LIHEAP Deadline Extended to May 31

The following information was published by NJ 2-1-1 which operates the Home Energy Assistance Hotline. The hotline can be reached by calling 800-510-3102.

The deadline to apply for utility assistance through LIHEAP (Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program) has been extended to May 31. As the Home Energy Assistance Hotline for the State of New Jersey, NJ 2-1-1 is the place to call if you are struggling to pay your gas, oil or electric heating bills. This assistance is available to eligible residents regardless of whether they rent or own their home. Emergency assistance is also available through May 31 for those who have already been approved for LIHEAP benefits AND have received a shut-off notice.

Callers to NJ 2-1-1 can check on the status of their application, receive information on the location of their application agency and a list of documents that must be submitted with their application. Required documentation includes a copy of the rental lease/property tax bill (if you own your home); utility bill; proof of income for anyone in your home above the age of 18; social security card for everyone in the household and a drivers license or state issued picture ID.

Source: NJ 2-1-1 website.

Resources For Parents

Looking for resources for a child or adolescent with behavioral or mental health challenges? There is a network of agencies and online resources in all twenty-one counties that offer a wide range of information about resources, services and support systems for families and children.

Each county has a Case Management Organization (CMO) in partnership with the New Jersey Children's System of Care. Their goal is to help families or caregivers create a stable and healthy environment for children by address barriers, including behavioral health issues, developmental disabilities, substance abuse, etc.

Don't know what resources are available to meet a child's needs? In combination with each CMO there is an online ResourceNet. Families can find information on community services, health services or community events and organizations.

There are fifteen ResourceNets in the state of New Jersey. Read the brochure for links to them. They are: Bergen, Burlington, Camden, Cape Atlantic, Cumberland, Gloucester, Salem (CGS), Essex, Hudson, Hunterdon, Somerset, Warren (TriCounty) Mercer, Middlesex, Monmouth, Morris Sussex, Ocean, Passaic, Union.

For assistance in finding help for your child, visit the NJ Children's System of Care website or call 877-652-7624.

Resistance, Part III

People of conscience change history. Year 2017 began as a movement of people fighting for Democracy all across our country. At first it was rallies and letter writing. It has since become more organized with amazing election results in Virginia and Alabama.

Earlier this year a list of Resistance and progressive groups were posted here and on my blog, titled Philadelphia Resistance and Progressive Groups and Resources For The Resistance. Today, a number of additional organizations and campaigns are highlighted. Working together we can make a difference.

Listed below are organizations worth joining or supporting. They are:

New Jersey groups that stepped up in 2017 include:

Click here for a description of each group and links to their social media sites.

What's New on the NJ Community Resources Website

3/28/18 - New 2018 Weatherization Assistance Program income guidelines posted to the energy assistance page.

3/17/18 - Added several county ResourceNets which can be found in the community resources page. There is a ResourceNet for each county so families can obtain needed health services for their children.

3/14/18 - Updated the biographical page. It reveals I'm a candidate for a party office, to become the Democratic Committee Person in Philadelphia's Ward 22, Division 03.

2/24/18 - Re-added an old tutorial Patrick Crispen's Roadmap96, described as "a free, 27 lesson Internet training workshop designed to teach new "Net travellers" how to travel around the rapidly expanding (and often-times confusing) "Information Superhighway" without getting lost." Take a look to see what the Net was like in the 1990s.

1/29/2018 - Income guidelines with New Jersey SHARES are effective February 1. Visit NJ Energy Assistance Programs page. The New Jersey Legislature page has also been updated due to the swearing in of Assemblywoman Britnee Timberlake (D-34).

1/28/2018 - The Earned Income Tax Credit page was updated which includes the new 2017 NJ EITC Fact Sheet published by the Department of Human Services.

1/23/2018 - Atlantic City Electric's Helping Hands energy assistance program is now listed in the NJ Energy Assistance Programs page as well as the Avoiding Utility Shutoffs in New Jersey page.

1/22/18 - The annual income for 2018 has been increased for the state's Lifeline Utility Assistance program for seniors and disabled to $27,189 for individuals and $33,334 for married couples.

1/19/2018 - Update to the list of new freshmen in the 218th New Jersey Legislature.

Tools For Job Searching

Unemployment is down, but not to a person who is out of work or underemployed. To focus on the need for job search tools and links to employment programs, the New Jersey Community Resources website has added a new section titled, "Employment and Job Search". It includes links to state agencies, workforce development groups, programs run by nonprofits and leading online job search tools. They include: OnRamp, Career Connections, Department of Labor and Workforce Development, One-Stop Career Centers, Civil Service Commission, John J. Heldrich Center for Workforce Development, New Start Career Network, Easterseals New Jersey - Senior Community Services Employment Program (SCSEP), The Balance: Best Job Search Engine Sites, Resources For Job Seekers, Elsa Langer, Indeed and Glassdoor.

New Jersey Career Connections services can be accessed through a partnership with a number of libraries throughout the state. Library staffs have been trained to provide job search assistance in the following public libraries: Atlantic City, Cumberland County, East Brunswick, Gloucester County, Long Branch, Monmouth County, New Brunswick, New Jersey State Library, Newark, North Bergen, Ocean County, Paterson, Plainfield, Roselle, Salem, Sussex County, Union and Warren County.

Know another online job search tool? Send a note.

Dreams Do Come True

On December 13, 1992 I wished there was someplace to refer families when no other resources were available to help with energy bills. Little did I know then that it would lead to the creation of New Jersey SHARES, a statewide energy nonprofit organization.

Today, I need your help to keep my dream alive and to help New Jersey families stay warm. On February 1 & 2, 2018 NJ SHARES will be holding an event "Cool Down for Warmth" to both raise funds and to make our mission better known in our state of New Jersey.

We're building an Ice House - yes, an ICE HOUSE - in Newark to highlight the critical importance of heat during the cold winter months.

You can help by making a donation. The average grant needed to restore/maintain utility service is about $400. Your donation makes a difference and may be eligible to be matched dollar for dollar by your utility company. So if you can give $25, it will have the impact of $50. Please help.

Read my personal story then visit my fundraising page, New Jersey SHARES Ice House Challenge. Thank you.

For more information on becoming involved, visit NJ SHARES' Cool Down for Warmth Fundraising page.