TOMS RIVER – More than 200 people gathered outside the Ocean County Library’s Toms River branch for “A Voice for the Voiceless” – a rally calling attention to the struggles of the local unhoused population and the people working tirelessly to support them.
The setting was no coincidence. The library has recently become a flashpoint in the town’s increasingly heated debate over homelessness. Mayor Dan Rodrick has publicly criticized the JBJ Soul Kitchen pop-up inside the library. The initiative, backed by rock legend Jon Bon Jovi, offers free and pay-it-forward meals to those in need.
More than 200 people spoke out in support of Christ Episcopal Church and their homeless shelter idea. (Photo by Bob Vosseller)
Rodrick has labeled the pop-up a “soup kitchen” and claimed it attracts homeless individuals from outside the township. He’s also alleged that people are being “bussed in” and are using the library as a de facto shelter.
While some residents say the library has become overrun with unhoused individuals, others argue the concern is exaggerated. They point out that Ocean County does not have a homeless shelter and that the real issue is the lack of services.
A Rally For Dignity And Change
The rally was the brainchild of Gregory Andrus, a Toms River resident and creator of the “Portraits of the Jersey Shore” Facebook page with more than 70,000 followers. Known for his candid photography and deeply human stories, Andrus has been open about his own past, which includes childhood abuse, alcoholism, homelessness, and eventual recovery.
“I’ve never led a rally before,” Andrus said. “But I felt obligated to do this – not to protest, but to bring people together.”
Andrus even thanked Mayor Rodrick, crediting him as the catalyst for the rally. “If it wasn’t for him, this night wouldn’t be happening,” he said.
“Thank you, Mayor,” he said. “Tonight is not about bashing Rodrick or the council members who are voting to take over churches or criminalize the homeless. This is a night of peace, of hope, of love – a night to lift up our unhoused friends and neighbors.”
The rally was supported by Just Believe Inc., a nonprofit that operated the Code Blue warming center at Riverwood Park until the township chose not to renew its use. Just Believe continues to do outreach programs and runs a family Code Blue center in South Toms River.
“There’s a church in town trying to help people – and they’re being persecuted for it,” said Just Believe’s CEO Paul Hulse. “We live by Biblical principles. We serve people the way Jesus did.”
The crowd listens as Gregory Andrus, a Toms River resident and creator of the “Portraits of the Jersey Shore” Facebook page, leads “A Voice for the Voiceless” rally. (Photo by Stephanie Faughnan)
A Church In The Crosshairs
By no coincidence, the Reverend Lisa Hoffman of Christ Episcopal Church opened the event with a prayer calling for unity and compassion. The church is located less than a mile from the library. It’s also become the center of recent controversy despite helping those in need for several decades.
Christ Episcopal has applied for a zoning variance to use its parsonage house as a 17-bed homeless shelter. The Toms River Housing and Homeless Coalition already operates from the space, and a Zoning Board decision is expected on May 22.
But just days later, on May 28, the Town Council is expected to consider an ordinance to take the church’s 11-acre property through either negotiating a purchase or eminent domain. Officials say they want to use the land for a park and recreation center. Rodrick claims the move is part of a long-standing redevelopment plan.
Rev. Hoffman disagrees. “Our doors are always open,” she said. “We take seriously the Matthew scripture about serving ‘the least of these.’ We’re here for food, for clothing, for counseling – and for dignity.”
Hoffman said the church has no intention of selling its property to the town. If the ordinance passes, it could result in a lawsuit – with hefty legal costs passed on to taxpayers.
The crowd at the rally formed a vibrant patchwork of colored shirts, each representing groups united in solidarity. Christ Church showed up in force, joined by the Unitarian Universalist Ocean County Congregation, who added a quiet rhythm with subtle drumbeats. Purple marked members of the National Organization for Women, while green signaled staff from the Mental Health Association of New Jersey. Individuals from several nonprofits also showed up, joined by ordinary community members.
Personal Stories
Councilman Tom Nivison was the only elected official to attend the event. He shared how his own childhood shaped his views on homelessness.
“I grew up in a homeless shelter with my seven siblings,” shared Nivison. “It was also our home. My mom, who we called ‘Mother Teresa’ – though she hated that – helped anyone who knocked on our door.”
Nivison said the county is exploring options to establish a permanent homeless shelter, potentially repurposing the Code Blue center. “People just need to be seen, valued, and given a chance,” he said. “Homelessness is often temporary and solvable.”
Among the most compelling speakers was 20-year-old Brooke Colon. Her story began in a family shelter in Brooklyn, born into instability and addiction. At age five, she went to live with her grandparents, who were abusive. At 17, she was kicked out.
Photo by Stephanie Faughnan
Colon was told by social services that she’d have better luck getting housing if she were pregnant or in recovery. Undeterred, she navigated shelter systems on her own and eventually found Ocean’s Harbor House in Toms River. Since moving there last November, her life has stabilized.
“I just finished a semester with a 3.6 GPA,” she said. “I work as a paraprofessional at a local elementary school, helping kids learn kindness and tolerance.”
Homeless advocates Greg Andrus (Portraits of the Jersey Shore) and Paul Hulse (Just Believe). (Photo by Stephanie Faughnan)
But Colon pointed out the lack of support for young people like her. “There are only 12 beds for people aged 16 to 21 in all of Ocean County,” she said. “A permanent shelter could help so many others who just need a stable start.”
Nicole Fowler of the Mental Health Association of New Jersey offered one of the evening’s most reflective moments. She said not every person in distress needs a solution – sometimes, they just need presence.
“We all need somebody at some point,” Fowler said. “Whether quietly or all at once, we reach for help – not always for answers, but for a kind word, for a hand, for a reminder that we’re not invisible.”
Fowler called for unity, stressing that the strength of a community isn’t defined by its buildings or events, but by how it treats its most vulnerable. “There’s no ‘them,’ only ‘us,’” she said.
Andrus hopes he accomplished what he set out to do when he put together the rally.
“I’m hoping to change the hearts of those who can make a difference,” he said. “From the top down.”
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