REP. ANDREWS SECURES $75,000 TO HOUSE AND EDUCATE HOMELESS SINGLE WOMEN WITH CHILDREN

In February of 2005, I received an urgent correspondence from Mother/Child Residential Services, Inc., a Woodbury, N.J. based agency, which offers shelter and educational services to homeless pregnant and parenting women. The operating funding, which Mother/Child had received from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development since 1988, was not renewed. This setback threatened to close Mother/Child’s doors and put twenty-five families on the street. Like many other non-profit agencies in this economy, Mother/Child was already struggling financially. Their dedicated staff continued assisting those in need while being paid only a fraction of their salaries. Ms. Sally L. Hanna-Schaefer, Mother/Child’s founder and Administrative Director, even borrowed money on her own life insurance policy just to make ends meet.

I am pleased to announce that with my assistance, Mother/Child Residential Services, Inc. has received a $75,000 grant though the New Jersey Department of Human Services’ Protection & Prevention Initiative. Ms. Hanna-Schaefer has called this funding a miracle; it is the dedication, however, of her agency to helping our most vulnerable citizens, which is truly inspiring. With this funding, Mother/Child will continue its mission to house homeless women with children and provide them with the parenting, job, and life skills necessary to nurture their children.

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