Summit nonprofit receives $30,000 from New Jersey Pandemic Relief Fund
SUMMIT, NJ — The New Jersey Pandemic Relief Fund has provided a grant to Family Promise Union County, a program of Family Promise National, in support of the organization’s efforts to assist Union County families during the Coronavirus pandemic.
The $30,000 grant will allow Family Promise to continue to provide rental, food, transportation, and emergency expenses in support of 40 local households. The funds will also be used to house four families in temporary apartments.
“We’re grateful for the tremendous work being done on the ground by organizations like Family Promise Union County,” said the New Jersey Pandemic Relief Fund. “By helping the most vulnerable among us during COVID-19, we can all continue to do our part to support our fellow New Jersey residents who are struggling to make ends meet because of the pandemic.”
“Thanks to the award from the New Jersey Pandemic Relief Fund, we will be helping the most vulnerable in our community – families who are experiencing homelessness,” said Geleen Donovan, Executive Director of Family Promise Union County. “To help stop the spread, quarantine begins at home. With this award, we will help families shelter in temporary apartments and help those with a permanent home keep that home.”
Family Promise Union County provides support to families through prevention, diversion, shelter, and stabilization services. Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, the program’s shelter program operated using a rotational model, and families were hosted by congregations for one-week periods. Families returned to a day center in Elizabeth during the day to access case management and other services.
COVID-19 forced the nonprofit to think creatively about its shelter model. The organization partnered with a local landlord to rent temporary apartments that can house families safely during the pandemic. Volunteers provide groceries, meals, and other support.
The New Jersey Pandemic Relief Fund provides grants to existing organizations with a demonstrated track record of caring for vulnerable communities. The Fund is hosted by the Community Foundation of New Jersey.
About Family Promise
Family Promise envisions a nation in which every family has a home, a livelihood, and the chance to build a better future. What began as a local initiative in Summit, NJ, has become a national movement that involves 200,000 volunteers and served more than 111,000 family members in 2019. Family Promise will change the future for 1 million children by 2030.
Currently, Family Promise is working in over 200 communities in 43 states to ensure that families experiencing homelessness have a safe place to call home and the resources they need during the COVID-19 pandemic.
About the New Jersey Pandemic Relief Fund
New Jersey Pandemic Relief Fund (NJPRF) exists to meet four critical challenges of our state in the face of the COVID-19 crisis: stop the spread, support the healthcare community, provide help for the vulnerable, and rebuild our communities. NJPRF supports organizations that provide essential services and aiding those on the front line of the pandemic. One hundred percent of all online donations will go directly to help those in need. Visit NJPRF.org to donate.
