Since 2020, Mission First Supportive Housing: Edison has benefitted from a partnership with Manasquan Bank that has provided in-kind support. Not long after its establishment, Manasquan Bank Charitable Foundation committed to financial support of Mission First.

Manasquan Bank has a commitment to “sweat equity” and a multi-pronged approach to supporting the surrounding community. In addition to financial support, the Bank’s philanthropic arm, Manasquan Bank Charitable Foundation, supports organizations through volunteerism that connects the Bank and its staff to the individuals and communities they serve. They also produce workshops designed to share a wealth of information with participants, preparing them to thrive whether they remain in or plan to leave Permanent Supportive Housing (PSH).

“Sweat equity” refers to the increase in value created as a direct result of the hard work performed by key stakeholders and partners. The partnership began as in-kind support of Mission First through quarterly gift drives. Residents at both of Mission First’s Edison sites, Amandla Crossing and Imani Park, continue to benefit through Manasquan Bank’s Adopt a Family gift drive program during the holidays. In addition to the Adopt a Family Program, Bank staff have worked together to shop, wrap and assemble gifts and blessing bags to deliver them to residents. 

Manasquan Bank also places an emphasis on community service and encourages its employees to take advantage of volunteer opportunities. The Bank’s CREW Cares program is designed to encourage employee volunteerism within the communities it serves. Bank employees can volunteer up to 15 hours per year and the Bank is always looking for new volunteer opportunities.

Most recently, Bank staff joined the residents for Amandla Crossing’s community garden kick-off day in June. CREW Cares volunteers helped add soil and mulch to the raised beds, and planted flowers alongside residents and staff while reveling in the creation of something beautiful together for the good of the entire community. That work is so crucial as the community garden is a way to benefit the holistic health and well-being of the resident population by strengthening bonds between residents through the creation of shared goals and successes. 

“Volunteer opportunities are highly coveted”, explained Assistant Vice Present Erica Conner. “Sign-up sheets for many opportunities are full within minutes of being posted. Someone is always upset that they missed out.” However, that speaks to the value the Bank has for community service and volunteerism as well as the values of its staff. It’s a way for staff to experience a change of scenery, and “get out in the community and connect with other people,” she said.

Mission First’s partnership with Manasquan Bank doesn’t just nurture gardens but also our residents, ensuring they continue to thrive. Bank staff have generously volunteered their time to meet with residents on Zoom to discuss financial literacy on an individualized basis and even follow up on the meetings with research and information. Tailored to the needs of each individual, these financial literacy one-on-ones cover topics like credit repair, home ownership opportunities, mortgage products and affordable housing opportunities beyond PSH.

Participating residents have expressed such positivity and gratitude for this expert guidance, and the goal is to expand to larger format workshops for groups of residents so they can benefit from the Bank staff’s broad financial knowledge base. These instances may not only cover topics like budgeting or buying a car, but as Erica explained to us, they may come to include professional development, such as resume writing and interview skills.

Mission First is deeply grateful for Manasquan Bank’s investment in our residents. Their “sweat equity” supports our staff, residents and services; it is truly evident that their CREW Cares. We look forward to growing together. 

Each year, for the past eight years, Mission First Supportive Housing: Edison enjoys the benefit of student interns from Rutgers University’s Equity in Action Summer Internship (EASI) program.

The program, a longstanding partnership that began in 2017, kicked off this year on June 23rd. The EASI program focuses on understanding and addressing social determinants of health with a social justice lens, including topics such as racial equity, wealth disparity or environmental justice. Student cohorts collaborate across professional disciplines in teams of three to four and are placed at one of Rutgers’ participating community sites in the greater Newark or Central New Jersey areas. They co-create a program with the guidance of a community site preceptor, in this case, Mission First Director of Program Management Melissa Mascolo and EASI co-directors.

“Each of them drew upon their areas of interest while creating engaging programming,” explained Melissa. They began their work by meeting with residents at Amandla Crossing and Imani Park for one-to-one wellness and resource navigation, even researching and sharing healthy recipes with residents. Based on those findings, they planned and presented summer fun and wellness groups with a focus on health literacy and mental wellbeing/self-care. The interns also supported existing initiatives such as community garden programming, where they assisted with food distribution programming as well as creating engaging materials and flyers to help market programming.

As this summer’s tenure draws to a close, the interns still have a few important initiatives in progress. Analysis of the annual feedback surveys is underway after being updated and distributed. The interns have also been key in the set-up of new tech rooms at both Amandla Crossing and Imani Park. To culminate their stay, they have planned and designed a summer resource fair for residents.

“It was a pleasure to work with Tiffany, Brett and Ayah this summer!” said Melissa.” Our time with the EASI program always goes so fast. We will miss them and appreciate their dedication and service!” Though brief, the trio accomplished a great deal in their time at Mission First.

So, without further ado, let’s take time to meet each of our interns.

Ayah Amed is an incoming second-year dental student at Rutgers School of Dental Medicine. She completed her undergraduate studies at Rutgers University–New Brunswick, where she majored in biology. During her time there, she tutored chemistry, biology and physics, and was actively involved in a community outreach program that organized events and raised funds for various charitable causes. In her free time, she enjoys playing pickleball with friends and going on walks.

Ayah is passionate about increasing residents’ awareness of dental hygiene and access to care. “Moving forward, I hope to expand their dental education and provide clear, accessible information on places like the Rutgers Dental Clinic, which accepts Medicare and Medicaid,” explained Ayah. “I hope to empower the residents with both knowledge and resources so they can take proactive steps towards better oral health.”

Tiffany Ho is a rising fourth-year student at Rutgers School of Nursing and hopes to become a pediatric nurse when she graduates. She is currently working on a research project about healthy aging and hopes to make an impact on the community. She and her fellow interns worked to set up the technology rooms at Mission First as well as create a health literacy curriculum for the residents. Both are proof she is already making an impact.

Her goals for the internship are to learn more about the residents while developing appropriate programming based on survey data. In her spare time, she enjoys crocheting clothes and stuffed animals as well as watching movies with friends.

Brett Li is a rising 5th-year student at the Rutgers Ernest Mario School of Pharmacy. With a preference towards clinical pharmacy, Brett has developed an interest in the medications used in oncology and in infectious diseases. Brett has spent his time at Mission First planning community events and providing technical assistance when needed, with a goal to learn about resident experiences and identify what systemic factors led them to their current position.

Ultimately, he hopes to obtain a better understanding of key medical problems affecting under-resourced individuals in this country. In his free time, Brett enjoys playing basketball with his friends and has recently started learning how to play pickleball.

The Rutgers EASI program concluded July 29th. We wish all of our interns the best of luck in their future endeavors and thank them for their contributions to our work.

In addition to the tremendous benefit of hosting interns yearly, occasionally, our fruitful relationship with Rutgers introduces us to those who become a fixture in the community. One of them is Brinda Patel. Currently, Brinda volunteers with Mission First at Union Eagle Senior Apartments in Bordentown, NJ close to her home, as she prepares for medical school.

We first met Brinda as a student at Rutgers University during the school’s Scarlet Day of Service. The annual event provides students and alumni with an opportunity to serve New Jersey through a variety of community service opportunities. At the time, Brinda was the chair of Delta Kappa Delta Sorority. Betterment of the community through humanitarian services is a core value of the South Asian service sorority. Brinda and her sorority sisters facilitated a day of crafting, snacks and workshops and gave a presentation on child abuse prevention.

During her senior year, Brinda made herself available to us and was instrumental in supporting Andrea Dean as the two worked to expand the food pantry program in Edison. Her familiarity with on-site needs and warm and engaging presence for the residents made Brinda an impactful addition to Edison’s small, hard-working team. In the several years since that initial meeting, Mission First has not only benefitted from Brinda’s presence but also the compassion and consideration of Delta Kappa Delta. They maintained a committed relationship with us, organizing a regular Spring Day of Service as well as delivering in-kind donations for residents.

“My initial experience with Mission First during the Rutgers University Scarlet Day of Service left a lasting impression on me, and my work with Mission First has given me firsthand experience in cultivating a supportive environment,” said Brinda. “Whether assisting with the Food Pantry program to promote nutrition or helping plan community events, I have seen the impact of fostering well-being on a personal level. By working with Mission First residents, I’ve developed a greater understanding of what it means to provide compassionate care - something I hope to carry forward as a future physician.”

Thank you, Brinda!

Food Pantry and Check-in at Imani Park

Planting Day at Imani Park

Planting Day at Amandla Crossing

Food Pantry, Rutgers EASI check-ins and SNAP outreach with Tzu-Chi Foundation at Amandla Crossing

We have great things planned for the future as well! Want to keep up-to-date on what's going on at Edison and Mission First's other work? Follow us on social media:

Mission First Supportive Housing: Edison provides permanent supportive housing for homeless individuals and families in Middlesex County. Our on-site support services offer our residents access to the resources they need to increase health, independence and housing stability. When you make a donation to Mission First Supportive Housing: Edison, you are helping to ensure that residents have the supports they need to remain successfully housed, get back on their feet and live as thriving members of the community. Your support means so much! 

Donate online by clicking below or by mail to Melissa Mascolo, Supportive Housing: Edison, c/o Amandla Crossing, 100 Mitch Snyder Drive, Edison, NJ 08837.

Do you want to do more than make a donation?

Here are some other great ways for you to help:

• Help secure a matching gift from your employer.
• Host a fundraising event and donate the proceeds to Mission First Supportive Housing: Edison.
• Host an essential items supply drive.
• Introduce your friends, family and colleagues to Mission First Supportive Housing: Edison and encourage them to give.

Do you have ideas you’d like to discuss? Give us a call! We’d love to work with you. For more information, please contact:

• Melissa Mascolo, Director of Program Management, 609.373.8550, mmascolo@missionfirsthousing.org
• Moira Rooney, Senior Vice President, Fundraising & Communications, 267.269.3331, mrooney@missionfirsthousing.org