HomeFront
1880 Princeton Ave
Lawrenceville, NJ 08648

Telephone: (609) 989-9417
Fax: (609) 989-9423
Contact: Connie Mercer, Executive Director
E-mail: homefront@homefrontnj.org
Website: www.homefrontnj.org

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Description
Population Served
Research Questions

Organization Description and Mission

HomeFront’s mission is to end homelessness in Mercer County, NJ by harnessing the caring, know-how, and resources of the community. HomeFront works to give people the skills and opportunities to ensure adequate incomes and to increase the availability of affordable housing. The organization achieves its mission through a number of programs and services:

  • Shelter: Multiple programs and living arrangements in emergency housing, transitional housing, and permanent housing.
  • Case Management: Intensive case management on issues ranging from homelessness, over-crowding, drug addiction, domestic abuse, mental and physical disabilities, to poverty.
  • Kids’ Programs: Children’s programs include an after-school program, The Cherry Tree Club preschool, and a summer camp.
  • Food: HomeFront delivers hot meals to homeless families in area motels and gives out over 700 bags of food a month through its food pantry.
  • Free Store: An extensive inventory of gently used, donated clothing and small household items. HomeFront also provides used furniture for clients moving from homelessness into permanent housing, and donates cars to working clients who need transportation.
  • Pro-Bono Services: Many local professionals donate their services free of charge to clients. Dentists, lawyers, mechanics, hair dressers, counselors, and others set aside a portion of their valuable time to make sure that our clients get the care they need.
HomeFront also engages in advocacy and public awareness activities and provides a range of problem-solving resources to help families become self-sufficient, contributing members of the community. With a volunteer workforce of over 1,200 people and the help of donations from local families and businesses, HomeFront connects clients to a variety of resources, including jobs, mentoring, information, money, and support.

Community and Population Served by the Organization

The average age of a homeless person in Mercer County is 7 years old, compared to the national average of 9 years old. On February 14, 1996, the last time a comprehensive study was done, there were 92 families with children who had sought temporary shelter in single motel rooms in Mercer County (279 people). Many of these homeless people live in the "welfare motels" along U.S. Route 1, where HomeFront focuses its services.

 Research Questions

  • How many homeless persons are there in the City of Trenton?

  • HomeFront would like students to examine the academic achievement of homeless children as compared to that of children in stable homes. Do levels of academic achievement in homeless children correspond to the number of times they move residencies in one school year? What is the impact of HomeFront’s after-school tutoring program on these children’s academic achievement?

  • What new programs on homeless children’s education are being initiated elsewhere in the nation? Students could survey these programs for “best practices” that HomeFront could use in its own programming.

  • HomeFront would like a study on perceptions of homelessness in Mercer County. Are homeowners and renters aware of Mercer County’s level of homelessness? How can HomeFront best educate the public about homelessness in Mercer County?

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  • HomeFront would like to produce a movie or photograph display on the lives of local homeless children. The goal would be to produce a public exhibit that outlines the stories of the children pictured.

  • What psychiatric help and counseling services are available to low-income or transient people?


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