Morris County Holds 4th Annual Community Resource Exchange
Published on September 15, 2025
Networking Event Strengthens Partnerships to Tackle Community Needs
Local leaders, nonprofit organizations and service providers came together recently for the fourth annual Community Resource Exchange (CREX), a countywide fair and networking event hosted by the Morris County Department of Human Services in partnership with the Morris County Continuum of Care, Family Promise of Morris County, the Interfaith Food Pantry Network and ARC/Morris.
The annual event is designed to connect local leaders and government officials with the nonprofit and public agencies that provide assistance and aid to the most vulnerable people in our community. The exchange expands awareness and a fuller understanding of the wide variety of services available in Morris County.
This year’s event drew nearly 50 participating organizations, including county agencies, and was attended by mayors, councilmembers, administrators, school and public health officials, and members of the faith-based community. Commissioner Deputy Director Stephen Shaw and County Administrator Deena Leary joined representatives from the offices of U.S. Rep. Tom Kean, Jr., U.S. Rep. Mikie Sherrill and U.S. Sen. Andy Kim.
“This is a perfect example of how we can leverage our resources by partnering with the many nonprofits that provide essential services in our communities. At any moment, anyone can find themselves in crisis. Today’s event helps ensure everyone is aware of the resources available,” said Morris County Commissioner Deputy Director Shaw.
View Photos from the Morris County Community Resource Exchange
The program featured presentations on New Jersey’s 988 suicide prevention helpline and related services. Karen Wapner, state lead for 988 and regional coordinator for theOffice of Community Services, Division of Mental Health and Addiction Services (DMHAS), explained how the hotline connects residents in crisis to local resources.
“In New Jersey, we have four lifeline crisis centers capable of handling calls, texts and chats,” said Wapner. “We are positioned to respond quickly, meeting people where they are and connecting them with the support they need.”
Wapner also highlighted the Mobile Crisis Outreach Response Team (MCORT), launched in March 2025 and operated locally by Bridgeway Behavioral Health Services. When a 988 counselor determines a caller would benefit from in-person help, a two-person team -- one professional and one peer certified specialist with lived experience -- is dispatched. The voluntary program offers face-to-face support without law enforcement involvement.
“The goal is to deescalate the crisis and link individuals to ongoing services. We’ve even had situations where MCORT helped facilitate hospital care in a safe and supportive way,” Wapner said.
Keynote speaker Adam Weckenmann, LCSW, clinical co-responder for the Morris County Prosecutor’s Office’s ARRIVE Together program with the Mental Health Association of Essex and Morris Counties, described how the initiative has grown since its launch in January 2024. The program pairs law enforcement officers in plain clothes with mental health clinicians to respond to crisis calls and is now active in all 21 New Jersey counties.
“The program started with 10 towns and four mental health clinicians. It has since expanded to every municipality in Morris County and now has a team of six full-time clinicians. In 2025, ARRIVE has responded to 559 mental health related calls and has received 788 referrals from law enforcement departments for follow-up,” said Weckenmann.
After brief opening remarks, attendees were encouraged to network and visit as many resource tables as possible.
“We hope that this forum expands awareness of the many services available to your neighbors, your constituents, students and parishioners,” said Carolyn Lake, executive director of the Interfaith Food Pantry Network.
“When you go out to network, think of the calls you receive and the people who turn to you for help. The conversations and connections you make here can assist someone today, and someone you may know in the future,” Kasey Errico, director of the Morris County Department of Human Services, added.
The CREX was organized by a steering committee that included Human Services Director Errico, Joann Bjornson, CEO, and Holly Dinneny, associate director of community engagement, of Family Promise of Morris County; Alicia Alvarez, chair of the Morris County Continuum of Care Executive Committee; Carolyn Lake, executive director, Shana Baer, director of development, and Julia Murtha, marketing and special events, of the Interfaith Food Pantry Network; and Laura Jennings Pitt, director of development and marketing for ARC/Morris.
For more information on the Community Resource Exchange and resources available throughout Morris County, visit mccrex.com/morris-county-resources/.
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Photos: Please credit “Karen Mancinelli, County of Morris.”
Photo 1: (l-r) Carolyn Lake, executive director of Interfaith Food Pantry Network; Commissioner Deputy Director Stephen Shaw; Kasey Errico, Director of Morris County’s Department of Human Services; Karen Wapner, state lead for 988 and regional coordinator for the Office of Community Services, DMHAS; and Adam Weckenmann, LCSW, clinical co-responder for the Morris County Prosecutor’s Office’s ARRIVE Together program with the Mental Health Association of Essex and Morris Counties.
Photo 2: An attendee visits the Navigating Hope mobile services unit and tent.