Mission First Supportive Housing: Edison has been busy the last few months, closing out the summer and preparing to welcome the fall. Our goal is 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.

Check out some highlights from activities that took place at Imani Park and Amandla Crossing in August and September.

Through Mission First Supportive Housing: Edison’s Health and Wellness Program, staff foster initiatives that improve wellness. August was full of great activities to promote healthy living.

On Monday, August 10th, students from Rutgers University’s Robert Wood Johnson Medical School hosted a “Making Yoga Accessible” class with the residents at Amandla Crossing. The program is a gentle/chair yoga activity they developed as part of their coursework and is offered to residents several times a year. On August 19th, we encouraged residents to “Stretch it Out” with a session about adding light stretching into their daily routine.

Through our garden and food pantry, we support healthy eating. A key squad of residents make it their mission to water and tend to the gardens at Imani Park and Amandla Crossing, ensuring our harvest grows and can be a healthy food resource for our residents. The harvest, along with donated shelf-stable food items, is added to the food pantry, which is open multiple times a week for residents to shop. We thank our community partners in the MEAL Coalition, including First Presbyterian Church of Metuchen, Share My Meals, Elijah’s Promise, Temple Emanu-El, Community Presbyterian Church-Edison and Middlesex College Community Resource Hub, for their support and contributions to the food pantry.

To take things to the next level, Food Pantry Program Assistant Andrea Dean coordinates Resident-Led Cooking Demonstrations each month for residents, using the food pantry and garden items as their sourced ingredients for healthy meals. On August 11th at Imani Park, a resident made veggie pasta salad which included basil from the community garden. On August 12th at Amandla Crossing, a mother-daughter pair cooked a cheddar cheese chicken and broccoli dish.

As part of the curriculum of the supportive housing model at Mission First, our Resident Services team focuses on creating opportunities for family growth and enrichment, while building healthy relationships and increasing socialization skills. Here are some events from the last two months that stand out:

Mission First hosted an end-of-summer Children’s Corner event at Amandla Crossing on August 17th. The staff read books with children and watched the movie Sing 2. The kids enjoyed snacks as they took a moment to take a break before the busy school year. On August 18th, families came together for Mommy and a Movie party to watch a movie and enjoy fresh popcorn.

In anticipation of the upcoming school year, Mission First hosted a Parenting Workshop on August 24th to present the services available to help residents navigate some of the stressful parts of being a parent. We detailed what we offer as direct support and the supplemental community resources available. Parents also learned coping skills and strategies to support healthy relationships with their children.

To make memories of the first day of school in September, staff greeted children as they left for the new year of learning. They took your traditional “Back to School” photos and got them excited for the day. We wish all of our young residents a great 2026-2027 School Year!

Mission First’s Community Enrichment programs help to develop and strengthen relationships among residents and the community. Activities such as Sip & Paint, Tech Lab, All-Community meetings and more provide forums for neighbors and staff to connect and build a home outside of their apartment.

On Monday, August 10th, Amandla Crossing residents were able to part with clothing items that they grew out of and look for clothing to add to their wardrobe at a Clothing Drive event. This was a great way for residents to do some end of summer cleaning of their apartments and refresh their closet. Small gently used items and toiletries were also available for residents to take back to their homes. This was a positive community event for residents to help their neighbors.

For the past four years, our partners at Rutgers University Athletics have been very generous at offering free tickets to football games and other events to our residents and staff. It is a great opportunity for our community members to get out and cheer on the Scarlet Knights!

This year on September 3rd, our residents from Amandla Crossing and Imani Park traveled just 10 minutes away to SHI Stadium to attend the season opener where the Scarlet Knights took on the University of Massachusetts Minutemen! Attendees had fun at The Rutgers Boardwalk, a pre-game fan fest, featuring food trucks, games and giveaways, on their way in. The team fell short of the win, but it was still a great experience

Mission First Supportive Housing: Edison provides 46 affordable and permanent homes on-site support services where residents can access the resources they need to increase health, independence and housing stability. We value the experience of partners, staff and residents working together, as illustrated by the work detailed above, to create a vibrant community and sense of neighborhood at Imani Park and Amandla Crossing.

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 Latisha Marshall, Supportive Housing: Edison, c/o Amandla Crossing, 100 Mitch Snyder Drive, Edison, NJ 08837.

Accepting Food Pantry Donations

Mission First Supportive Housing: Edison is looking for support from readers in donating food items to its Food Pantry. 100% percent of your food donations will help to feed your neighbors and community members. Our program is looking for the following items for the Food Pantry:

• Fresh produce: vegetables, fruits, nuts.
• Whole grains: bread; low sugar cereals; rice (brown or white); grains such as quinoa, oats, barley; pastas (including gluten-free) crackers; granola bars and popcorn.
• Proteins: canned or vacuum packaged meats, such as chicken, tuna, salmon or sardines.
• Vegetarian and vegan-friendly protein: canned or dried beans; nuts and seeds; as well as nut butters such as peanut, almond, sunflower.
• Canned items; soups, stews or pastas. Note: items with pull-tab cans are preferred when possible.
• Beverages: shelf-stable milk (including plant-based), water, fruit juice, vegetable juice, tea, coffee.
• Other Items: Cooking oils, herb/spices, condiments, broths (such as vegetable, chicken, beef, turkey), sugar, honey, syrup, salad dressing, pasta sauce, vinegar.

Items can be purchased directly from our Mission First Supportive Housing: Edison Amazon Wish List or you can contact Andrea Dean at (856) 634-0611, adean@missionfirsthousing.org or Latisha Marshall (445) 267-4384, lmarshall@missionfirsthousing.org, to make arrangements to donate.

Thank you for your consideration!

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:

• Latisha Marshall, Resident Services Coordinator, 445.267.4384, lmarshall@missionfirsthousing.org
• Moira Rooney, Senior Vice President, Fundraising & Communications, 267.269.3331, mrooney@missionfirsthousing.org

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: