Marlene D

Review of Atlantic City Rescue Mission

I had to stay there a month or two in late 2014. T...

I had to stay there a month or two in late 2014. The place was very dirty. First floor women s bathroom was absolutely disgusting. It was a disease waiting to happen.
Women had to pass a number of men, waiting in the first floor hallway for beds, while going to the elevator to get to the women s floor. One of the staff women on the female floor was extremely rude and about as un-Christian as one can be. She had absolutely no empathy. Some of the other women staff did care about the people.
There s an obligation that you either attend evening Bible studies or you have to leave the building during that time. I, fortunately, still managed to keep a car, and left to go to recovery meetings in the community during that time. They have a major limit on what belongings could be brought into the building and, again, thank God I had a car to store some belongings.
Residents were required to leave during the day to seek work. I understand that. Women were allowed to stay in a room all day if need be off of the main lobby.
The food wasn t bad and they served enough to be filling.
They did connect me with Helping Hands partial care program during the day and a van transported those of us to the program in Galloway Township. One evening I had an argument with the rude female staff member on the female floor. She would force people to take showers as soon as they arrived on the floor. Again, understandable that people do need to be clean to avoid bugs and illness. But, having had depression and anxiety, I needed a little time to work up the energy to wait in line and to shower. Showering is a major chore for people who are depressed, though I did do it daily and kept clean. However, the rude staff member had me banned after I made a comment she didn t like.
Now, I had absolutely no place to go. I am not a violent person in the least. They say they don t turn anyone away. Bull!
A set of circumstances did end up leading me, during the next month, to the Rescue Mission in Trenton. That Mission doesn t hide behind Christian rhetoric, although I very much believe in God. It was cleaner.
It offered many services to help people get on their feet if they partake of the help. They also helped me to get housing, counseling, Medicaid, food stamps, medical care and eventually SSDI.
I don t think the AC Mission is run as professionally or smoothly as the Mission in Trenton. The Trenton Mission has been around since the beginning of the 1900 s and has worked out its kinks over those years.
It also has a 6-month residential addictions treatment program for men, next door, for those who want it.
The Trenton Mission also has a day shelter where people can sit to stay out of the elements and lunch is available.
I didn t see any bedbugs during my stay (all of 2015). I am reading and have heard AC Mission has a problem with this. The Trenton Mission also had a washer and dryer on the women s floor. They periodically provided toiletry/hygiene bags.
One of the most important things is that men and women were kept separately in the evening when everyone was in the shelter for the night. Women had a separate entryway to their floor. Men and women ate separately. The Mission also had a courtesy store with free clothes available after dinner. Breakfast was also served separately in the morning. People went to their floors at 4 pm. It kept me safe off the streets.
So, this is lengthy but my impression. Some missions are better than others.
By the way, I was literally on the streets in Camden for a week in the freezing winter of 2015 before a hospital sent me to Trenton. I couldn t even get a bed anywhere because I wasn t a resident of Camden County.
Can I ask a pertinent question? How can you be a resident of anywhere if you are homeless?
That question got me kicked out of the social services building.
Honest to God, I was a Physician Assistant, in my career, treated with utmost respect.
I ended up homeless and suddenly I was treated like a total criminal!!!