Most of us have heard of Code Blue. It’s activated when temperatures drop below the freezing point (32º F) with precipitation and below 25º F without precipitation and weather conditions pose a danger to those unsheltered. During that time counties are required to provide shelter or warming centers. For quite a few years, advocates in the state have asked for the same declaration when temperatures become unbearably hot as well as times of poor air quality, named Code Red.

As one of Governor Murphy’s last acts he signed Code Red into law. As stated in a press release from Housing & Community Development Network of New Jersey (the Network), “Code Red establishes a statewide framework to ensure coordinated responses during climate emergencies, particularly for people experiencing homelessness who are disproportionately impacted by extreme weather and environmental hazards. As climate change continues to intensify these risks, the law provides a critical foundation for proactive, life-saving interventions.”

“This bill is a tremendous victory because it combines a law rooted in compassion with common sense and public safety,” said Matthew Hersh, vice president of policy and advocacy for the Network. “By signing Code Red into law, Governor Murphy has affirmed that no one in New Jersey should be left without protection during extreme and dangerous weather conditions. This law will save lives.”

We at Family Promise of Sussex County applaud this decision as well. We see firsthand the impacts of harsh weather on those who are unsheltered. It can lead to illness, exacerbate existing chronic health conditions, or worse case cause a preventable death.

Who knew but New Jersey has an official state dance…drum roll…the square dance! Really, the Square Dance was designated as the American Folk Dance of the State of New Jersey by Joint Resolution No. 1, 1983.

According to NJ 101.5 you can thank Nan and Frank Habersberger for this honor. Sadly, Nan and Frank are no longer with us and at one point moved to Colorado but as stated in Frank’s obituary, “Frank and Nan’s social life was spent almost entirely in square dancing and Scottish country dancing. They did this for most of the 64 years of married life. They became presidents of three square dance clubs and two square dance associations. In 1989 and 1991, they were co-presidents of the national Organization, United Square Dancers of America.”

In further research (I am thorough), it seems like quite a few states have square dancing as their state dance followed by the polka. I don’t know about you, but I think we may want to modernize these choices. I’m not really sure what the polka dance entails…wasn’t it featured on the Lawrence Welk show? I know polka dots are always in vogue!

What do you think? Some choices could be: hip hop, swing, tap, contemporary. Let us know in the comments section, but whatever you do…keep on dancin!

With the daylight hours being shorter in winter, many, including myself, just want to rest, maybe by taking a nap. According to Dr. Saundra Dalton-Smith there are seven types of rest which can help one to recharge. Here is the list, don’t feel like you have to incorporate all of them, just choose a few and see what happens.

1. Physical Rest – napping or even gentle movement like stretching or yoga can help restore energy and prevent burnout

2. Mental Rest – take breaks between tasks, set work boundaries

3. Sensory Rest – give your nervous system a break and silence notifications, spend time with reduced background noise

4. Creative Rest – boost your imagination by being outside in nature, listen to music, visit a museum

5. Emotional Rest – write in a journal, talk to a trusted friend, set boundaries with others who task your emotions

6. Social Rest – balance your time, give more to people who uplift you, less to those who drain you

7. Spiritual Rest – meditate, practice gratitude, look outside of yourself

Which types of rest speak to you? What do you do to rest? Let us know in the comments section below.

While lack of affordable housing, combined with hard (formal court notice) and soft (someone asking you to leave shared residence) evictions are the main reasons people become unsheltered, one needs to dive deeper.

I recently came across a research article from the Journal of Social Distress and Homelessness titled, “Everybody out there in the real world is one paycheck away from being homeless”. The title immediately caught my attention as I often would say similar words when I was speaking with landlords about considering one of our clients as a potential tenant, even though the law states that you must consider everyone who applies. It resonated with some, if we are honest with ourselves, we have all been in a situation where if not for the grace of loved ones or assistance from someone we may not even know; we too, could be without food and shelter.

The article points out that, “The United States has fewer labor protections and wage guarantees than most wealthy industrialized nations; thus, workers can fall into economic hardship by the loss of employment, reduction in work hours, or work-related accidents or injuries. Even when fully employed, low wage workers typically face substantial rent burdens, which place them at risk for being evicted from their homes and ultimately falling into homelessness.”

While we provide wrap around services to our clients, we need to also consider wrap around solutions and policies for the issue of homelessness. Every person has their own unique story and every person has the right to health, safety and the opportunity to build a better future.