BERKELEY – It is difficult to determine if the people around you are having financial struggles, but officials said that it’s more prevalent than you realize.
This concept came up in a few different ways at a recent Township Council meeting.
A volunteer with the local first aid squad, Patricia Sperber, said she responded to a call where the patient was a pregnant woman living in the woods. She had to be taken to the hospital.
She asked if there was any kind of shelter nearby.
Police Chief Kevin Santucci said that the Atlantic City shelter is the closest one.
Berkeley Police recently joined a new program through the State Attorney General’s Office, in conjunction with the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office called Arrive Together. If a police officer is called out to a situation where a social worker might be needed, one will be dispatched from a health care partner. The social worker will assess the needs of the subject and will be able to refer them to the services they need. Some of these might be physical needs such as food and shelter. Some of these might be psychological help, drug or alcohol counseling, veterans assistance, or any of a number of other services.
Councilman Thomas Grosse said that when he was a police officer in Toms River, they would encounter homeless people. It was often a delicate situation because you want to help but you can’t take them to another county if what little support system they have is here.
He said he’s been to the shelter in Atlantic City “and it’s not a place where you want to be. There needs to be a place for them.”
On a related note, Councilwoman Sophia Gingrich and Councilman Michael Signorile told people to keep an eye out for your neighbors. They might look fine at first glance, but they might be hiding the fact that they’re struggling. Both of them have been getting calls about people who can’t afford groceries or can’t make it to doctor’s appointments.
The food bank is held on the fourth Friday of every month. It is located at the Holiday City at Berkeley clubhouse, 631 Jamaica Boulevard. Gingrich recommends coming at 9 a.m., since they are often done by 11 a.m.
Meanwhile, Councilman Angelo Guadagno thanked people for giving to the mayor’s school supply drive. As a teacher at the Berkeley Township Elementary School, he sees the results on a first hand basis.
“All last week, teachers were running down to the guidance department to pick up a number of supplies for kids,” he said. The supplies are given out discretely so that the children won’t be mocked for not having the money to buy the supplies.
There is a stigma against people needing help. This is why kids don’t always ask for help and your neighbors might not ask for help.
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