Church Event Hopes To Raise Funds For Homeless In East Brunswick

EAST BRUNSWICK, NJ — During the pandemic, the number of New Jersey residents sleeping in shelters raised dramatically. On Jan. 26, 8,097 people experienced homelessness on a single night in the state, according to statistics. This included families and veterans. A local church is now organizing a fundraiser to mobilize resources and help families find shelter.

East Brunswick’s Trinity Presbyterian Church will be hosting a special event, Cardboard Box City, on April 30. Volunteers will sleep in cardboard boxes overnight in a safe, fun and educational atmosphere to raise awareness and funds for the homeless. The event will offer delicious food, music, movie games, and more.

“The idea first came to Diane Hoener, our pastor’s wife,” said Jan Carrato, Steering Committee Member. “Hoener attended a Car City Rochester event, where participants slept in cars. This gave her the idea to host something similar in East Brunswick in 2020. But due to the pandemic, we had to postpone it.”

Trinity Presbyterian Church is one of 14 volunteer host congregations in Middlesex and Union counties that provide shelter and meals under the FISH Hospitality Program.

During non-pandemic times, the church would host homeless families for a week on site. “We would provide them classrooms with foldable cots to sleep on. Many homeless people were employed, but some missed a payment or had an unexpected bill or expenditure. They are not and are not chronically homeless,” Carrato said.

Around 60 percent of those seeking shelter at the church were children, Carrato said. “But during the pandemic, we couldn’t host anyone due to social distancing rules,” she said. The idea to organize Cardboard Box City was revived in December last year.

Volunteers from the church have been canvassing local businesses and individuals for donations. All proceeds from the event and all donations will go to FISH Hospitality. “They have been housing homeless families in hotels and motels during the pandemic. This will help pay for that,” Carrato said. The church has so far raised $5,000.

Most homeless families coming to Trinity Presbyterian Church are from Middlesex and Union counties. With the state and nation slowly inching back to normal, the church is working to restart its shelter program.

“We live in an affluent town that largely remained untouched by the pandemic, and many people got to work from home during that time. I consider myself privileged too,” Carrato said. “As a faith community, it’s important for us to demonstrate love and care for our neighbors. And this event is a small way to be part of the solution.”

The event will begin on April 30 at 6 p.m. and end May 1 at 7 a.m. at Trinity Presbyterian Church. Click here to register for the event. If you would like to donate to the cause, click on this link.

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