Pictured at the ribbon cutting, from left, are Lizzette Pagan, TPCS board treasurer; the Rev. Christine McCloud, TPCS founder; Marcus Smith, chief of staff to the mayor of Irvington; Karimah A. Hagans, TPCS executive director; and Alexis Smith, shelter director.
IRVINGTON — Turning Point Community Services, which helps unhoused mothers and their children, held a ribbon cutting ceremony for an expansion of their facility in the township.
“Today signifies a pivotal moment in our journey, where hope meets opportunity,” said Karimah A. Hagans, executive director of TPCS. “This expansion is more than just bricks and mortar; it’s about building lives, restoring dignity, and shaping futures. We are creating a nurturing, empowering environment where mothers and their families can rise from crisis to stability, fostering resilience and independence for generations to come.”
The mission of TPCS, which has been around for more than 20 years, is ending homelessness and abuse for women and their families of Essex, Hudson, and Union Counties. The organization provides trauma-informed emergency shelter, supportive housing, and comprehensive clinical services, including mental health support and crisis intervention.
TPCS’s housing continuum includes emergency and permanent solutions, supported by a Continued Support Program for post-shelter success. The organization also offers youth programs, family engagement events, and workshops focused on job readiness, financial literacy, and life skills. The health and wellness programming includes fitness classes and nutrition education, according to a press release from the organization.
The non-congregate shelter ensures privacy and dignity for every family and through personalized clinical, behavioral, and case management services, clients are guided in developing individualized plans for stability, the release said.
Dawn Schwartz, chief development officer of Turning Point Community Services, said the facility has room for 24 families and about 70 total people at any given time. The facility wasn’t enlarged to house more people but to better serve the people it is housing.
New features and services at the home include:
• A commercial kitchen for personal use, nutrition education, and cooking classes;
• An expanded food pantry providing increased access to nutritious meals;
• Dedicated social and workspaces for life skills development, including financial literacy, GED preparation, and workforce readiness;
• Family and children’s health and wellness programs, such as yoga;
• A new clinical and supportive services wing offering therapeutic and case management support.
“Its all mother led families,unhoused mothers with children,” Schwartz said.
In addition to providing housing, case management, behavioral and mental health services,
Turning Point helps with housing assistance and has classes in financial literacy, job readiness and a general equivalency diploma (GED) program, Schwartz said.
“We are providing a full wrap around of services so they can become independent and stable,” Schwartz said.
The addition took about six months to complete and cost about $400,000 with money coming from private donors and a grant from the state Department of Community Affairs.
“We just had a tiny kitchen and smaller social spaces to host the GED and financial literacy classes,” Schwartz said. “Not only do the families get to use the kitchen on their own, we are providing cooking and nutrition classes.”
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