Income
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Basic Needs & Emergency Services
The impact of the current economic crisis has resulted in a significant increase in demand for emergency assistance. The Monmouth County Department of Human Services, Division of Social Services has reported an overall increase of 24.8% in applications for services from 2007 to 2008. The largest increases in applications are for the Food Stamps and Medicaid programs. Many of the new applications are from middle class households who are coming to apply for services for the first time. This economic crisis only heightened the importance of ensuring households are financially stability particularly due to the high-cost of living in our county. On average, a household in Monmouth County needs to earn over 3 times the Federal Poverty Level to be considered financially stable—which is higher than the national figure of 2.5 times the FPL. In order to move the bar on financial stability in our county we must first begin by helping families in financial crisis to meet their basic needs. Then, we must connect these households with the tools and strategies to help them increase and maximize their income, as well as begin the longer-term process of saving and building assets to be able to meet future crisis..
Objective |
Strategies |
Resources |
| Connect households in financial crisis with emergency assistance to meet immediate basic needs | 1. Increase awareness of 2-1-1 to connect people with available assistance 2. Connect households in financial crisis with:
|
Advocacy Collaboration |
| Address obstacles/barriers to financial self-sufficiency | 1. Establish UWMC Financial Stability Initiatives:
o Life skills training |
Collaboration Funding |
| Increase access to public benefits to increase a household’s income | 1. Conduct training for providers on benefits (i.e. food stamps, Medicaid, WIC) to increase awareness and access 2. Pilot tool to screen customers/clients at food pantries/emergency services for eligibility for public benefits and offer/ encouragement to enroll |
Collaboration Funding |
| Increase household’s access and ability to build savings, gain and sustain assets and manage future crisis | 1. Encourage/develop access points to the financial mainstream for un-/under-banked households by partnering with financial institutions to encourage savings 2. Increase awareness of the importance of saving, reducing debt, and building wealth |
Collaboration |
ARRA 2009 Tax Benefits
Get the latest information on energy, education, new vehicle and homebuyer credits that are available to help households save money. Go to www.irs.gov and click on Tax Benefits of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009.
2-1-1
For help with a problem or to help others, dial 2-1-1, UWMC's free and confidential community service line, 24 hours a day or visit the NJ 2-1-1 website www.nj211.org and search their online database.
Born Learning
Want to find out how young children learn? Or get ideas for using everyday activities as learning moments? Born Learning helps parents, grandparents and caregivers enrich early learning.
Learn more about the UWMC Born Learning program
Five Ways You Can Live United
1. Read to children in your family, at your library, or with a local non-profit engaged in child care or literacy
2. Bring a child in your life to a bank to have a tour and open up a savings account.
3. Volunteer to prepare tax returns for low-income families
4. Buy pedometers for your friends and have a fun competition for who can walk the most steps.
5. Purchase personal care items such as deodorant, toothbrushes and soap and drop them off at the local homeless shelter