At Anchor House, we are proud of the many partnerships we have built over the years. One such partnership is Ocean’s Harbor House, which we affectionately call our “sister organization.”
We do resemble one another! Located in Toms River, Ocean’s Harbor House provides transitional housing, supportive living programs, and advocacy for youth who are homeless or in crisis, empowering them to build successful pathways to independence and stability.
Like family, we have weathered challenges together, supported one another during hard times, and celebrated milestones side by side. And celebrate we did! Last month, the Anchor House team traveled to Ocean’s Harbor House to take part in their Graduation Celebration and Appreciation Dinner—a special evening honoring four incredible young adults who graduated high school. One of the graduates even began their journey at Anchor House before transitioning to Ocean’s Harbor House, making the night even more meaningful.
Traveling to Anchor House for the celebration was Anchor House Executive Director Kim McNear, Director of Youth Services June Albanowski, Residential Coordinator Jay Neiderman, and Former Anchor House Executive Director Judy Hutton. All were thrilled to be there to see the pride on the faces of the graduates.
In the spirit of partnership, we recently welcomed Jenny Allen, Director of Programs, and Jay Trifiro, Youth Navigator and Community Outreach Coordinator from Ocean’s Harbor House to Anchor House. They joined us for the kickoff of One Simple Wish’s Love Hope Joy Delivered tour—another powerful example of how community partners lift each other up.
It says tough times bring families together. During the height of the pandemic, both of our agencies experienced funding cuts. We decided to join forces and find ways both our organizations could collaborate and help one another, pulling our resources together to be able to help more youth in both of our communities. Most recently, we got together to meet the new leadership team at Ocean’s Harbor House, share organizational successes and challenges, particularly financial challenges during these uncertain times.
“Our relationship with Ocean’s Harbor House is more than a partnership—it’s a sisterhood rooted in shared values, mutual respect, and a deep commitment to serving youth in our community,” said Kim McNear, Anchor House Executive Director.
Congratulations to the graduates and thank you to Ocean’s Harbor House for including us in your celebration. Here’s to continued sisterhood, shared purpose, and showing up for youth—together.
View photos from the event in the gallery below and read more about our different types of partnerships.
