Editor, Gazette-Journal:
Homelessness is an ongoing problem in our community. The reasons for homelessness are many and varied. It could be due to the lack of affordable housing, violence and abuse, mental health issues (including PTSD, which veterans often experience), unemployment or a combination. As winter approaches, there is a need in our small community to offer shelter for individuals who have no home. In Gloucester County this year, at least 78 individuals are experiencing homelessness.
In 2014, church leaders came together to acknowledge this community problem and develop a program to offer temporary shelter for this growing number of people, including families with children. Guiding this movement was scripture from the Gospel of Matthew: “Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.” These meetings produced a board and the GUEST (Gloucester United Emergency Shelter Team) program, where churches provided nightt...