TOMS RIVER – A safe bed, meals and a place for children to play may sound simple. For parents who have run out of options, those basics can mean the difference between a crisis deepening and starting over. That idea is at the heart of a new family shelter program operated by Family Promise of the Jersey Shore.
The former youth shelter at 2445 Windsor Avenue is now Ocean County’s only state-licensed family emergency shelter. HABcore bought the former Harbor House property for $775,000 in April 2025 through a county program funded with federal American Rescue Plan Act money. HABcore leases the building to Family Promise, which provides the staffing, food, security and case management.
It Should Look Like Home
From the street, the brick ranch blends right in with the neighborhood. Mature trees shade the property, and a wooden gazebo and picnic tables sit out back.
“It is not cots everywhere. It is not people living on top of one another,” said Elizabeth Golla, executive director of Family Promise of the Jersey Shore. “It should look like home. When somebody walks into a place, they should feel welcome.”
Golla wants the children who stay there to feel the same way. When the school bus pulls up, she said, “they should be proud that that’s their house.”
Inside, the living room has leather couches, armchairs and framed artwork. A larger common room holds dining tables, a sectional sofa, bookshelves and stacks of board games. The kitchen has wood cabinets and a large refrigerator.
Each family receives its own brand-new dishes, and every bedroom has its own TV. “When a family enters the shelter, everybody is given a brand-new pillow, brand-new bedding, and they get to take everything with them when they leave,” Golla said.
Families pay nothing while they are in the program, so any money a parent earns can go into savings. “We are paying for every single thing for them while they’re in that program,” Golla said.
Shelter supervisor Gabby Eyrich showed off supply closets stocked with toilet paper, soap, shampoo, and other basics. She has also lined up food partnerships with Stop & Shop, Panera and Wawa.
Families Of All Sizes
The five-bedroom house is approved by the state for 13 beds. That number can grow when families have children younger than 3 who sleep in cribs or pack-and-plays. Golla said the home could potentially accommodate about 20 people, depending on the number of young children.
Bedrooms mix standard beds and bunk beds, so staff can set up rooms to fit each family. Golla pointed to one family of 11 who has been without a home for some time. “What motel are they going into with little kids?” she asked.
The house has four full bathrooms, including one that is wheelchair accessible. The bathrooms are not attached to bedrooms, but Golla said they can be designated for separate families. There is also a laundry room, a fenced backyard and individual lockboxes that keep medications away from children.
Different Challenges
Family Promise has run its rotating shelter since 2009, moving families between congregations each week. That works for parents who drive and get around on their own, but not for everyone. Many host buildings are not handicapped accessible, and weekly moves can be hard on people on the autism spectrum.
“This shelter program is for families that have higher barriers and need a little more 24/7 support,” Golla said. Two staff members are on site around the clock.
The program is for families with at least one child younger than 18. Adults undergo a background check and drug and alcohol screening and must stay substance-free while in the program.
Breaking Down Barriers
Case management starts the day a family arrives. Staff help parents figure out why they lost housing and what has to change. That might mean replacing a birth certificate, getting a driver’s license, applying for benefits or finding a job. Families can also be referred to Bright Harbor Healthcare for mental health services.
Transportation is often one of the biggest hurdles. Golla said Family Promise uses grant money to fix broken-down cars or buy dependable ones for about $2,500. “If we can overcome some of these barriers,” she said, “then they are going to be ready for housing.”
A Growing Need
Golla hopes the home proves the concept works and shows other agencies “it’s really not scary to help people.” The need is already obvious. The new shelter had a waiting list before families moved in, and the rotating shelter is full.
Family Promise’s work reaches well beyond shelter. Its Anchors to Stay program helps households with overdue rent, mortgage or utility bills, and its diversion program covers security deposits and first month’s rent. Rapid rehousing and housing navigation services help clients find apartments and work with landlords.
“We never just put somebody somewhere and say, ‘Good luck to you,’” Golla said. “A lot of times folks don’t even have any kind of support system. So, we become that support system.”
Family Promise reported serving 9,811 people in 2025, and its website says 88 percent of families sheltered through the organization find housing. Golla said clients include construction workers, nurses, school employees, seniors and students.
She recalled a mother and father with two daughters who both worked for a local school district. They lost their housing and could not find anything affordable fast enough, yet they kept showing up for their students every day. Family Promise eventually helped them find a home near their jobs.
“We don’t share pictures of clients that we serve, because that client that we serve literally is your next-door neighbor,” Golla said. “We don’t want to put their cases all over the place because people don’t want to be known in that situation.”
How To Help
The shelter is still hiring residential assistants and per diem substitutes. Family Promise’s annual gift auction takes place November 7 at St. Mary’s Parish in Manahawkin, and organizers are still seeking sponsors and basket donations.
Anyone with donations, or anyone in need, can call 609-994-3317 to schedule an appointment. Families in immediate need should call 211.
