Jewish Family Service Agency Of Central Jersey

CRITICAL INNOVATIONS IN AGING IN PLACE

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY AN ESTIMATED 147 RSVP VOLUNTEERS WILL SERVE AT THE RSVP UNION COUNTY NJ (RSVP-UCNJ) SITE THROUGHOUT UNION COUNTY. OF THIS NUMBER, 107 RSVP VOLUNTEERS WILL BE PLACED IN OUTCOME ASSIGNMENTS. SOME OF THEIR ACTIVITIES WILL INCLUDE ASSISTING SENIORS WITH AGING IN PLACE AND PREVENTING ELDER ABUSE, SUPPORTING FOOD PANTRIES AND COMMUNITY GARDENS, TUTORING ELEMENTARY SCHOOL STUDENTS IN MATH AND LITERACY, AND HELPING ECONOMICALLY DISADVANTAGED INDIVIDUALS WITH ESL AND GED TRAINING. THE PRIMARY FOCUS AREA OF THE PROJECT IS HEALTHY FUTURES, TO PROVIDE SUPPORT FOR FRAIL, SOCIALLY ISOLATED AND HOMEBOUND SENIORS AS WELL AS PROVIDE SUPPORT FOR ECONOMICALLY DISADVANTAGED INDIVIDUALS OF ALL AGES WITH NUTRITION ASSISTANCE. AT THE END OF THE THREE-YEAR GRANT, WE ANTICIPATE PROVIDING ASSISTANCE TO OVER 1,555 INDIVIDUALS IN THESE AREAS. THE CNCS FEDERAL INVESTMENT OF $77,379 WILL BE SUPPLEMENTED BY $33,152 IN AGENCY MATCH. THE RSVP CENTER HOSTED BY JEWISH FAMILY SERVICE OF CENTRAL NEW JERSEY (JFSCNJ), A NON-SECTARIAN HEALTH AND SOCIAL SERVICE AGENCY IS PRIMED TO BUILD ON THE STRENGTHS OF THE INCUMBENT RSVP PROGRAM AND EXPAND ITS IMPACT ON THE COMMUNITY. IN ADDITION, THE PROGRAM WILL CONTINUE IMPROVING THE LIVES OF THE VOLUNTEERS AS THEY STAY ACTIVE, CIVICALLY ENGAGED AND EMPOWERED TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE. AS A STRONG, REPUTABLE AGENCY, JFSCNJ REMAINS WELL SUITED TO CONTINUE RECRUITING AND MATCHING VOLUNTEERS WITH MEANINGFUL OPPORTUNITIES. JFSCNJ IN KNOWN IN UNION COUNTY FOR PROVIDING AN UMBRELLA OF SERVICES, INCLUDING MEALS ON WHEELS, AN URBAN COMMUNITY VEGETABLE GARDEN, HOMECARE, CASE MANAGEMENT, NURSING AND SOCIAL WORK SERVICES, SOCIALIZATION PROGRAMS, TRANSPORTATION AND A NEWLY RENOVATED AND EXPANDED FOOD PANTRY. THE CLIENTS ARE DIVERSE AND COME FROM ALL PARTS OF UNION COUNTY AND THE STAFF AND VOLUNTEERS ARE VERY DIVERSE TO REFLECT THESE NEEDS. EFFORTS ARE MADE TO ACCOMMODATE VARIOUS LANGUAGES AND ETHNICITIES. PROGRAMS FOR THE ELDERLY ARE ALL GEARED TO KEEPING FRAIL, IMPOVERISHED, HOMEBOUND ELDERLY SAFELY AGING IN PLACE IN THE COMFORT OF THEIR OWN HOMES. THE JFSCNJ RSVP PROGRAM WILL CONTINUE TO BUILD UPON THE STELLAR REPUTATION OF SERVICE AND COLLABORATION IN THE COMMUNITY BY PROVIDING AN ARRAY OF VOLUNTEER LINKAGES TO OTHER COUNTY RESOURCES AND ORGANIZATIONS. FURTHERMORE, JFSCNJ HAS EXPERIENCED SIGNIFICANT PROGRAM GROWTH IN THE LAST THREE YEARS THAT HAS CREATED AN INCREASED NEED FOR VOLUNTEERS AND ESTABLISHED NEW OPPORTUNITIES FOR VOLUNTEERS TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE. JFSCNJ WILL CONTINUE TO BUILD ON THE STRONG REPUTATION THE AGENCY MAINTAINS AND THE CONNECTIONS WITH OTHER SERVICE PROVIDERS TO CONTINUE TO MAINTAIN A LENGTHY LIST OF QUALITY OPPORTUNITIES FOR VOLUNTEERS TO CHOOSE TO MAKE AN IMPACT. THESE CONNECTIONS WILL BE CRITICAL IN THE ONGOING RECRUITMENT OF VOLUNTEERS AS WELL AS THE ABILITY FOR RSVP VOLUNTEERS TO GENUINELY MAKE AN IMPACT TOWARDS VARIOUS NEEDS IN THE COMMUNITY. THROUGH THE EDUCATION FOCUS AREA, WE WILL CONTINUE TO PROVIDE MUCH NEEDED TUTORS TO ELEMENTARY SCHOOL STUDENT STRUGGLING TO SUCCEED ACADEMICALLY AND AFFORD TUTORING HELP. THIS WILL BE PROVIDED THROUGH THE RSVP-UCNJ TUTORING PROGRAM AS WELL AS MATCHING VOLUNTEERS AT OTHER PARTNER SITES. THROUGH THE FOCUS AREA OF ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITIES, WE BE HELPING UNDERPRIVILEGED INDIVIDUALS OBTAIN THEIR GED AND IMPROVE THE ENGLISH THROUGH ESL PROGRAMS. THROUGH THE COMMUNITY PRIORITIES WE WILL CONTINUE TO MAKE THE IMPACT RSVP-UCNJ HAS BEEN KNOWN FOR AS WELL AS ADD NEW OPPORTUNITIES AS OUTLINED IN THE NARRATIVE.

