Hundreds of community volunteers from the Paterson area prepare and serve meals to shelter clients.
For more information, contact
Yasin Perry Interim Shelter Manager ext. 45
The Emergency Men's Shelter provides emergency housing, clothing and food to as many as 50 homeless men every night. Our Shelter staff work to make each client's stay as brief and helpful as possible by providing referrals for housing, employment, mental health and rehabilitation services. The Shelter relies on volunteer support from nearly 30 area churches and over three hundred volunteers per year who bring prepared food and serve hot meals each night.
During the intake process, our shelter Case Manager explains our programs to the client and then conducts a comprehensive assessment of the client's immediate needs beyond a night off the street. Our Case Manger and the client will then work together to develop a service plan to address those needs, often involving referrals to programs which address finances, mental health, housing, medical needs, and legal assistance.
As a condition of staying in our facility, all residents must participate in day programs to help them treat their addictions, address their educational needs, or find work.
After one month, we conduct a comprehensive reassessment and review case progress. If the client has been actively working towards his goals and he needs more time at the Shelter, we will grant him an extension. If the client has not complied with his service plan, we will inform him that he needs to make other living arrangements by the end of his 8th week.
When we discharge clients from the Shelter, we give them instructions and referrals designed to help them overcome their problems, and many of our clients are eventually able to find a rental, secure new employment, or move in with family and friends.
It is our ultimate goal to work with clients to identify the root causes of their homeless condition. Through collaboration, we give our clients a sense of control over their own futures, and consequently make them more likely to take responsibility for their own goals.
In 2009, SPCDC provided shelter for 208 men, 10,153 shelter nights, 1,053 hours of Substance Abuse and employment counseling, and 20,360 meals. 60 men were placed in permanent housing.
Case Story: Jesus
Jesus Dejesus was admitted to the Emergency Men’s Shelter in September 2007. Mr. Dejesus prior to being admitted to the shelter resided in places uninhabitable for any human being including the following: abandon buildings, cars, under overpasses and bridges. In addition to not only being homeless, Mr. Dejesus suffered from a serious mental illness and addiction to illegal substances. Mr. Dejesus completed an Individualized Service Plan with the Emergency Services Case Manager and set goals to move toward self-sufficiency. The Case Manager referred him to Harbor House, Paterson and the Challenge Program, Paterson, to address his substance abuse and mental health issues. In addition, the Emergency Services Case Manager helped Mr. Dejesus apply for social security benefits. After a week of receiving these referrals, Mr. Dejesus was enrolled into a day treatment program to receive substance abuse treatment and mental health counseling. He also began to attending church and NA/AA meetings on a regular basis. Now renewed spiritually in addition to receiving proper physical, mental health and substance abuse treatment, Mr. Dejesus has become a stable and productive member of society, with a determination towards living a healthy lifestyle free of drugs. Two months from the time Mr. Dejesus was admitted into shelter his social security and medical benefits were awarded. In January 2008, Mr. Dejesus was able to find him self an affordable one bed room apartment here in Paterson.
St. Paul's Community Development Corporation 451 Van Houten Street Paterson, NJ 07501
For more information, contact
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