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Dozen Nonprofits BenefiFrom $55K In Community Grants
By Catherine Snipe
A dozen nonprofit groups received a combined $55,618 worth of federal grants this month, and will use the funds to help feed the hungry, mentor young people and assist drug abusers.
The funds come from the federal Community Development Block Grant program and were distributed to Brick township area nonprofits.
The CDBG program, part of the federal housing department, provides communities with flexible options and funding for issues relating to redevelopment, housing, community affairs and other unique community development needs, according to HUD. The CDBG program began in 1974.
The largest grant recipient in Brick was $13,500 for Community Services, Inc./Meals on Wheels. The program both serves seniors daily at the Brick Township Senior Center on Adamston Road, as well as delivers food to applicable seniors' homes. Call 732-367-1400 for more information.
One other grant reaches the $10,000 mark, for Providence House. The organization is a division of Catholic Charities, and focuses on domestic violence victims and their children, providing them with emergency and other services. Call 732-262-3143 for more information
The rest of the grant awards range from almost $8,000 to $900.
One is for Dottie's House, a Brickbased organization that also focuses on domestic violence survivors. Dottie's House is a Brick shelter for physically abused women and their children.
"Our budget is entirely from grants," said Dottie's House founder and Vice President Carol Wolfe. "We are dependent on them and must fundraise, too."
The $6,120 grant assists emergency shelter projects, transitional housing facilities and domestic violence facilities.
The organization is always accepting staple items such as shampoo, soap, socks and toothpaste, and other personal health and hygiene items for its clients, Wolfe said. Call 732-295-7380 for more information.
The Epilepsy Foundation of New Jersey, based in Brick, received a $4,000 grant for its Epilepsy After-School Program. The groups provides an after-school program for children ages 3-13 with autism and multiple disabilities, at locations such as the Berkeley Township Community Recreation Center on Route 9. Call 732-262-8020 for more information.
In addition, Ocean County Hunger Relief received a grant of $7,920. With 38 food pantries in the county, Hunger Relief is a network has more than 300 volunteers who help provide four-day emergency packages of nutritional food, according to OCHR. The measure serves as a stop-gap, allowing those in need more time to obtain help from relatives, friends or other social services. Call 732- 349-1500 for more information.
Big Brothers/Big Sisters of Ocean County, received $1,778. The organization focus on mentoring services for young people, whether on site at a community center or one-on-one. The organization operates county-wide. Call 732-905-5349 for more information.
The remaining recipients are: Contact of Ocean County, $900; Counseling and Referral Services, $1,000; Interfaith Hospitality Network, $3,000; Ocean's Harbor House, $900; Parents of Autistic Children, $2,500; VetGroup, $4,000.
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