ENGAGES PERSONS 55 AND OLDER IN VOLUNTEER SERVICE IN THEIR COMMUNITIES

THIS AWARD FUNDS THE APPROVED 2025-26 AMERICORPS SENIORS RSVP PROGRAM. YOUR 2025–26 STATUTORY MATCH REQUIREMENT IS 10% AND YOUR BUDGETED MATCH IS 12.35%. YOU ARE APPROVED FOR PREAWARD COSTS FROM 4/1/25-5/1/25.

THIS AWARD FUNDS THE APPROVED 2022?24 ARP SENIOR DEMONSTRATION PROGRAM GRANT. YOUR 2022?24 STATUTORY MATCH REQUIREMENT IS 10% AND YOUR BUDGETED MATCH IS 14.5%. THE JEWISH FAMILY SERVICE OF CENTRAL NEW JERSEY (JFSCNJ) PROPOSES TO HAVE 191 AMERICORPS SENIORS VOLUNTEERS WHO WILL PROVIDE COMPANIONSHIP AND SUPPORT TO OLDER ADULTS LIVING ALONE, PROVIDE FOOD TO LOW-INCOME RESIDENTS AND READING SUPPORT TO ELEMENTARY SCHOOL CHILDREN IN LOW-INCOME, DIVERSE UNION COUNTY COMMUNITIES INCLUDING LINDEN AND ELIZABETH. THE PRIMARY FOCUS OF THIS PROJECT IS HEALTHY FUTURES AND EDUCATION. AT THE END OF THE TWO-YEAR GRANT, AMERICORPS SENIORS VOLUNTEERS WILL BE RESPONSIBLE FOR 65 SENIORS REPORTING INCREASED SOCIAL SUPPORT AND/OR IMPROVED CAPACITY FOR INDEPENDENT LIVING, 2430 PEOPLE REPORTING INCREASED FOOD SECURITY AND 182 STUDENTS WITH IMPROVED READING SKILLS. THE AMERICORPS FEDERAL INVESTMENT OF $190,907 WILL BE SUPPLEMENTED BY $32,279 IN NON-FEDERAL RESOURCES. THIS GRANT AWARD BEGINS THE FIRST YEAR OF YOUR PROPOSED PROJECT PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE. THE FY22 ARP GRANT AWARDS 24 MONTHS OF FUNDS BEGINNING 07/01/22 THRU 6/30/24. THIS AWARD ACTION ADDS PERMANENT FUNDING TO INCREASE THE STIPEND AMOUNT FROM $3.00 TO $3.15 PER HOUR. THESE FUNDING AUGMENTATIONS CHANGES THE TOTAL FEDERAL FUNDING AMOUNT TO $190,907.

THIS AWARD FUNDS THE APPROVED 2024?25 SENIOR COMPANION PROGRAM. YOUR 2024?25 STATUTORY MATCH REQUIREMENT IS 10% AND YOUR BUDGETED MATCH IS 10.40%.