Newark Taxi Drivers Give Rides To 72 Homeless In Frigid Cold

NEWARK, NJ — Aided by some caring local cab drivers, the Newark community defended 72 homeless residents from a life-threatening cold snap last weekend.

As city officials dug in their heels against a forecast of snowstorms, a group of municipal workers and community members tasked themselves with making sure some of Newark’s most vulnerable residents had a warm place to ride out the brutal chill.

It wasn’t the first wintertime relief effort from the Newark Homeless Coalition and their partners, which included the Newark Department of Public Safety, Department of Health and Community Wellness and several local religious leaders.

But this time they had some help: a team of Good Samaritan cabbies.

With the aid of two cabs and two drivers from Family Autocab – and escorted by four NPD police cars – the ad hoc homeless prevention team spent the weekend giving life-saving rides to 72 in-need residents, transporting them from Penn Station and other spots in the city to the safety of local shelters.

Those shelters included Goodwill Industries Mission, Fairmount Health Emergency Services, United Community Corporation and 224 Help Center, city officials said.

• See related article: Essex County Activates 'Code Blue' For 2nd Time In A Month

“We called the owner of the cab company and he said 'just knock on their window and they’ll transport them to the shelter, free of charge,’” Kym Gilchrist, a member of the Newark Homeless Coalition, told Pix 11 News.

The team’s success was also due to the efforts of local residents such as Pam and Gerald McElven, members of the Palm Street Block Association who helped to transport homeless people and coordinate the pickup of blankets and winter clothing.

According to a Tuesday statement from Newark Mayor Ras Baraka:

“The teams were also able to pick up a homeless woman who suffers from diabetes and had been living on our streets for more than a month, and are now working to get her reunited with her family and the health care she needs…. The intense cold this weekend was overcome by the warmth of the love, unity, and care Newarkers showed for those in need.”

Prior to last weekend’s freezing weather, city officials issued a local “Code Blue,” which takes effect whenever temperatures reach 25-degrees Fahrenheit or lower without precipitation, or 32-degrees or lower with precipitation.

• See related article: Mystery Donors Keep Newark Homeless Shelter Open In Heat Wave
• See related article: Newark Gives 50 Homeless Residents Jobs ... And Hope (VIDEO)
• See related article: Essex County Has The Most Homeless People In New Jersey, Study Says

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