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Ms.G was walking on Broad St. in Newark. She was pushing a carriage with her infant daughter and crying.
She had been staying with friends and paying a portion of the rent. Unfortunately, the friends were not paying
the landlord. They were evicted and Ms. G was on the street. A woman, also walking on Broad St. in Newark had the
compassion and the courage to ask what was wrong. Ms. G explained. The woman had once been homeless, too, and knew
what it was like. She told Ms. G, "Go to The Apostles' House, they will help you." The woman had been
a resident at our shelter. We had helped her; now she was passing on word of the work we do.
BACKGROUND
In September 1984, a group of Episcopal churches, both urban and suburban, recognized the need to establish a place
that would provide services to a growing number of homeless and "at risk" families. The result was the
founding of The Apostles' House.
As we prepare to celebrate our fifteenth anniversary in 1999, we continue to provide comprehensive services to
our clients in an environment that encourages and enables self-sufficiency. Unfortunately, we have seen a dramatic
increase in the number of people who are coming to us for services.
Of major concern in recent months is the increase in the number of "working poor" families who have come
to us for assistance, for shelter, food and help paying their rent. They are in addition to those who have been
part of our client population in the past, those on welfare, out of work and mentally ill.
Our goal is to improve the lives of our clients and their children. To this end, we work hard and look for miracles.
Our slogan is: "The Apostles' House, Where Miracles Happen Every Day."
In 1998 we:
 Housed over 500 women and children in our
Shelter (highest occupancy since we were founded).
Fed over 7,000 individuals through our
Food Pantry (highest in Essex County).
Provided in-home case management services
to 100 ³at risk² families through our Family Preservation Program. These families are in danger of having
children placed in foster care as a result of abuse or neglect.
Helped over 75 families move into new homes
by providing rental security payments.
FIVE MAJOR COMPONENTS
Emergency Family Shelter: A 30-bed/8-crib facility that provides for the immediate needs of homeless women
and children. We provide three meals per day, case management and substance abuse counseling. The average length
of stay is two weeks to three months.
Avon Avenue Transitional Housing:
A 15-unit apartment building is the second step in a continuum of care for homeless families. Clients in this facility
also receive case management and substance abuse counseling, however they must supply their own food and household
needs. The focus in this facility is training or work activities in compliance with welfare reform requirements.
Families may stay for 12 months and are given preference for a certificate for a rent subsidized apartment.
Food Pantry: Distributes bags of food to families and individuals who are referred for service. This facility
houses two different programs: The standard food program is for families in need of emergency food; the Ryan White
Program provides for the special nutritional needs of HIV/AIDS clients. Clients may come once per month.
Family Preservation Program: This program is funded by the New Jersey Division of Youth and Family Services(DYFS).
The Apostles' House staff works with families who have been identified by DYFS as at-risk of having children removed
from the home and placed in foster care. There may be abuse or neglect issues or a mother may just be overwhelmed
and need assistance. We are the last step before the case goes to Family Court. We work in the home with the family
for four to six hours weekly. We make sure children are in school, seeing doctors or therapists and being cared
for properly. We advocate for clients, teach parenting and life skills as well as housekeeping skills. The average
case is active with us for six to eight months. We have a 83% success rate in keeping families together.
Multigenerational Transitional Housing:
A pending program that will pair pregnant teenagers with senior citizens in a
residential program. The seniors will provide mentoring and life skills training to teens. Staff will provide case
management, substance abuse counseling and parenting skills. The focus for teens will be on completion of schooling,
work activity and career counseling. We hope to implement a Teen Pregnancy Hotline and train in-house teens to
respond to calls from other pregnant teens. The seniors will remain in the facility indefinitely; teens will remain
in residence for 12 months.
In the past The Apostles' House has been extremely dependent on governmental funding. With cuts in budgets and
programs, we have had to develop additional sources of funding. The churches of the Diocese of Newark and their
members have been very generous to The Apostles' House but our work is far from complete. To continue providing
services, funding levels must be increased to meet the number of requests for services.
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