Anderson for Middle: Commitment to Community

Hi, I’m Melisha Anderson. My name has been giving me a little bit of trouble lately; when you see it printed here or on campaign signs, you probably pronounce the “sh”. But it’s just “Melissa”; the “sh” is silent. I tried to ask my mother why, but there’s no reason for it, other than to start a conversation. So let’s have one.  
I am an educator at Elementary #1. An important tenet of my practice is relationship building. After graduating college, I worked as the Community Justice Coordinator at the County Prosecutor’s Office. One goal of that position was to create relationships between law enforcement agencies and the community. Because of that experience, I continue to value relationship-building as a teacher and community member.  
Entering the political world two years ago as a campaign manager, there were things I didn’t know. There are things I wasn’t taught in school about local government. I learned about the Magna Carta and the Treaty of Versailles, but I didn’t know we had a three-person Committee in Middle Township. I did not know we don’t directly elect the Mayor.
When I’m going out and talking to constituents, I’m trying to get them more involved in the political process, more involved in answering their own questions, more involved in understanding how local politics affect quality of life. We don’t know the process because we’re not taught. One of the reasons I’m running is to make sure that community members know they have resources, that they know how to access what our government has to offer.  
Another reason I am running is because we have a large problem with homelessness. At the age of about 19, my parents and I lost our house. Guess what? It had nothing to do with drugs. Housing prices and other issues contributed to that loss. For a year, as a 19- and 20-year-old, I lived at the Catalina Motel with my parents. I don’t know if you can imagine that: living in a three-bedroom house with your parents is tough enough, but living in one room at a motel is harder.  
We have to consider that the cause of homelessness is not just drugs: it’s housing, it’s prices, it’s the economics of our area. It’s what happens in the wintertime in Cape May County when all the glitz and glamor of being a tourist attraction goes away. Our year-round residents are the people we need to be looking out for. As a teacher, I see homelessness in my students. It is very hard to learn, to sit still, to pay attention when you’re hungry and have no consistent place to lay your head at night. I don’t have all the answers to this, but the solution will come from working with our local government and support organizations.  
There are other issues I care about deeply, but that’s what I’d like to share with you to introduce myself. Now, I’d like to hear from you. You can reach me on Facebook, Instagram, or at info@andersonformiddle.com. Oh, and don’t forget to vote. Early in-person voting at select locations from now until November 6, or at your regular polling place on November 8th. Thanks for listening!  
Paid for by Anderson for Middle, 501 Rt 47 S. #414 Green Creek, NJ 08219