VINELAND, NJ–They may be small in size, but the four girls in Girl Scout Troop 51023 proved that their hearts are big.  At Catholic Charities, Diocese of Camden’s office in Vineland, these young helpers fastidiously filled backpacks with collected donated items to be given to the homeless in Cumberland County as part of the annual Point-in-Time Count.

Each year, Catholic Charities staff joins other agencies to participate in the statewide count, which takes place during the last 10 days of January and identifies people who are residing in emergency shelters, transitional housing programs, safe havens and living on the streets or other locations.  This year, as Catholic Charities’ case managers and volunteers collect critical data about homeless populations in order to better their services, they will also be able to distribute backpacks filled with donations and packed with love.

PENNSAUKEN, NJ–Kimberly Van Hook moved excitedly around her new apartment, pointing out each and every detail — the view of the trees from the window, the food items neatly arranged on the shelves in her refrigerator, the smooth counter-tops in the kitchen. Every few moments, she’d pause and say, “I can’t believe I finally have a home,” while looking around wondrously.

Kimberly Van Hook is one of eight senior citizen residents who, after experiencing difficulty finding permanent housing, recently found a place to call home at

Stonegate at Saint Stephen – Phase II

through the help of staff at the Diocesan Housing Services Corporation.

Van Hook was one of eight senior citizen residents who, after experiencing difficulty finding permanent housing, recently found a place to call home at

Stonegate at Saint Stephen – Phase II in Pennsauken

, a newly-developed 68-unit senior community of the

Diocesan Housing Services Corporation of the Diocese of Camden

(DHSC). Through the help of the DHSC staff who guided her through the entire application process, Van Hook now has a comfortable one-bedroom apartment to call her own. And because of staff at Catholic Charities, Diocese of Camden, who collected donations and helped set up the new units, she and seven of her fellow new residents were surprised and overjoyed to walk into homes that were completely furnished.

Van Hook revealed that she had spent years without a stable place to live, resorting to a series of less-than-ideal living options as she battled a number of health conditions.

“No more living out of a truck. No more imposing on friends or family,” she said, picking up a bouquet of tulips from her countertop. “[The staff] gave me these the day I moved in. Can you believe that?” she said, laughing. “Everyone — from the directors to the maintenance staff — have been so kind and so helpful. The first day I moved in, they invited me to have pizza with them downstairs, and that was so nice because I don’t know anyone here yet. But there’s even a game room down the hall, so I’m sure I’ll meet some more people!”

Jose Sanchez, a program director at Catholic Charities, Diocese of Camden, has worked with DHSC staff, as well as donors, to ensure that new residents who have experienced difficulty in finding housing would have quality furniture and supplies when they moved in to their new homes.

Two floors below her apartment, Michael Alessi, another new senior resident was preparing for his daily five-mile walk, a practice which he credits for his perfect health at the age of 70. The other key, he said, is his devout Catholic faith. He remains a life-long member of Sacred Heart Parish in Camden, where he grew up and worked for most of his life. Motioning toward the housing staff members, he said, “I prayed for years for direction, and they were the answer to my prayers. I knew that this place was a Christian community before I even asked. I can feel their love and their faith; they truly do love us as their neighbors.”

This sense of love is echoed in the mission of Diocesan Housing Services Corporation, which quotes Saint Teresa of Calcutta when she said in her 1979 Nobel Peace Prize acceptance speech, “Because I believe that love begins at home, and if we can create a home for the poor — I think that more and more love will spread.”

Those words inspire the Diocesan Housing Services Corporation’s team of property managers, maintenance and social services professionals to address the housing needs of people across the Diocese of Camden. Together, they work to provide quality affordable housing for low and moderate income households in New Jersey’s six southern counties with a special focus on senior citizens and those who are living with disabilities.

“We are so happy to be able to offer seniors the opportunity to access high-quality affordable housing with the opening of Stonegate II,” said James Reynolds, executive director of the Diocesan Housing Services Corporation. “We look forward to helping our residents enjoy their golden years in a warm, loving and supportive environment rooted in the Catholic tradition of meeting the needs of the underserved.”

Over the next several months, more than 60 additional seniors are expected to move into the new building, including others, like Van Hook and Alessi, who have experienced difficulty in finding a long-term place to call home.

AS OF PUBLICATION, APPROXIMATELY 10 UNITS ARE UNCOMMITTED AND REMAIN AVAILABLE FOR LEASING. ANYONE INTERESTED IN MAKING APPLICATION SHOULD CONTACT DAWNE PENNER AT 856-342-4055.  CLICK

HERE

TO LEARN MORE ABOUT STONEGATE AT SAINT STEPHEN PHASE II.