On a typical Friday morning the thrift shop at 211 Carr Ave., the location of Project Paul, is bustling with volunteers.
Lionel Menard, executive director, discusses the work of Project Paul at its facility in Keansburg on Feb. 5. Listening are Miesha Kemp, recipient of a new scholarship, and Peter Cook, a member of the board of the nonprofit, who established the scholarship in honor of his late parents who were Project Paul volunteers. PHOTOS BY ERIC SUCAR staff Some are collecting and sorting clothing donations, while others are packaging food for the grocery distribution to residents from across the Bayshore region.
As the day goes on, shoppers sift through the racks of clothing, accessories and household items at the Keansburg based nonprofit’s two-floor thrift shop.
In total, the organization has more than 60 volunteers and serves 1,600 needy families per week — roughly 150 families each day across 16 towns — and the demand for supplies is growing.
“There’s a need for a lot of different services, not just food, but clothing, help with rent, electricity, heat and that type of thing, especially now,” said Lionel Menard, executive director at Project Paul.
He explained that the number of people requiring aid, such as food, clothing and shelter, increased by 70 percent over the last two years.
“If we ever get more jobs, then things will get better. Without jobs, frankly, things aren’t going to get much better. A lot of people have come in that never needed help before,” he said.
Project Paul began in 1980 as part of a community outreach ministry of St. Ann’s Parish in the borough, centering efforts on the establishment of a food pantry and thrift shop.
In 1985, the organization became independent from the church and grew to focus on both homelessness prevention and educational services to empower struggling families as well.
Executive Director Lionel Menard gives a tour of the Project Paul facility. ERIC SUCAR staff Project Paul serves Keansburg, Aberdeen, Atlantic Highlands, Fair Haven, Hazlet, Highlands, Holmdel, Keyport, Little Silver, Matawan, Middletown, Monmouth Beach, Rumson, Sea Bright, Shrewsbury and Union Beach
Many of the organization’s volunteers, like Kathleen O’Halloran, director of client services, have been with the organization for more than 20 years.
“She qualifies everyone who comes here for need,” Menard said. “You have to live in the area, and depending on the program, there are different income levels [in order to receive aid]. We try to keep people in their homes with prevention assistance. We also provide support with their heat or their electric [bills]. What we do is, we look at a lot of different numbers a lot of different ways. There were over 2,000 families in 2009.”
Over the years, Project Paul has expanded its reach, now providing an educational support program and a scholarship program dedicated to two of its most beloved and devoted volunteers.
The scholarship, named after former director Edwin Cook and his wife Rosemary, will provide supplemental funds for clients who are currently attending Brookdale Community College and are pursuing a degree in the health sciences field.
The program was established by Peter Cook, son of Edwin and Rosemary, who is also a member of Project Paul’s board of directors. Edwin and Rosemary passed away in 2007, but their legacy of community service lives on.
“The reason the focus was on health care is because there is a tremendous demand,” Cook said. “I see it as a way to help the community from both ends. It can get our clients into a great field, and on the other side, it is serving the community by helping others.”
Funds from the program can contribute to tuition not covered by financial aid and other incidental costs such as books.
Cook explained the scholarship fund is a fitting tribute to Ed and Rosemary, both of whom were fixtures at Project Paul. During their time in the hospital, Cook said he spent most days at his parents’ bedside, and that inspired the scholarship.
“One of the things that really struck me was that there was a tremendous need for nurses,” he said. “The most compassionate care they received was from the nurses that just entered the field.”
From there, Cook decided that the scholarship would be given to someone pursuing a health care-related degree, either as a nurse, respiratory therapist or radiology technician. And these areas of study are available on the Brookdale campus in the Lincroft section of Middletown.
Additionally, the new Cook Scholarship will complement a number of programs offered by Project Paul that help clients to achieve their educational goals and to become financially independent.
Many are already making scholastic progress. One of the scholarship recipients, Miesha Kemp, a client of Project Paul, has been working as a medical assistant in Tinton Falls for 13 years. With funds from the nonprofit, she is working toward a degree in nursing at Brookdale.
“I work for a wonderful doctor who keeps on pushing me to get my nursing degree; it’s a promised employment and I finally decided to take a step up there and take one day at a time with the classes and move forward,” she said.
Kemp has two teenage daughters and described Project Paul as a positive group that put her in the right direction.
“I’m grateful I was chosen to continue with my education, and it takes the burden off, knowing there are people willing to help you,” Kemp said. “Sometimes people look at you like you’re a single mom and say, ‘You know, she’s not going to do it.’ But whatever I have to do to move forward with my nursing degree, I will.”
The agency also provides ESL classes for local mothers and tutoring services and offers the Educational Support Program for single mothers returning to school.
“It helps on both ends,” Cook said. “It helps Miesha and it helps others because of the type of care she will be giving.”
Project Paul’s thrift shop is open six days a week and is staffed by volunteers.
“Donations go directly to people in need,” Menard said. “It does not go to overhead. The benefit here is that we have volunteers running our thrift store, and [so] we don’t have much overhead to begin with. Because the thrift store makes money, it pays for any overhead we do have.”
Weekly food distribution for qualifying families takes place on Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 9:45 to 11:45 a.m. and 12:45 to 2:45 p.m.
Donations are currently being accepted. Anyone interested in contributing to the Edwin and Rosemary Cook Health Sciences Scholarship Fund can use the link below or contact Sister Vera Green at 732-787-4887. For more information, visit http://www.projpaul. org/.