The Wall is Now The Streetlight

By Jared Kofsky

After eight years serving the Trenton area, the last newspaper with the name “The Wall” has come off the press. However, we are happy to announce that our publication is continuing to serve Mercer County residents experiencing homelessness and expanding our coverage under our new name: “The Streetlight.”

Starting with the Summer 2018 edition, all of our print copies will feature our new name, along with new features such as “The Spotlight,” “The Highlight,” “The Streetlight Investigates,” and an updated Mercer County Resource Guide. In addition, as part of our rebranding, we have a new website and social media handles where all new stories and updates from the editorial team will be posted. Our new website is thestreetlight.pages.tcnj.edu and our new Facebook URL is facebook.com/thestreetlighttrenton. We can be found on Twitter by visiting @TCNJStreetlight.

Print copies are now being distributed by Bonner Community Scholars from The College of New Jersey at soup kitchens, municipal buildings, libraries, shelters, and other locations throughout Mercer County. Click here to find a distribution site near you.

We will be holding a launch event in the fall to celebrate our rebranding. To get involved, send us an email at our new address: thestreetlightnewspaper@gmail.com.

Thank you for reading The Wall and we look forwarding to continuing to serve you at The Streetlight.

A-TEAM Artists to Display Work at Capital Health in Hopewell

By Jared Kofsky

The Trenton Community A-TEAM’s Stockton 51 gallery. Photo by Jared Kofsky/The Wall.

The Trenton Community A-TEAM (TCAT) has become an institution in New Jersey’s capital city. From giving local artists a venue to paint and perform to holding events for local residents and visitors out of its studio on North Stockton Street to providing artwork for each issue of The Wall, TCAT stands as a pillar of the Trenton community.

However, for many years, residents of the suburbs surrounding the city were unaware of the organization’s existance. That too is beginning to change as the work of TCAT artists, many of whom have experienced homelessness and/or poverty, continues to be put on display in galleries and museums across Central New Jersey.

Flyer for the Trenton Community A-TEAM’s upcoming show at Capital Health Regional Medical Center – Hopewell. Credit Hopewell Valley Arts Council.

Soon, residents of Hopewell Township and neighboring communities who visit Capital Health Medical Center – Hopewell will be greeted by artwork from the A-TEAM. The hospital, which is located off of Interstate 95 at Exit 3B, will hold the ‘A is for Art. T is for Team’ exhibition in partnership with the Hopewell Valley Arts Council (HVAC) from March 1 through May 21. A variety of pieces will be on display on the second floor’s Investors Bank Art & Healing Gallery.

An opening reception for the exhibition will be held on from 6:00pm to 7:30pm on Thursday, March 1, according to the HVAC. During the event, the Trenton Area Soup Kitchen’s band, The FunkTASKtiks, will perform while attendees browse the 51 pieces that were selected for display.

The FunkTASKtiks rehearse at the Trenton Area Soup Kitchen. Photo by Jared Kofsky/The Wall.

To learn more, call Capital Health at (609) 303-4000.


Are you looking to find housing, food, and/or clothing in Trenton, Princeton, Hamilton, or other Mercer County communities? You can now pick up the Winter 2017-18 edition of The Wall at dozens of sites throughout the region. The newspaper’s resource guide features a variety of local organizations and agencies that are ready to serve you.

HomeFront Headquarters to Hold Open House

By Jared Kofsky

A student from The College of New Jersey helps stock the shelves at HomeFront in Lawrence Township during a CEL (Community Engaged Learning) Day. Photo by Jared Kofsky.

This week, Mercer County residents will get the opportunity to learn more about the services offered by a major local organization.

HomeFront, which serves residents of the capital region who are experiencing homelessness and/or poverty from its office in Trenton’s East Trenton Center, its Family Campus in Ewing Township, the Lawrence Community Center, the FreeStore in Trenton’s Chambersburg neighborhood, and its headquarters facility in Lawrence Township, has been operating in this community for well over two decades. The group, which is a community partner of The College of New Jersey’s Center for Community Engaged Learning and Research, offers resources and services such as a food pantry, emergency housing, transitional housing, affordable housing, ArtSpace, SewingSpace, Furnish the Future, and more.

