Cape Assist, in collaboration with the Cape May County Board of Chosen Freeholders, Cape May County Chiefs of Police Association and the Cape May County Prosecutor’s Office, will hold a community forum to address homelessness in the county.
It is scheduled on Wednesday, Jan. 16, from 6-8 p.m. at the Rio Grande Fire Hall, 1120 Route 47 in Rio Grande. The event is open to the public.
“This presentation and discussion will focus on the problem of chronic homelessness, root causes, and possible long-term solutions,” said Katie Faldetta, executive director of Cape Assist, a drug treatment and prevention center based in Wildwood.
The forum’s guest speaker, Daniel McDonald from Central Florida, has more than 26 years of experience in law enforcement and homeless outreach.
McDonald founded a police initiative to address the needs of the chronically homeless and has participated in community collaborations that have slashed the chronic homeless rates by over 50 percent in a three-year period, according to a Cape Assist press release.
“Captain McDonald has been nationally recognized for his work related to homelessness in Tampa, Florida,” said Middle Township Police Chief Chris Leusner. “I view this as a first step to learn from what other communities have done across the country to make an impact. My hope is we then develop a customized strategy after learning from different communities.”
For more information on the forum, call Natalia Wilber at Cape Assist at (609) 522-5960 or email natalia@capeassist.org
