Morris County 'Neighbors In Need' Program Celebrates Three Years

Morristown NJ

20 January, 2022

12:50 PM

Description

Press release from NIN: Jan. 20, 2022 This past fall, various stakeholders participating in Morris County's Neighbors in Need, a community-based Participatory Action Research (CBPAR) program gathered on Drew University's campus to reflect on the past year's research, program creation, and funding. With three years of successful collaboration, Morris County's Neighbors in Need is proving the effectiveness of the CBPAR model in combating the housing crisis. Amongst the stakeholders present were Family Promise of Morris County, Monarch Housing, Mental Health Association of Morris and Essex County, Morris County Housing Authority, Drew University, and AmeriCorps VISTA members. With stable funding for this program, Neighbors in Need now seeks to put its plans in motion by housing 25 Morris County families experiencing homelessness. The organization will also offer a roadmap on how to duplicate the CBPAR model's success as a means of housing more families in counties across the US. One impactful moment from the evening came from keynote speaker and program creator, Taiisa Kelly (CEO, Monarch Housing Associates) stated that, "Housing is critical to ensuring that people can have the safety and security to grow, to live lives that are full, and that are meaningful in the ways they define it... when we start to think about working together, it possible to find a path to victory." Additionally, Kelly noted, "Working together is at the center of the Neighbors in Need initiative and the CBPAR model. With the continued support of Morris County citizens and organizations alike, we believe we are on track to succeed while providing a system that can be duplicated amongst counties across the US." This press release was produced by NIN. The views expressed here are the author's own.