Improving the quality of life of families and the Greater Franklin Township community: 2011-2012

Although the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation became a national philanthropy in 1972 and has operated on a national scale since then, it also has continued funding a limited number of local institutions and projects in the New Brunswick area and throughout New Jersey. It does so in part to honor the legacy of its founder, and in part to recognize the special responsibilities to the communities and the state in which it is located.This grant continues support for the Central Jersey Community Development Corporation's Family Resource Center. The center is an integral part of a broad urban-renewal effort under way along the Route 27 corridor between the suburban community of Franklin Township and New Brunswick, New Jersey. In this area, 25 percent of the residents earn incomes below the poverty level; 29 percent of the residents over age 24 do not have a high school diploma; and most households are headed by single Black or Hispanic parents with two or more children. The center -- focusing on educational excellence, economic empowerment, personal and family growth, and community empowerment -- addresses the social and support needs of the families to move them from unemployment to work, from tenant to homeowner (when possible) and from debt to financial stability. The center anticipates helping more than 2,000 people, who include an existing caseload of 400 area residents. Families undergo intensive diagnostic assessments of needs and challenges. The center uses the information to help families develop clear and attainable goals. Center caseworkers advocate for families, help them navigate requests and secure services (e.g., health, legal aid, job training and placement) and follow up with families to provide advice and monitor and record their progress (e.g., completion of education training).

Grant Details

Amount Awarded $150,000.00

Awarded on: 6/17/2011

Time frame: 7/15/2011 - 7/14/2012

Grant Number: 69089