not only children but also mothers so they can get their GED’s or learn budgeting or practice job inteviewing skills. It is unfortunate that Homefront can’t respond immediately to everyone’s request to have furniture picked up in a timely fashion but there are realistic limitations of resources and the needs of the clients. Thank you Homefront for allowing me to be a part of this giving community and for all that you do to inspire and organize the volunteers to share their lives with those less fortunate of Mercer County. Arlene Ceterski
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What I've enjoyed the most about my experience with this nonprofit is...
the wonderful staff and volunteers I've met.
The kinds of staff and volunteers that I met were...
generous, courteous and caring.
If this organization had 10 million bucks, it could...
provide more affordable housing to the homeless, provide more supportive services to clients and recycle more funiture to those in need.
Should this review be counted for a specific campaign?
HOMEFRONT INC
When was your last experience with this nonprofit?
2009
Every time I get involved at HomeFront, I feel great! For many years I was active in the Community service activities at the middle school where I taught. This entailed writing curriculum to educate students both about the ways in which they could reach out to HomeFront's temporary homeless clients, and to realize the value to themselves and their community in having everyone in our community doing well. Because HomeFront's work is as much about helping families get back on their feet as it is to supplying them with their needs for today, the effects of this organization's work is long term. Now, having retired from teaching, I'm working as a freelance photographer. I am able to do some pro bono photography for HomeFront which is another way for me to be involved and to experience first hand the dedication of the staff and volunteers who make up the army of people on HomeFront's "front lines." We all want to make a difference in the lives of others in our community. HomeFront is an established, effective organization which allows me to feel that I do just that.
The Great!
I've personally experienced the results of this organization in...
the lives of the homeless women and families they have housed and fed.
Ways to make it better...
If I had to make changes to this organization, I would...
never be able to do the job done by its founder, Connie Mercer.
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What I've enjoyed the most about my experience with this nonprofit is...
It has been wonderful to feel that I can make a difference and share some of my blessings with others.
The kinds of staff and volunteers that I met were...
the best! Everyone has such "Esprit de coeur." Volunteers are treated like gold. And why not? So much of what HomeFront is able to accomplish is through the work of volunteers. You feel needed and appreciated.
If this organization had 10 million bucks, it could...
put all homeless families in Mercer County into their own homes, help train them and find them jobs, as needed.
Ways to make it better...
I had more time to devote to this organization
In my opinion, the biggest challenges facing this organization are...
The growing number of people who are in need of the type of services HomeFront provides.
When was your last experience with this nonprofit?
2009
As a volunteer for Homefront, over the last ten years I have been amazed to see the impact this organization has had on the lives of the women and children it serves. I have been part of back to school back pack drives where every homeless child is able to attend the first day of school with their heads held high as they too model their new first day of school outfits and shiney school supplies.Poor working mothers, struggling to make ends meet are able to see the look of joy in their children's eyes as they open Christmas toys donated by Homefront's annual Christmas drive. The simple act of blowing out candles on a Birthday cake and opening a small gift is something we take for granted with our own children,yet homeless children may not have this important ritual were it not for Homefront's Birthday Club. These are just a very few programs at Homefront that I have had the priviledge to be a part of but I have seen so many more. Mercer county is blessed to have the Homefront family care about all it's families and I am honored to serve as a volunteer in any small way.
The Great!
I've personally experienced the results of this organization in...
the faces of children served by Homefront.
Ways to make it better...
If I had to make changes to this organization, I would...
hope to have continuous funding for all programs.
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What I've enjoyed the most about my experience with this nonprofit is...
hearing the stories of women who have graduated programs here to become successful in life.
The kinds of staff and volunteers that I met were...
beyond generous with their commitment to making a better place for all the women and children in Mercer County.
If this organization had 10 million bucks, it could...
save a child.
Ways to make it better...
I had more time to devote to each event.
In my opinion, the biggest challenges facing this organization are...
the current economic situation reflecting in decreased monetary aid.
One thing I'd also say is that...
if every county in America had a Homefront organization with it's degree of care we would create a better world today for tomorrow.
When was your last experience with this nonprofit?
2009
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