Top photo caption: Father Guilherme Andrino and Cori Scotti, center, accept the Lakewood Community Coalition’s Humanitarian Service Award on behalf of Our Lady of Guadalupe Parish. Photo from Our Lady of Guadalupe Parish
The winter of 2024-25 was described by weather officials as “colder than normal” with several storms sweeping through the region in a particularly frigid January and February. The harsh conditions presented serious challenges to individuals across New Jersey, especially those without homes and adequate resources to heat them.
For the parish faithful of Our Lady of Guadalupe, Lakewood, the call to help those impacted in the wider community by the harsh winter conditions inspired a significant and multi-faceted response. Working with the local police department and other groups, the parish provided and operated a shelter facility and got involved in strategic planning and advocacy for a vulnerable population.
Community Recognition
The parish’s efforts to provide care for those less fortunate during Ocean County’s Code Blue declarations last winter were recently recognized with the bestowal of the Lakewood Community Coalition’s Humanitarian Service Award. OLG pastor, Divine Word Father Guilherme Andrino, and business manager, Cori Scotti, were among those representing the parish as the award ceremony in mid-May. The LCC comprises state, county and municipal law enforcement leaders, area faith leaders, community organizations and residents to collaborate on behalf of Lakewood residents.
The Ocean County Office of Emergency Management activates its “Code Blue” Alert when temperatures dip to 32 degrees Fahrenheit or measure wind-chill temperatures of zero or less. It coordinates available services such as warming centers and encourages communication among service providers such as Our Lady of Guadalupe Parish, explained Scotti.
Team Effort
The winter of 2024/2025 – OLG’s inaugural year – included multiple, prolonged periods of extreme cold, prompting the community to operate Code Blue shelters for about 39 evenings, Scotti said.
According to Scotti, the parish St. Vincent de Paul Society teamed up with members of the police force and others in the community to prepare and operate a small rental house on church property. Up to 40 individuals needing to take refuge are offered cots, blankets and showers, as well as the opportunity to cook a hot meal and do laundry before they must leave the following morning. Individuals and small organizations donate clothing, food and sundries for shelter guests.
“There is always a need. We see it every day: people sleeping outside, just barely making it, even with jobs, for some are victims of wage theft,” she said. “There is no place for them to go.”
Additionally, many of the smaller churches in town are not open during the week. Moreover, Our Lady of Guadalupe is itself limited in space following the devastating fire that destroyed part of its campus last October. But, Scotti notes, Our Lady of Guadalupe foresees further assisting the program by serving as a cooling shelter this summer.