About HomeFront - Our History
In the spring of 1990, Connie Mercer, the current Executive Director of HomeFront, received a call from Dr. Chris Hansen, a pediatrician who worked with the Department of Youth and Family Services in Mercer County, New Jersey. "Connie," he said, "Come with me."
He drove her to the Sleepy Hollow Motel on Route 1 in Lawrenceville. Dr. Hansen showed Connie the homeless families living in the squalid motel rooms of a “welfare motel” because they had nowhere else to go. The tiny, filthy rooms housed entire families–Four children sometimes shared a single bed. There were no cooking facilities, no bathtubs, no tables and no chairs.
Connie was determined to change the situation. She and her friends began making hot meals and delivering them to the families. They drove parents to job training sessions, doctor's appointments, and classes where they could study to get a high school diploma. This was the beginning of HomeFront.
The cadre of volunteers grew. In 1992 the group incorporated as part of the Exchange Club, a nationwide service organization. In 1998 Connie founded HomeFront as an independent non-profit, agency.
Over the years, HomeFront developed a comprehensive range of programs and services for the poor and homeless of Mercer County and the surrounding area of central New Jersey including Lawrenceville and Trenton.
HomeFront serves every member of the family. It provides emergency shelter, transitional housing and, ultimately, permanent affordable housing. It provides free food, furniture, clothing and cars, when needed. Our services include life skills training, mentoring, counseling and support. We provide job readiness training, job skills certification and educational enrichment. Programs for children include preschool, after-school and weekend activities, tutoring and summer camp. Once a family achieves the goal of a stable employment and a stable family home, We provide ongoing support through the ups and downs of ongoing family life.
HomeFront supporters provide donations of money, food, furniture, clothing, cars, professional services and other assets to make Connie's dream a reality.
As a result of HomeFront's efforts, there are, today, no Mercer County families living in “welfare motels”.
HomeFront’s approach works because so many people from Mercer County and elsewhere believe in our mission. We have a responsibility to give a chance to those who have never had one.