By Dorothy K. LaMantia | Correspondent

Cloudy skies and steady mist did not dampen the enthusiasm and good cheer at the blessing and opening of the new center of the Interfaith Hospitality Network of Ocean County, Inc., located on the campus of St. Joseph Parish, Toms River.

Nearly 100 guests, many of them volunteers from the faith communities from northern Ocean County who participate in the ministry, assembled Oct. 1 in prayer on the front lawn of the newly-refurbished, two-story colonial home on Lexington Avenue.

The network is an affiliate of Family Promise, a nonprofit interfaith ministry committed to providing shelter, meals and assistance to homeless families. St. Joseph Parish is just one of eleven participating congregations, which include Epiphany, Brick; St. Mary of the Lake, Lakewood, and St. Barnabas, Bayville.  

Each parish hosts as many as three families for two weeks at a time and provides them with overnight accommodation. During the day, the families go to their jobs or attend school.  Those who are between jobs or stay-at-home parents of preschool children spend their days at the center, which is equipped with computers to facilitate job searches. A family typically remains in the program around six months until they are able to find a permanent home.

 “It is our goal to help those in crisis,” said St. Joseph Parish pastor, Father Scott Shaffer, who presided at the blessing. “Here we can provide a little help, a haven, and some dignity in their situations.”

“It is about living the Gospel message, which is the basis of what we are doing here. It makes sense because God’s Word is the basis of who we are.  On the opening of this facility, we pray we can hear His Word and put it into action,” he said.

After the blessing, executive director Patty Cash welcomed guests “to our beautiful new home,” inviting them to visit the house. 

What sets the new venue apart are the home-like appointments – curtained and carpeted rooms with living room and dining room furniture, laundry facilities conveniently on the first-floor, and privacy. 

At the previous day center across town, IHN shared space with several other ministries.

Families will stay overnight in the four bedrooms during the weeks when St. Joseph and Congregation B’nai Israel, Toms River, are hosts.  But the center, which accommodates 14 people, will serve as a permanent home base for the program’s families during the day.

Board president Al Spangler said, “We have had this on the drawing board for about a year. It took us six months to work through decisions and started coming together in the spring of this year.”

Kevin Downing, parish coordinator of maintenance, supervised the project, in which his energies went into coordinating the work of network members, parishioners, and students from Donovan Catholic High School.

“It was a volunteer effort,” said board vice president Walter Hrycenko, parishioner of St. Joseph Parish. “We had senior citizens and students ripping up carpets and repainting. Our furnishings were donated by parishioners and volunteers from the network.”

 “This has been such a journey,” said Cash, who has directed the program for 20 years. “We have learned a lot along the way about what the families needed. In addition to housing and meals, now we provide mentoring and teach parenting and self-esteem skills.” 

Among the guests was Rita Kearney, one of the moving spirits in the network’s early days. “It took two years to get the program going,” she said. “Patty has the heart and organizational skills for this to get done. I am so delighted with this large space that struggling families can come to each day.”

“We are excited,” said Hrycenko. “One of our host weeks is around Christmas. so we look forward to having the families spend that time here. Truly it is like a home, a place to heal. They can come here to catch their breath and do what they must.”