RWJBarnabas Health announced $1.7 million in grant funding awarded to various Hudson County organizations to address barriers to care, food insecurity, and economic stability.
By Dan Israel/Hudson County View
“The mayors in the room can talk about the things we deal with every day, whether it’s a crisis on the streets, a budget crisis… so when we, as elected officials, can come to an announcement like this… it not only lights us up, but… the effect that RWJ has on the community, and this is an everyday kitchen table effect, it’s going to have a positive effect on folks in Hudson County,” Hudson County Executive Craig Guy said.
“Whether it’s the North Hudson CAC [Community Action Corporation], whether it’s Hudson Pride, our Youth Foundation, Kearny, just think of the impact when we leave here of how RWJ is effecting everybody’s life personally every day.”
According to RWJBarnabas, the $1.7 million in funding includes: $450,000 for the NHCAC; $400,000 for the Kearny Department of Public Health and Environmental Protection; $400,000 for the Youth Foundation of Jersey City; and $450,000 for the Hudson Pride Center.
These grants are funded through RWJBarnabas Health’s ”Our Healthy Communities” initiative and
Through the community health resources from the State of New Jersey, RWJBarnabas Health has reinvested more than $151 million in community health initiatives beyond traditional medical care to build and sustain long-term health for the residents and communities it serves.
Locally, Guy said the monies are going to help develop youth to be future employees at RWJBarnabas, as well as support vital organizations locally after federal funding cuts.
“These are investments, people, that are so impactful. Hudson Pride Center is out there front and center every day. Hudson County as a whole has a community that is affected, quite frankly, by what goes on in Washington every day,” he added.
“When the people down in Washington can redline a budget item overnight, and Liz can get an email overnight and say, ‘By the way, x amount of dollars has been taken from your budget,’ with no explanation, no reason, no nothing.”
RWJBarnabas Health President and CEO Mark Manigan thanked the elected officials in attendance for their partnership, stating that they are all in the business of making lives easier and better.
“We’re incredibly proud to be in Hudson County. We are the people of Hudson County. We live here, we work here, we play here, we invest here, we employ thousands of people here with Jersey City Medical Center – our historic commitment to the region and our guiding star – and we are really proud of the work we do at Jersey City Medical Center,” he expressed.
“But what’s even more important … is connecting with the people outside of the walls of the hospital, getting to them before they get to us, being proactive and not reactive.”
According to Manigan, being proactive means meeting the most vulnerable residents where they live, and addressing the social determinants of health challenges seen daily.
NHCAC Vice Chair Elise DiNardo thanked RWJBarnabas for the vital $450,000 in funds, also on behalf of State Senator (D-33)/Union City Mayor Brian Stack (D-33), who was not able to attend.
“This grant will help us so much with our medical services, and also our social services, which we see that there’s a great demand for right now,” DiNardo said.
“Particularly, I’m hoping that we will be able to provide more pediatric, psychiatric, and psychological services, because we’re finding that our kids really need that kind of help right now.”
DiNardo also thanked Guy and his team for their efforts in assisting NHCAC in accessing this “wonderful” opportunity, as well as her staff.
Kearny Mayor Carol Jean Doyle also sung the praises of RWJBarnabas and Guy for the $400,000 for the Kearny Department of Public Health and Environmental Protection.
Those funds will be used to improve resource navigation to connect
The funds will also hire additional staff to promote community events and support seniors applying for Medicare, Medicaid, SNAP, and other assistance programs.
Similarly, Jersey City Mayor James Solomon thanked RWJBarnabas as well as Guy for the $400,000 for the Youth Foundation of Jersey City and $450,000 for Hudson Pride Center.
“We have been RWJ supporters, if you will, for a long time. RWJ took care of a burn when I was one, so thank you guys for that. But more importantly, all three of my daughters were born at Jersey City Medical Center,” he noted
” … I couldn’t be more happy to have you guys supporting two incredible organizations that really serve Jersey City in the Jersey City Youth Foundation and Hudson Pride Center.”
For the Youth Foundation of Jersey City, the funds will expand and strengthen support systems across 15 Jersey City public schools including food pantries, hygiene resources, and wellness programming to address food insecurity, economic hardship, and mental health challenges faced by Jersey City students.
For the Hudson Pride Center, the grant funds will support mental health and wellness initiatives while enhancing existing services and resources that expand access to care, strengthen youth development, and support future readiness.
Solomon also sang the praises of the Hudson Pride Center and the “leaps and bounds” of growth it experienced under current leadership Executive Director Liz Schedl.
“They provide such a core important service to our LGBTQ+ community,” he added,
Youth Foundation of Jersey City Executive Director Hollie Meyer thanked RWJBarnabas and Guy, stating the “game changer” funds would go towards the schools they support that need the resources the most.
“It’s going to go directly to our families. At least 10 of our schools are going to get food pantries. At least 10 of our schools are going to get washers and dryers. Then we’re going to support the clinics that are in the schools consistently, that are already there,” she told HCV.
“This is a game changer for our families, and this is literally us meeting them where they’re at. These kids are at school all day, so we’re bringing the resources to them.
Additionally, Schedl said it was a beautiful day to receive what she also called “game changer” funding from RWJBarnabas in conjunction with Guy, made better by the fact it was awarded during National Pride Month in the U.S.
“We are celebrating our lives, ourselves, and we just got major funding support from RWJ. I have to thank County Executive Craig Guy for helping build this partnership. Four hundred and fifty thousand dollars means a game changer for Hudson Pride Center,” she said in an interview.
“We plan on expanding our own mental health services to reach 16 and above individuals who identify as part of our community to bring those mental health services in-house as opposed to referring out. LGBTQ+ people really deserve safe and affirming mental health services.”
Schedl said the Hudson Pride Center plans on reaching the most vulnerable populations by expanding its health and wellness programming and other work on the ground level in both Union City and Jersey City.
She said this also includes diving deeper with LGBTQ+ youth by providing better access to existing and additional services and care, and supporting their lives in this uncertain time with this federal government.
According to Schedl, LGBTQ+ organizations don’t often receive funding like this, especially giving the current political climate.
