TOMS RIVER – Just Believe, the nonprofit overseeing the township’s Code Blue shelter, will not be allowed to keep using the Riverwood Park recreation building to provide temporary housing for homeless in winter nights.
The issue began on August 1, when members of Just Believe found that the locks had been changed at the building. At the August 7 Township Council meeting, a few people asked what happened.
Mayor Daniel Rodrick said the Code Blue shelter closes in March. “I believe their contract is up and we’d have to discuss the matter.”
He said to one person speaking on behalf of Just Believe “You guys were supposed to move your stuff out in March. We had a key issue. We had to give it over to the Radio Club.” This is in reference to another organization that uses the building.
Councilman George Lobman said “Nobody pushed you out of it.”
Still, homeless advocates were concerned, speaking out online and in public about why Just Believe wasn’t given a new key to the building.
During an August 28 council meeting, Just Believe members came out to speak up. They accused the mayor of having a political vendetta against Just Believe’s CEO, Paul Hulse, because Hulse supported Police Chief Mitch Little in the feud between the mayor and chief.
Kevin McKenna of Waretown, said the locks were changed then came the cease and desist letter.
“The homeless in this community need help,” he said. “Put politics aside and care about the homeless.”
Township Attorney Peter Pascarella said that it was not a cease and desist letter. The letter was sent because Just Believe wasn’t supposed to be using the property.
Rodrick said it’s supposed to be a temporary warming shelter not a year-round homeless shelter. “We didn’t make a decision here. We changed locks.
“We made keys for another entity. It’s a public building. It’s not your building,” he said.
McKenna noted it’s not a shelter. It’s a warming center.
Rodrick said no one ever reached out to him from Just Believe about the locks.
Hulse provided emails he sent to Rodrick on August 1, 8, and 19. The subject for the August 1 email was “Locks changed at Riverwood Park.” The subject for August 8 was “Riverwood Park recreation center” and the subject for August 19 is “Keys for Riverwood Rec building.”
McKenna asks why no one told them the lock was changed. Rodrick said there was no reason to reach out since Just Believe was supposed to be done in March.
“I voted for the Code Blue shelters” Rodrick said, about his time on the Township Council. He questioned why the advocates’ reaction is to blast him on social media and for a group of people to speak at the meeting.
A homeless advocate, John Roberts said that Just Believe uses the building at various times throughout the year for such things as fundraising and storage. It’s always been allowed.
“No one said you’re not allowed,” Rodrick said.
Toms River Town Hall (Photo by Jason Allentoff)
John Roberts asked “What do we do come November?”
“We’d have to discuss that,” Rodrick answered.
John Wilson of Toms River said he was homeless and Just Believe helped him. He said that Rodrick’s answer was “the wrong way to answer that.”
If it wasn’t for the warming center last year, “I would be dead,” he said. “My friends would be dead. That’s on you my man. The next time, think of that when you’re upset and flustered that people are coming at you.”
Donna Roberts, a case manager for Just Believe, talked about food and toiletries that they provide, and referrals for services they don’t have.
She said “Don’t anyone in this room think (homelessness) can’t happen to you.”
Jimmy Ware of South Toms River warned that “What you do to the homeless, you do to Jesus Christ.” At the end of your life, you will be judged by the way you treated the poor.
Official Split
Following the August 27 meeting, Rodrick sent an email to the Toms River Times.
“Just Believe notified the township that they had cleared out their things in March to make room for the radio club,” he wrote. So when we changed the locks to give access to the radio club, we didn’t expect to affect anyone. Rather than contacting the township or coming into the town hall, members of Just Believe broke into the building. Then, they proceeded to make false claims on politically motivated social media pages that we were shutting them down. Subsequently, the township noticed them in writing about the parameters of the agreement but did not terminate the agreement.”
There is no evidence that someone from Just Believe broke into the building.
Rodrick went on to say that they learned that Just Believe “brought 288 homeless individuals from all over Monmouth and Ocean County into our Riverwood Park Building.”
“We also recently learned that the prior administration allowed a homeless camp to grow in our woods, and the (State Department of Community Affairs) believes that there are as many as 100 individuals living in the camp. Toms River will not be a depository for Monmouth and Ocean Counties’ homeless on my watch! After learning about the camp and Just Believe’s activities, I cannot in good conscience allow them to continue bringing the state’s homeless into Toms River. The vast majority of the homeless are drug addicted or mentally ill. It is a safety hazard for our residents and their children. The prior administration allowed this problem to fester and grow, but like all of their mistakes, we will clean it up! A recent Supreme Court decision has given the township the legal tools to do so.”
The mayor also noted that Just Believe is a nonprofit and should not be involved in any political campaign, without specifying which campaign. “If they continue to involve themselves in local politics, we will report them to the IRS.”
Hulse provided a press release stating that “since August 1, 2024 when the locks where changed, we have been trying to iron out Riverwood Park center for our meetings and gift auction use. Unfortunately every attempt to address the issue from going in to town hall and sending multiple emails had no response. We even went into the council meeting on August 7, 2024 to plead our case only to receive a cease and desist letter by email on August 9 and by certified mail August 12, 2024 (with inaccurate information) We continued to try and connect with the mayor with board members and our CEO yet no success.”
Paul Hulse provided information that he Just Believe board member Scott Martin on February 12, 2024 where the mayor said twice to Paul Hulse “use the building however you want, I am not watching the temperature…use the building at warmer temperatures I am not watching…thank you for helping me.”
“Under the mayor’s permission February 12, 2024, the mayor called Paul on multiple occasions for homeless issues over the next seven months. During Code Blue he asked True Vine and Just Believe not to drop the homeless off at the bus terminal. He asked Paul directly to move his drop off location for Code Blue to Lakewood. Paul said no! So Paul reached out to then South Toms River Chief Bill Kosh.”
Paul made arrangements to drop off at torpedo park for the remainder of Code Blue to appease the mayor’s request and keep the peace. On February 12,2024 he told Paul “he would get him access to housing vouchers” to help the homeless in the woods in Winding River Park Toms River! NEVER HAPPENED!!
Hulse said the most recent meeting “was a complete disaster for Toms River administration” with elected officials trying to shut down residents from speaking, and escalating shouting matches. He said some people in attendance were afraid to go up and speak to the angry administration before them.
“We currently have estimated $75,000 in materials held hostage by the Toms River administration and gifts for upcoming event due to the lack of communication and the letter sent on the 9 of August 2024,” he said.
Hulse also noted that they would never operate a warming center outside of November 1 to March 31 because it would violate the contract and insurance rules.
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