We believe that families should have the basic necessities they need to live a life with dignity.
With families in Mercer County facing rising costs and stretched budgets, they can can utilize HomeFront’s Resource Network for necessities that are critical for their well-being. Families and individuals receive food, diapers, period supplies, personal care, household and other items, all free of charge and in an experience marked by dignity and autonomy. Also, HomeFront staff has ongoing conversations with Resource Network clients, relationships that help us identify and avert potential issues for the families. By helping families with current household needs, so they can direct their resources toward fixed costs such as rent, and preventing future problems, our Resource Network is an important element in our homelessness prevention work. Ultimately, the goal of HomeFront’s Resource Network is to help our clients move beyond surviving to thriving every day.
HomeFront’s commitment to feeding hungry families has not wavered since our founding. And the need remains great—according to Feeding America, 1 in 9 people in New Jersey are currently facing food insecurity, the limited or uncertain access to adequate food.
- HomeFront’s response, our food pantry program, consists of our main Choice Pantry at our Lawrenceville campus, smaller ones at HomeFront sites such as our FreeStore, and occasional “pop-up” pantries throughout the community, all made possible by a corps of dedicated volunteers.
- At our Choice Market, clients are offered the full range of nutritional options and then pick those food products best suited to their family’s tastes and needs.
- Clients have access to other necessities through HomeFront’s pantries, such as personal hygiene products, diapers, period supplies, and more.
- As an added value, our pantries often offer a crucial portal for clients to receive assistance with other issues in their lives, such as housing, healthcare, and linkages to other services.
“Diaper need” is the struggle to afford sufficient diapers to keep a baby healthy and dry. It's a challenge that our families face every day. Over the course of a month, the cost of diapers for just one child can range from $80 to $100 or more, according to the National Diaper Bank Network. Public assistance programs like SNAP (formerly food stamps) and WIC can’t be used to purchase diapers.
- HomeFront has long been committed to providing free diapers and other baby products, a commitment that led to the establishment of our Diaper Resource Center.
- We are now distributing over 1 million diapers a year, as well as other baby and period products, showing just how pervasive the need is in Mercer County. This is made possible by our ability to buy in bulk, donations and drives, and volunteer assistance.
- Over the last few years, we've also been expanding our efforts as a diaper bank. HomeFront currently partners with four local organizations—The Maker’s Place, Princeton Mobile Food Pantry, Rise, and Rescue Mission of Trenton—and are working to add more.
- Monthly, HomeFront provides upwards of 16,250 diapers in bulk to partners, who in turn distribute diapers to families they serve and to additional partners.
HomeFront’s Freestore in downtown Trenton is well-organized and well-stocked with donations of clothing, household goods and other items, all sorted and arranged by staff and volunteers.
- Clients’ once-monthly visits are arranged by appointment and, just as with the Choice Pantry, they have the autonomy to decide upon and choose their items.
- Visits may also be arranged in case of need, such as getting new professional clothes for a job interview or preparing for a move into a new permanent home.
- For information on donating clothing and household goods, visit Donate Items.
Families moving into new housing often need a lot of furnishings to make a home.
- Just as our FreeStore connects low-income Mercer County residents with donated clothing and household items, our Furnish the Future does the same with donated furniture.
- We verify that all furniture donations are suited and sized for apartments and in good condition.
- We have also begun requesting a minimal contribution from donors to cover the cost of manpower and use of our box truck when we need to pick up the donated items.
- For information on donating furniture, visit Donate Items.
HomeFront relies on the generous efforts and gifts of our caring community to meet other ongoing or focused needs of our families, from back-to-school supplies to move-in kits for families and more.
- Our Community Engagement and Resource Network teams work in concert to ensure product donations are properly received, stored and stewarded, from donor to recipient.
- For more information on HomeFront donations and drives, visit Donate Items and Participate in a Donation Drive.
When you donate a car, you change a family’s life forever. Having their own vehicle puts families on the path to stability, providing access to more employment opportunities and easing what had been their daily challenges of transportation.
- We assess and match cars that are donated to HomeFront with eligible families within our programs, determining where a vehicle would make a transformational change for a family.
- To learn more about donating a car, visit Donate Items.
