FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Teresa Ruiz
April 27, 2006 973-621-4404
Anthony Puglisi
973-621-2542
ESSEX COUNTY EXECUTIVE DIVINCENZO, THE NICHOLSON FOUNDATION AND PREVENT CHILD ABUSE-NEW JERSEY ANNOUNCE RECIPIENTS OF
CHILD ABUSE PREVENTION MINI-GRANTS
16 Community Based Organizations Receive Resources to Raise Awareness
and Provide Education to Strengthen Families and Prevent Child Neglect
Newark, NJ – Essex County Executive Joseph N. DiVincenzo, Jr., The Nicholson Foundation and Prevent Child Abuse New Jersey announced on Thursday, April 27th that 16 local community organizations have received mini-grants to raise awareness about and support child abuse prevention programs. The announcement was made during April, which has been designated as Child Abuse Prevention Month.
“We cannot turn a blind eye toward child abuse and neglect, and the devastating and long lasting effects it has on our children, their families and our communities,” DiVincenzo said. “I am proud of our partnership with The Nicholson Foundation and Prevent Child Abuse New Jersey. Together, we are taking proactive steps and providing community-based organizations with information and training that will assist them in their efforts to raise awareness about child abuse prevention,” he added.
This is the fourth consecutive year that Essex County, The Nicholson Foundation and Prevent Child Abuse New Jersey have partnered to award these mini-grants. Ranging in amounts from $1,100 to $2,500, the grants will assist the agencies with implementing events or programs that address Family Re-Unification Post Incarceration, Marriage, and Support to Parents/Grandparents. The agencies also will receive educational materials, training and technical assistance to conduct their programs and disseminate information. As a requirement for receiving the mini-grant, representatives from the agencies receiving the grants participated in an in-service training on the New Jersey Standards for Prevention Programs during April.
Charles Venti, a consultant working with The Nicholson Foundation, noted that the New Jersey Department of Human Services receives about 80,000 calls a year alleging the maltreatment of children and that 16 percent, or 12,800 calls, originate from Essex County. “The mini-grant awards to this year’s recipients expand the efforts by the Essex County community to strengthen families and prevent child abuse and neglect,” he said.
“Essex County has made good on the pledge they made in 2002, promising to bring real prevention services to the families in this County,” Dr. Janet Rosenzweig, Executive Director of Prevent Child Abuse New Jersey, said. “The partnership they forged with The Nicholson Foundation, PCA-NJ and other community agencies has allowed us to bring every prevention program we offer anywhere in New Jersey to Essex County. This mini-grant program is one good example – PCA-NJ is able to offer 12 mini-grants throughout the rest of the State, but in Essex County we are able to offer 16. There is much to be proud of,” she added.
Organizations receiving the mini-grants are as follows:
Family Re-Unification Post Incarceration:
· Integrity, Inc., Newark, $2,500
· Churches in Cooperation, Newark, $2,500
· Above The Rim, Inc., Newark, $1,500
· The First Occupational Center of NJ, Orange, $2,500
· United Neighbors Development Corp., Newark, $2,500
· Deliverance Ministry, Newark, $2,500
Marriage
· Association for the Advancement of Inner City Communities, Irvington, $2,500
· City Hope Ministries, Newark, $1,100
Supporting Parents/Grandparents
· GRANDMA K.A.R.E.S., South Orange, $2,500
· Metropolitan Resurrection Learning Center, Newark, $1,900
· Robertson Resource Center, East Orange, $2,500
· Metropolitan YMCA of the Orange, East Orange, $2,500
· Determined to Achieve Parent Network, Irvington, $2,500
· Union Chapel Community Development Corp., Newark, $1,500
· Community Agencies Corporation of NJ, Newark, $2,500
· UMDNJ – Young Fathers Program, Newark, $2,000
In addition to distributing the grants, County Executive DiVincenzo presented a proclamation proclaiming the month of April as Child Abuse Prevention Month in Essex County to Prevent Child Abuse New Jersey. The proclamation, in part, encourages “residents, businesses and community agencies to become ‘a person who cares’ and take an active role in preventing child abuse.”
One of the first initiatives of the partnership between Essex County, The Nicholson Foundation and Prevent Child Abuse New Jersey was the creation of an Essex County Council of Prevent Child Abuse-New Jersey. In conjunction with the Essex County Department of Citizen Services, the Council has attracted Nicholson Foundation grants to bring programs and services to Essex County. These programs meet the rigorous principles of the “Standards for Prevention Through Family Support,” which was authored by the New Jersey Task Force on Child Abuse and Neglect.
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