The 1980s saw the founding of St. Peter’s Haven, a transitional homeless shelter for families. In 1981, the rector of St. Peter’s, Clifton, the Rev. Jorge Gutierrez, stated to a reporter; “Somewhere I’m sure there’s a group whose needs are not being met… maybe the church can begin to meet those needs.”
The original idea for St. Peter’s Haven came from Clifton resident Donald Fischer. Fischer was the Senior Warden and organist at the time. He had read an article about a homeless couple living on the banks of the Passaic River because the only available shelters were for single adults based on their gender and they didn’t want to be separated. He brought it to the attention of the Vestry, who at the time were debating on whether to tear down the original church rectory for parking. He asked the members how they could vote to tear down a perfectly good building when there were homeless families in need of shelter. It was the spark needed to seek funding for the Haven whose goal is to assist families of any configuration who find themselves in need of temporary housing in order to keep the families intact to maintain their normal rhythm of life.
The Haven opened its first shelter in the former rectory on October 30, 1986. In 1991, the Rev. Bonnie Perry, Interim Rector took up where the Rev. Gutierrez left off, by challenging local political leaders on the statistics of homelessness in Clifton. The Haven’s food pantry originally started to provide food for the family in the Haven absorbed the city’s food pantry to meet the needs of those in the community struggling with food insecurity. In 2002, thanks to a bequest from parishioner Ella Brooks, a two family house “Ella’s House” was purchased for additional families to be sheltered.
The Haven has continued to expand its services, offering case management for all resident families, helping them connect to mental health and substance abuse programs, employment and education programs, and financial entitlements. In 2018, in partnership with the City of Clifton, the Haven launched an outreach program to help the unsheltered homeless living on the streets. The Food Pantry has grown with the help of local businesses and organizations to offer fresh food, baked goods and even pet food, and is now serving over 500 families (1600+ person) per month. Thanks to a wonderful cadre of dedicated volunteers, the Haven also distributes backpacks and school supplies for the school year, Thanksgiving dinner including turkey and all the fixings, holiday gifts and winter coats.
On September 17, 2021, St. Peter’s Haven will celebrate its 35th anniversary in its continued efforts to fight homelessness and hunger with a gala. Find out more.
