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Mercer moves to expand legacy beyond HomeFront By RebeKah SchroeDer
From a kitchen table to a statewide network, Connie Mercer has seen her Lawrence Township nonprofit, HomeFront, evolve to tackle family homelessness and poverty in central New Jersey. She started the organization 31 years ago, and now the founder and CEO is transitioning out of her leadership position to continue building on her legacy of advocacy. “The time was right,” Mercer said of the change. “[There’s] a terrific executive management team in place right now. Our funding has
been very solid. The community has been very generous during the COVID period.” Mercer is stepping up on Sept. 30 to support families who are homeless at both the state and national level, while she also assists HomeFront’s Board of Trustees in finding a proper successor. Her replacement will officially embark on the role of CEO on Oct. 1. “My heart has been aching, lusting to get involved with some of the bigger picture issues, because we’re changing lives one by one here at HomeFront and doing it very, very well. But there are a lot
of bureaucratic reforms and legislative reforms that will make a real difference,” Mercer explained. The initial urge to take action arose when Mercer, aghast with what she saw in a Route 1 motel, helped hungry children and their families living in squalid conditions. HomeFront’s first volunteers brought food to ensure that the homeless populations were not only adequately nourished, but cared for. Mercer said that one year, they provided 300,000 meals, the services then encompassing a Meals See MERCER, Page 6
Bag ban to go into effect May 4 What to know about New Jersey’s plastic bag and polystyrene foam product ban RebeKah SchroeDer
RHS girls’ lacrosse goalie Allie Ortega has made double-digit saves in a number of games this season. For more on DePaz and the team, turn to Page 16. (Photo by Rich Fisher.)
When walking into the grocery store and going about your business, many people have likely experienced the frustration of making it to the register, then realizing—”I forgot the reusable bags!” No worries, you think, opt-
ing for plastic bags instead, hoping the environment will forgive you as a regular consumer trying to do their best. Under new statewide legislation enforced from May 4 onwards, New Jersey businesses are now unable to distribute and sell single-use plastic bags, as well as polystyrene foam products, making this moment a figment of the past for what is being described as “the strongest” bag ban in the nation. Residents cannot receive plastic bags from grocery stores
equal to or larger than 2,500 square feet, restaurants, pharmacies, as well as retail and convenience stores. Likewise, polystyrene plates, cups and utensils are no longer going to be available for purchase. On Nov. 4, 2020, Gov. Phil Murphy signed legislation banning single-use plastic bags. JoAnn Gemenden is the Executive Director of the New Jersey Clean Communities Council, a nonprofit organization leading two public outreach campaigns to See BAN, Page 8
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