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Residents and volunteers urge Toms River to secure warming shelter as Code Blue operations expand
Summary
Volunteers from Just Believe and several residents urged Toms River officials to guarantee Code Blue operations and permanent shelter capacity this winter, citing hundreds of people assisted and saying uncertainty about access to Riverwood warming center hampers services.
TOMS RIVER — Dozens of speakers at the township council’s public-comment period urged officials to secure shelter capacity for people experiencing homelessness this winter, criticizing the administration’s handling of building access and asking for formal plans and a dedicated committee to coordinate services.
Representatives of Just Believe, the nonprofit that ran the Riverwood warming center (Code Blue), described their outreach and placements and said uncertainty over access and recent lock changes to the building undermine their ability to serve clients. “We have currently housed 171 clients with children and families just this January to now,” one Just Believe caseworker said during public remarks.
Paul Hulse, chief executive officer of Just Believe, spoke emotionally about the organization’s work and the volunteers’ commitment. He said the group has been operating Code Blue and providing case management for clients and asked the council to ensure the warming center will be available in November when Code Blue typically begins. “These people need someone to help them,” Hulse said.
Speakers asked the council to form a standing committee on homelessness or give Just Believe clearer guidance and access to facilities, and several residents volunteered professional skills — social-work expertise and grant-writing experience — to support a coordinated response. Committee reinstatement and access to a township 'mobile sensory' trailer for events were also raised as community needs.
Town officials acknowledged the requests and said they would form follow-up conversations. Several council members asked for a briefing from administration and suggested inviting county partners and departmental leaders to present options and timelines for shelter space and for any county-run alternative.
Ending: Council members said they would convene follow-up meetings and explore whether to reinstate committees and seek a county representative to clarify plans; no formal timeline for a permanent shelter was set at the meeting.
