A Successful Event to Raise Awareness of Homelessness in Mercer County

On September 24th, Governor Jon Corzine joined a benefit fundraiser for the Mercer Alliance to End Homelessness, to speak in support of preventing and ending homelessness in Mercer County, New Jersey.

The benefit was held at the Princeton home of Timothy Andrews, President of Advertising Specialty Institute. Governor Corzine was joined by Shirley Tilghman, President of Princeton University; Douglas Palmer, Mayor of Trenton; and Stephanie Wolcott, Manager of Corporate Citizenship for Tyco International, who were all honored for their commitment to community building, and recognition of the important role housing plays in a stable and thriving community. The honorees of the Mercer Alliance’s inaugural benefit spoke to a crowd of 130.

Governor Corzine spoke of his administration’s focus on ending homelessness and developing more affordable housing; the Governor has committed to creating 100,000 additional units in New Jersey.

Shirley M. Tilghman said that many Princeton students have worked with homeless service providers in Mercer County, taking the experience with them for a lifetime.

Mayor Palmer remarked on how homelessness is inexcusable in a country as wealthy as the United States, and noted that the issues of homelessness and affordable housing affect all of Mercer County.

Stephanie Wolcott communicated Tyco’s continued support for the Mercer Alliance to End Homelessness, and the importance of corporate support for housing initiatives.

The event was Co-Chaired by Assemblyman Reed Gusciora, who relayed the story of young mother at the event, who had been left homeless due to the inadequate support provided to her by the government, while her husband is deployed by the U.S. Army.

“We are grateful to our benefit’s featured speakers, for their commitment to the mission of the Mercer Alliance to End Homelessness,” says Alison Badgett, Executive Director of the Mercer Alliance. “All of our speakers are tremendous leaders in the community: President Tilghman, for her dedication to inspiring a commitment to community service among Princeton graduates; Mayor Palmer for his tireless work to improve the lives of working families; and Stephanie Wolcott for her development of a corporate citizenship program designed to improve the very foundation of our community through support of housing and end-homelessness initiatives.”

Founded in 2004, the Mercer Alliance to End Homelessness is a consortium of leaders from the county’s business, government and nonprofit sectors, who are implementing innovative strategies to prevent and end homelessness in Mercer County, New Jersey. The Mercer Alliance is part of a national effort to develop ten year plans to end homelessness in communities across the country. The Mercer Alliance released the first Ten Year Plan in New Jersey and is a model for others in the state and nation who aim to move from treating the consequences of homelessness to addressing and preventing its root causes.

“While incredibly ambitious, our goal of ending homelessness in Mercer County is an achievable one,” states Alison Badgett. “Across the country, communities have made enormous strides, achieving 30%, even 50% reductions in their homeless population. Mercer County will do the same, by building on the successes of our existing homeless service providers, and adapting many of the strategies proven successful elsewhere.”