Project Grant 21SFBNJ001

THE JEFFERSON PARK MINISTRIES(JPM), UNION COUNTY FOSTER GRANDPARENT PROGRAM IS THE LIFELINE FOR MANY SENIORS. RESEARCH SHOWS THAT VOLUNTEERING IS GOOD FOR THE HEALTH AND WELL-BEING OF VOLUNTEERS. BUT FOR OLDER AMERICANS WITH LOW-INCOME AND LOWER LEVELS OF EDUCATION, A GROUP VULNERABLE TO POOR HEALTH OUTCOMES, MANY OBSTACLES CAN MAKE IT CHALLENGING TO VOLUNTEER. AS A RESULT, THESE INDIVIDUALS MAY MISS OUT ON THE HEALTH AND WELL-BEING BENEFITS OF VOLUNTEERING, AND COMMUNITIES MAY MISS OUT ON THE VOLUNTEER SERVICE THESE INDIVIDUALS PROVIDE. FOSTER GRANDPARENTS OFFER YOUNG AND OLD THE CHANCE TO GROW TOGETHER. FGP TAPS INTO THE SKILLS, TALENTS, AND EXPERIENCE OF AMERICANS AGE 55 AND OVER TO MEET A WIDE RANGE OF COMMUNITY CHALLENGES. THE FGP PROGRAM HAS REJUVENATED MANY OF THE SENIORS, CHANGE IN THEIR LIVES AND ATTITUDE TOWARDS THE CHILDREN THEY ARE SERVING ARE NOTICEABLE. LAST YEAR, MORE THAN 3,300 NEW JERSEY SENIORS IN OUR FOSTER GRANDPARENTS PROGRAM MET CRITICAL COMMUNITY NEEDS WHILE CONTRIBUTING TO LONGER, HEALTHIER LIVES. AN ESTIMATED 42 FOSTER GRANDPARENT (FGP) VOLUNTEERS WILL SERVE AT DIFFERENT UNION COUNTY SITES THIS YEAR. SOME OF THEIR ACTIVITIES WILL INCLUDE ASSISTING CLASSROOM TEACHING, SOCIAL AND EMOTIONAL SUPPORT, MENTORING, AND OTHER CLASSROOM SUPPORT. JEFFERSON PARK MINISTRIES INC. (JPM) RECRUITS QUALIFIED VOLUNTEERS AND MATCHES VOLUNTEERS WITH CHILDREN WHO WILL BENEFIT THE MOST FROM THE VOLUNTEERS. THE PRIMARY FOCUS OF THIS PROJECT IS EDUCATION. AT THE END OF THE THREE-YEAR GRANT, THE PROGRAM IS DESIGNED TO ASSIST AT LEAST 126 CHILDREN OF ECONOMICALLY DISADVANTAGED DEMONSTRATING GAINS IN SCHOOL READINESS AND IMPROVING ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE. JPM HAS RECRUITED 8 SITES AS PARTNERS TO ACHIEVE ITS OBJECTIVES. JPM IS REQUESTED FROM THE AMERICORPS AN AMOUNT OF $271,783 ANNUALLY FOR THE PROGRAM AND JPM HAS A SECURED IN-KIND MATCH WITH NJ FAMILY SUCCESS CENTER GRANT IN THE AMOUNT OF $27,178. JPM HAS A PROVEN RECORD OF COMPLIANCE WITH THE FGP GRANT BY MAINTAINING PERFORMANCE MEASURED FOR EACH OF THE FGP VOLUNTEERS' SITES. WE INVOLVE THE COMMUNITY IN PROMOTING AND GIVING FEEDBACK ON THE PROGRAM, HIRING QUALIFIED STAFF TO MANAGE THE FGP PROGRAM, RECRUITING VOLUNTEERS, AND ADEQUATELY ASSIGNING THEM WITH THE RIGHT CHILD AND VOLUNTEER STATIONS. JPM IS A RECIPIENT OF SEVERAL OTHER GRANTS SUCH AS NEW JERSEY FAMILY SUCCESS CENTER IN THE AMOUNT OF $240,000 ANNUALLY FOR THE PAST 10 YEARS, COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT BLOCK GRANT(CDBG) IN THE AMOUNT $15,000 YEARLY. WE HAVE GOOD REPORTING ON OUR GRANT MANAGEMENT PROCESS AND EXCELLENT RECORDKEEPING. JPM HAS BEEN MANAGING ALL ITS GRANTS EFFECTIVELY AND OPERATING THE PROGRAMS WITHIN THEIR RESPECTIVE BUDGET. WHEN THE PANDEMIC SUBSIDES, CHILDREN/YOUTH WILL RETURN TO SCHOOL WITH LOWER ACHIEVEMENT. THERE ARE ALSO CONCERNS THAT THE GAP BETWEEN HIGH- AND LOW-ACHIEVING STUDENTS WILL BECOME LARGER. THIS FOSTER GRANDPARENTS PROGRAM SERVES THE UNION COUNTY CITIES OF ELIZABETH, PLAINFIELD, RAHWAY, ROSELLE, AND VAUXHALL; UNION COUNTY HAS AN INCREASINGLY DIVERSE POPULATION. THE COUNTY HAS THE FOURTH-HIGHEST NUMBER OF FOREIGN-BORN RESIDENTS IN THE STATE. OVER 43% OF RESIDENTS IN THE COUNTY SPEAK A LANGUAGE OTHER THAN ENGLISH. THIS DEMOGRAPHIC HAS IMPLICATIONS FOR THEIR ABILITY TO TAKE FULL ADVANTAGE OF AVAILABLE SERVICES AND SUPPORTS. THIS INCLUDES PRENATAL CARE, WHICH, FOR FAMILIES IN SOME COMMUNITIES, REMAIN INACCESSIBLE. MOREOVER, SOME CITIES HAVE A GREATER NEED FOR EARLY CHILDHOOD INTERVENTION DUE TO MANY CHILDREN. SINGLE ADULTS HEAD 35% OF FAMILIES IN THE COUNTY, AND GRANDPARENTS RAISE GRANDCHILDREN IN INCREASING NUMBERS. CHILDCARE IS ESSENTIAL TO SUPPORT THE WORKFORCE OF TODAY AND VITAL TO THE DEVELOPMENT OF TOMORROW'S WORKFORCE. PARENTS RELY ON CHILDCARE TO HELP THEM ENTER, RE-ENTER, OR REMAIN IN THE LABOR FORCE. HOWEVER, ACCESS TO AFFORDABLE, QUALITY CHILDCARE IS HARD TO COME BY. NOW, DUE TO THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC, FAMILIES ARE EXPERIENCING ADDITIONAL CHALLENGES, AND FINDING CHIL