Angela Is No Longer Hungry, Homeless and Addicted Due To the Help of a Model Homeless Shelter in New Jersey
Paterson, NJ (PRWEB) June 26, 2007
Eva’s Village, one of the most respected anti-poverty programs in New Jersey and in the country, is seeking additional volunteers and donations to help more people like Angela.
Angela says she had no idea what it was to be hugged and told you were loved as a child. Rather, she was badly beaten by her mother and by an older brother left in charge while her parents worked day and night; and because she was afraid of the dark she was locked in a basement with no light for hours. Angela was finally driven from her home while still underage because she became pregnant. Working for minimum wage, she became one of America’s “working poor”, one of the fastest growing minority populations in the country, and found it impossible to support herself and her two-year old son.
Sister Gloria Perez, Executive Director of Eva’s Village, notes, “While the homeless in NJ and addicted are an ever present challenge, the numbers of the working poor, those with low-paying full time jobs, seem to increase every day.”
Angela continues, “I truly was living from hand to mouth and being desperate and lonely, fell in love with the wrong man and was introduced to the world of selling drugs…I thought I was on the top of the world because I was the girl of a well-known drug dealer. My husband was picked up by the police and spent much of his time in and out of prison. I, too, lived that life. I have been in both State and County prisons for selling drugs, aggravated assault, petty theft and shoplifting.”
Angela gave birth to a daughter but lost so much weight that doctors suspected AIDS. Despite her illness, Angela continued to use drugs and was incarcerated until her daughter was 3 years old. Her illness was finally identified as Crohm’s disease and despite multiple surgeries and recovery periods, she committed crimes to pay for drugs and went to prison again and again. Eventually, Angela lost parental rights to her by then 11 year-old daughter and ended up in a drug detox program. Angela says, “By the grace of God, I was accepted to Eva’s Village Women’s Recovery Program, but even though I was constantly angry, every time I was going to be put out of the program a counselor would defend me and state that they felt that there was hope for me. One day the Clinical Director literally yelled at me in my face. He reminded me of my dad because he was not giving up on me. That day I finally was ready for treatment.”
As Angela says, “Eva’s Village helped me look at my life…I completed the long-term recovery program and am now living in one of Eva’s transitional apartments. I had to go to court in order to get my daughter back in my life and the judge commended me and spoke highly of Eva’s Village and how it helps so many people.”
Angela now lives with her daughter at Eva’s Village homeless shelter. She is working and has applied to a local community college to continue her education and Sister Gloria arranged for a sponsor to pay the tuition for Angela’s daughter to attend a local Catholic High School.
Angela has words of gratitude for “…all of you who support the good works of Eva’s Village…I stand before you representing all those whose lives have been saved because of your kindness.”
Originally a New Jersey soup kitchen, Eva’s Village was founded in 1982 by Msgr. Vincent E. Puma in response to the homeless problem in his Paterson, NJ parish. But Msgr. Puma soon realized that a soup kitchen was not enough. By 1996, when — with the generous support of donors and private and government grants — Eva’s moved to its new facility on Main Street, it had grown into a full-scale “village” meeting the needs of the homeless, addicted and poor.
Today, Eva’s Village is one of the most respected anti-poverty programs in New Jersey, with many programs that respect the human dignity of individuals:
Eva’s Village Kitchen serves an average of 240 meals daily to the homeless.
Eva’s Village Central Intake offers extensive case management for the poor and addicted.
Eva’s Village Emergency Overnight Shelters for men and for women provide beds for chronically homeless men and women 18 years of age and older. Shelter clients receive food, shelter and clothing, plus assistance with progress toward independent living.
Eva’s Village Shelter for Mothers and Children provides a safe and comfortable home for mothers over the age of 18 and up to 50 children who stay an average of four months in residence.
Eva’s Village Transitional Apartments for Mothers and Children offers 6 two-bedroom apartments for families who need additional time and resources to move into their own apartment.
Eva’s Village Men’s Supportive Housing provides permanent affordable housing for formerly homeless men who have graduated from Eva’s recovery.
Eva’s Village Primary Care Clinic handles over 4,000 patient visits a year for medical, dental, and podiatric services to the homeless and working poor, largely provided through the generosity of volunteer physicians and dentists.
Eva’s Village Residential Recovery Centers for Men and Women provide a three-phase treatment program usually lasting 9-12 months for those addicted to drugs or alcohol.
Eva’s Village Intensive Outpatient Program offers counseling, group therapy, education, and aftercare based on the American Society of Addiction Medicine criteria, plus a full range of psychosocial services.
Eva’s Village is actively seeking donors and volunteers to help them serve the increasing numbers of the homeless, addicted and poor in New Jersey. To donate to Eva’s Village, to find our about volunteer opportunities in New Jersey, or for more information, go to www.EvasVillage.org, call 973.523.6220, or write to: Sister Gloria Perez, Executive Director, Eva’s Village, 393 Main Street, Paterson, NJ, 07501.
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