Now, those interested in finding out more about the services that are offered by HomeFront will have another opportunity to do so. The organization will hold an open house called ‘Home Is Where the Heart Is’ this Tuesday, February 13th, according to the Trenton Health Team. From 4:00pm to 7:00pm, attendees will be able to tour the headquarters facility at 1880 Princeton Avenue near the Brunswick Circle in Lawrence Township. The building is is accessible from New Jersey Transit’s 606 bus. From 4:00pm to 7:00pm, visitors can meet the staff at HomeFront along with the Board of Directors and local volunteers. Information will be available in regards to signing up for services from the organization.


Are you looking to find housing, food, and/or clothing in Trenton, Princeton, Hamilton, or other Mercer County communities? You can now pick up the Winter 2017-18 edition of The Wall at dozens of sites throughout the region. The newspaper’s resource guide features a variety of local organizations and agencies that are ready to serve you.

 

Free Lunch to be Served in East Trenton

By Jared Kofsky

As freezing temperatures continue to impact the capital region, Trenton residents and families experiencing homelessness will be welcome to come inside for a hot meal this weekend. 

Although most soup kitchens and food pantries in the Trenton area are closed on Saturdays and Sundays,  a church in the East Trenton neighborhood will open its doors on Saturday, February 10th to offer lunch to people experiencing homelessness. The Church of Christ, located within a 15 minute walk of the Rescue Mission of Trenton at 411 North Clinton Avenue, will be collaborating with the Allentown Presbyterian Church (APC) in suburban Monmouth County in order to serve this late morning meal.

According to the APC’s website, doors will open at 10:30am. Items will include salads and fruit packs, and clothing might also be available to residents who come early.


Are you looking to find housing, food, and/or clothing in Trenton, Princeton, Hamilton, or other Mercer County communities? You can now pick up the Winter 2017-18 edition of The Wall at dozens of sites throughout the region. The newspaper’s resource guide features a variety of local organizations and agencies that are ready to serve you.

A Special Announcement from The Wall

By Jared Kofsky

For eight years, The Wall has been published by Bonner Community Scholars at The College of New Jersey with and for individuals experiencing homelessness in Trenton and surrounding communities in Mercer County, New Jersey. Since our first issue was released in 2010, we have been providing our readers with a guide to local resources, news about local organizations, information about laws impacting residents experiencing homelessness, op-ed pieces, human interest stories, artwork, poetry, and more. 

Currently, we are distributing the 2017-18 issue of our publication to dozens of libraries, soup kitchens, shelters, and food pantries across the capital region.  This issue, which can also be viewed here, features a profile of the Trenton Community A-TEAM’s Demond Williams, an update on the issues affecting Trenton’s water supply, two pieces by columnist Essence Scott, a look behind the scenes of The Salvation Army’s Mobile Canteen, a preview of the Rescue Mission of Trenton’s upcoming shared living space for women experiencing homelessness, information about RISE in Hightstown, and an exclusive report about a father and son reuniting outside of a Trenton shelter.

However, the latest edition of The Wall that can now be found throughout Mercer County and eastern Bucks County is also the last edition of The Wall.  Fortunately, although the name that this publication has used since the first issues were distributed nearly a decade ago is coming to an end, the content that you have come to expect from us is not going away. In fact, there will soon be even more of it.

The team behind The Wall is excited to announce that we are officially changing our name to The Streetlight. The changing of our name, which was approved by our Editorial Board in November 2017, will also come with a new website, a new email address, a new logo, a new resource guide, community events, and more! Stay tuned for the Summer 2018 edition of The Streetlight and for additional announcements coming your way.

As always, we welcome your involvement in what is now The Streetlight. To learn more about joining our publication, click here.

The Wall is becoming The Streetlight. Here is a first look at our new logo.