Behind Every Face Is A Story In Newly Discovered Homeless Camp

By Stephanie Faughnan

TOMS RIVER – A clandestine homeless encampment has managed to defy discovery since last October, catching local authorities completely off guard.

The revelation came to light during a recent weekend summer sunset patrol by diligent members of the Ocean County Air Support Squadron (OASS). From the vantage point of their small aircraft, volunteers took a double take as they gazed down upon the landscape below.

Amidst an area nestled near high tension wires, rows of tents and people moving about revealed a hidden world that had successfully eluded scrutiny for eight months.

Ocean County Sheriff Michael Mastronardy oversees OASS, which serves as the county law enforcement agency’s air wing. Utilizing their own aircraft, skilled

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Wawa: Continued From Page 1 lined up around 7:30 a.m. for the 8 a.m. opening that filled every parking spot the store had.

“Even though there is a closer Wawa to my house I wanted to come here. This is what passes for excitement around here,” Krause said. He’s lived in the area for 33 years “and the area has changed quite a bit. The gas here is as cheap as possible. This is the cheapest around here.”

“I came over here because every time I go to ShopRite I see this place being built and I was curious to see the response of these people,” said Ken Hyman, another Manchester resident. He had some concerns about the traffic flow in the area and how it would work on a regular day of commuting.

“We have a lot of senior citizens including myself but I think I am a bit more alert than many of them and I have some difficulties navigating sometimes. To get in and out of here is a little tricky,” he added.

Hyman said, “I’ve been living around here for 40 something years. I passed one of the other Wawas to get out here. I also wanted the T-shirt.”

The official address is 604 Pine Street but most people know it as the circle.

It’s between a strip mall plaza and the borough’s police department headquarters. The only entry point is off Union Avenue.

Brian DiMeo, their wives and members of their families were present. Council President Steven Oglesby was also there but he was wearing his Lakehurst First Aid Squad hat that morning as a member of the squad’s hoagie building team that competed against the police department and borough fire company.

Wawa’s signature Hoagies for Heroes competition featured members of each of the borough’s emergency response agency. They competed to see who could build the most hoagies in three minutes. The winner was the Lakehurst Fire Company.

Police Chief Matthew Kline had some fun pretending to handcuff the firefighters who were pretty speedy when it came to building hoagies having assembled at least 30 sandwiches.

At the conclusion of the Hoagies for Heroes competition, store representatives presented checks of $1,000 to each department’s charity of choice.

“This is an incredible turnout. I wasn’t expecting this,” Mayor Robbins said as his 2-year-old grandson Grady Ciccio of Bayville enjoyed a Wawa donut with sprinkles. “This has been in the works for years since I joined the governing body in 1999.”

“We’ve been working on this property since then. Al Leiter, a professional baseball player at one time and his brother John bought the property and we got all the property deemed safe by the DEP (Department of Environmental Protection) because it was an old gas station that had leakage,” the mayor added.

Mayor Robbins said the site experienced full reclamation that took “years and years. We finally got a clean bill of health.” The owners have been working with Wawa for at least two years. “It is finally here!”

General Manager Kyle Sommer and his staff greeted people at the door following a countdown for the 8 a.m. opening. Sommer will lead a team of approximately 50 associates, all of which are new positions.

Lakehurst

Area Manager Daniel Holland remarked, “I’m delighted to welcome your newest store as we give a ceremonial toast to our associates, customers and our community. When our first convenience store opened in April 1964 in Folsom, Pa. our founder, Grahme Wood envisioned a business built on people, not just profits. Over 1,000 stores later, our 45,000 associates are committed to fulfilling lives, every day.”

The Lakehurst store marks the 31st out of 76 stores within the chain’s six-state operating area of Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, Florida and Washington, D.C. The chain also announced its future expansion to Florida Panhandle, Alabama, North Carolina, Georgia, Tennessee, Ohio, Kentucky and Indiana.

Mayor Robbins said during the ribbon cutting, “This property has been vacant for many years. It used to be an Exxon gas station. I want to welcome Wawa to our community!” surveillance over waterways, roads, and wooded regions. Through the submission of photographs, any unusual discoveries are diligently documented.

Sommer led customers in a toast during the ribbon-cutting ceremony. Wally Goose provided the mayor an oversized pair of scissors and red ribbon for the event which also included an explosion of confetti.

