PR # 8             August 1, 2005

POLICE RECRUITS LINK UP WITH HOMELESS ORGANIZATION

A team of four police recruits who graduated in June from the Somerset County Police Academy located at Raritan Valley Community College (RVCC) in North Branch recently completed a service learning project with the Interfaith Hospitality Network (IHN) of Somerset County during their basic training program.

IHN, like other social service agencies in New Jersey, is now required to have an Emergency Action Plan. The police recruits presented the completed Emergency Action Plan at the network’s May Board of Trustees meeting for the use of the network’s staff and volunteers.

The recruits, members of the Recruit Class 34-05, are Recruit Martin Krzywicki of the Princeton University Police Department, Recruit David Sheffrin of the Manville Borough Police Department, Recruit Gabriel Ortiz of the Jersey City Police Department and Recruit Mark Wieczorek of the Somerville Police Department. They received their training under Dr. Richard Celeste, director of the Somerset County Police Academy, and performed the service under a grant for Homeland Security student learning projects.

Eleven other projects, also related to Homeland Security, were developed by the 40 other members of June’s graduating class. The Somerset County Police Academy is the only police academy in the nation that certifies police recruits as Community Policing Officers through the United States Department of Justice in Washington, DC.

IHN of Somerset County is a non-profit organization that provides emergency shelter, meals and case management for homeless families. It is part of a national network of homeless shelters called “Family Promise.” Renee Farrell, executive director of IHN of Somerset County, worked closely with the police recruits to help them develop the comprehensive plan. The plan addresses emergencies and disasters such as fire, flooding, terrorist threat and medical or other crises.

Since the Interfaith Hospitality Network is composed of many sites, putting together the strategic plan proved to be an interesting challenge for the recruits. In addition to the Flynn Center that serves as an office, day training center and support facility in Somerville, 12 religious congregations around the county provide meals and temporary housing for a week at a time for network families. The network also operates a transitional housing facility in North Branch that can house two families who have prepared themselves for independent living and are seeking affordable housing. Individual site differences all had to be addressed within the Emergency Action Plan. More information about the network can be found by visiting www.ihnsomconj.org. 

IHN of Somerset County regularly benefits from participation of Raritan Valley Community College students in the College’s Service Learning Program. RVCC students have developed a marketing plan for the network, as well as a financial skills training packet for INH clients. Additionally, RVCC students in social services and education programs work either directly with children in the network or at IHN’s Flynn Day Center. IHN Director Renee Farrell is a member of RVCC’s Service Learning Board.

RVCC, located on Route 28 and Lamington Road in North Branch, NJ, and serving Somerset and Hunterdon County residents for 30 years, offers more than 80 associate degrees and certificates. In addition, customized training programs and non-credit courses are available for those seeking personal and professional development.

The College is committed to offering a quality and affordable education through effective teaching, liaisons with the community’s businesses and state-of-the-art technology. For further information, visit www.raritanval.edu.