Livingston Philanthropies, Inc. (LPI) volunteers travel to a variety of locations during the process of delivering to the charity’s growing group of distribution partners, explained founder and director Jeff “The Coat Guy” Friedman. “The plight of homelessness and extreme poverty never changes, except to grow in numbers,” he noted. “Making their rounds downtown with normal deliveries, LPI’s volunteers become aware of isolated in-need situations and find ways in which to help.”
As an example, about three weeks ago, volunteers noticed a small, homeless enclave beside the entrance to a major highway, actually part of an on-ramp. “As seen in one of today’s photos, five homeless folks are encamped just on the other side of a guardrail,” said Friedman. “Aside from the daily, steady and relentless noise and exhaust fumes, what about safety issues in terms of cars and trucks passing closely?”
He continued, “Being officially in the ‘business’ for over eight years, we’ve encountered the homeless and profoundly poor living in all sorts of spaces. This was something completely different. As LPI volunteers get deeper into homeless communities, we are able to identify need in unusual places. Here was yet another one, just waiting for us.
“Because Livingston residents are stepping up with generous donations in record numbers, volunteers have been able to leave down blankets, coats, winter accessories and toiletries on several occasions. There’s little time to chat based on the logistics of the process. The on-ramp, because of its dangerous location for a vehicle to stop, dictates a quick in-and-out. Here at LPI, we like to provide for those in extreme need, not getting our volunteers killed in the process. I imagine that OSHA would approve of this policy!”
During a second visit, Friedman said, “LPI volunteers quickly met a woman living there named Melissa. That’s all we know at this point. It’s not always easy to get up-close-and-personal stories while reallocating Livingston’s amazing bounty to others. And, it’s not necessarily our business. At LPI, all we really need to know is that folks are in need.”
This week, for both regular readers and those exploring the West Essex Tribune for the first time, Friedman said, “Let’s take a journey through what’s happening here in Essex County and some of the causes of homelessness, food insecurity and profound poverty in our local cities and suburbs. These neighbors exist just minutes from Livingston.”
The Goodwill Rescue Mission, which has been “serving the poor and homeless ...