Mastronardy credited the sharp-eyed team with discovering the hidden encampment, which had been alluded to in a social media post that same day. Upon identifying the setup, Toms River Police were notified of the situation.

Local authorities dispatched a targeted group to the camp to engage with them and evaluate their situations. While some expressed resistance to what they perceived as outsider intervention, others hoped to find alternatives to their current living conditions.

In the wake of county officials taking proactive steps to create a homelessness trust fund and task force, the urgency for support became all the more evident.

Homelessness Advocacy

Setting up a community of tents to address shelter isn’t exactly a novel concept for Minister Steve Brigham of Destiny’s Bridge. At the start of the millennium, Brigham began by providing for the needy by offering food and essentials. However, an encounter with a man who asked Brigham for rent money resulted in a more comprehensive approach. After providing the man with a tent and camping gear, Brigham settled him in Jackson. Two weeks later, the man expressed difficulties fi nding work and a lack of near- by food pantries. Responding to the man’s concerns, Brigham agreed to relocate him and later extended assistance to other homeless individuals he learned were in need.

So began the story of Lakewood’s Tent City, which was ultimately dismantled by authorities. Its occupants received some compensation as others moved on to Howell to another homeless community. Township officials in Howell promised to help them, and then sold that property to a developer, who kicked them off.

The most recently discovered homeless encampment set up by Brigham stands out due to the ages and health of many of its residents, who are living without the comfort of conventional support systems.

In a social media post earlier this month, Brigham gave the fi rst names of nineteen individuals ranging from ages 28-78 with requests for clothing donations. He also told the story of someone who advocated for a homeless shelter within Ocean County a decade ago for others. Lynn fell upon hard times and came to the encampment as she had nowhere else to live.

Tragically, just two weeks after settling in the camp, Lynn called one of her newfound friends to say she wasn’t feeling well. The next call was from one of Lynn’s family members, informing them that she had passed away in the hospital due to a heart attack.

Brigham easily admits he has little faith in the government. He expressed his concerns regarding the risk of removing people from the tent community in a more recent social media post.

“This treatment of homeless seniors by local and county government is utterly inhumane and honestly, downright shameful,” Brigham said. “While resources are scarce, affordable housing is unavailable, and the wealthy are more concerned about their property values than human lives, the very least government officials ought to do is allow community organizations like ours to assist the poor without interference, in whatever way we are able.”

“It’s like putting a Band-Aid on the whole thing,” Brigham said when interviewed. “Sure, people will get put up in a hotel for a couple of days or even a couple of weeks. But families don’t always get to stay together. And they can’t bring their animals with them. They’re back on the streets in no time.”

Among the team assembled for the first visit by Toms River Police were plain clothes officers, the Board of Social Services, social workers, and volunteer representatives from organizations such as Just Believe, Inc. Paul Hulse, is CEO of Just Believe, which runs a Code Blue shelter in Toms River when temperatures drop below freezing points. Hulse said he thought there was a need for his group’s services after reading Brigham’s fi rst post.

“We are also privately funded through private grants from the state, county, and Toms River,” shared Hulse. “We also receive support from a number of private businesses.”

Hulse said his organization works with various non-profits to secure assistance. The list of affiliates includes mental health professionals, veteran groups, and affordable housing entities.

Who Are They?

Before word got out that authorities knew of the camp’s existence, Brigham had already agreed to allow this reporter to visit the camp. However, the scheduled appointment was moved up by a few days in a matter of minutes.

“I just got a call from people over at the camp,” Brigham shared. “The police were there with a bunch of people. They’re planning on coming back tomorrow.”

Brigham’s tone made it difficult to discern whether he was aggravated by the perceived invasion or even a bit worried - or perhaps a mix of both emotions. Nevertheless, the decision was an easy one and the appointment was scheduled for early the next morning.

Along the unpaved and twisty road through untamed nature, a sense of secrecy enveloped the surroundings. It was early morning and as the camp came into view, the only living creatures around were a playful flock of different colored chickens. Everyone else was tucked away in the tents lining two sides, creating a pathway winding through the heart of the camp.

“No roosters,” offered Brigham. “They make too much noise. The chickens are good for getting rid of the tics.”

Brigham fi rst pointed to some water jugs that he fills regularly and then sighed as he looked at the pile of black garbage bags. He commented on the inevitability of garbage and a throw away society.

(Homeless - See Page 7)