A nonprofit organization that helps thousands of Jersey City families every weekend is still looking for a new home base after it was kicked out of a city high school this month.
The Black Interest Team Enterprise (BITE) is “in talks” with several entities, said the Rev. Deborah Alston, an official with the group led by Bishop Tinia Bland. Alston declined to name the groups BITE is talking with.
“We are in negotiations to continue to serves the people as soon as possible … to do it well,” Alston said. “We haven’t made an announcement yet because we want to (find a location to) make sure we do a good job of service to families.
BITE’s last day of operation at Lincoln High School was May 23, Alston said. Citing the $77,000 annual cost in security and maintenance to house the nonprofit, the Jersey City Board of Education told BITE at a contentious Board of Education meeting earlier this month that it could not operate at the school after May 31.
BITE must have everything removed from the school by July 1.
“I did try to set up meetings with (Bland),” Jersey City Board of Education President DeJon Morris said. “Obviously, we didn’t want her organization to be thrown out, but because she wasn’t in compliance with our policy, she left us no other choice. ... We worked with several elected officials to try to relocate her, but she refused to go.”
After dozens of people, including clergy members, spoke out in support of BITE’s mission at the BOE meeting, Board of Education member Chris Tisdale suggested that one of the local religious institutions should step up and house the organization.
Alston reiterated BITE’s impact on the community.
“It’s not just household items. Food, diapers, baby food, formula, car seats, shower heads,” she said. “Electric power strips because our families are plugging in more than should be in an outlet … so we wont worry so much about fires.”
BITE had operated for years out the Astor Place Community Garden, but was forced to leave when the New Jersey Schools Development Authority, a state agency and the owner of the property, effectively shut down the garden in 2021 because the district was allowed to use the property for only two things: parking and “recreational use” by Julia Barnes staff and students.
The group was given temporary space at Lincoln High School by then-Superintendent Franklin Walker and “over the course of time Bishop Bland and her organization decided that they wanted to make that their home,” Morris said. “… the board at the time said they would have to comply with the policy and pay the maintenance and security (costs). She refused.”
Alston said Bland and BITE’s executive board are working with Hudson County Board of Commissioners District 2 member Bill O’Dea on a new location. In the meantime, Alston is concerned about the people caught in the middle.
“The people shouldn’t suffer. … our children and their families shouldn’t suffer,” she said.
