The Christie Administration announced that state officials will host a Sandy Recovery Mobile Cabinet Thursday, October 17th in Ocean County to offer assistance to Sandy-affected residents and businesses as they continue their recovery and rebuilding efforts. State representatives from the Governor’s Office of Constituent Relations; the Department of Community Affairs (DCA); the Economic Development Authority (EDA); the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP); the Department of Banking and Insurance (DOBI); the Department of Treasury; the Business Action Center (BAC) at the Department of State; the Department of Human Services (DHS); and the Department of Children and Families (DCF); the Division of Consumer Affairs; as well as federal officials from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP), will be on hand in Surf City to meet with affected residents and answer questions on a variety of topics including homeowner and rental program status updates and business grant and loan status updates. Homeowners and business owners interested in attending can expedite the process by bringing relevant documentation related to the issue they are facing.

October 17, 2013 from  3:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m. at the  Surf City Fire House,  713 North Long Beach Blvd., Surf City, NJ

Governor Christie announced the launch of a $100 million home elevation program in the nine counties hardest hit by Superstorm Sandy.  Under the Hazard Mitigation Grant Program Elevation Program, eligible applicants can receive reimbursement of up to $30,000 for elevations on existing primary, single family homes.

Beginning Monday, July 22nd eligible homeowners can apply for elevation grant assistance at www.renewjerseystronger.org or by calling 1-855-SANDYHM (1-855-726-3946).  People can also apply in person at one of the Housing Recovery centers open in each of the nine most impacted counties.

Trenton, NJ – As part of his ongoing commitment to rebuild homes damaged by Sandy, Governor Chris Christie today signed Executive Order No. 137, temporarily allowing minors to volunteer for nonprofit organizations engaged in housing construction. Existing state law prohibits minors from performing construction work, allowing only for minors between the ages of 14 and 17 to volunteer in the construction of affordable housing. The Executive Order encourages volunteers to help in the Sandy rebuilding effort by permitting minors between the ages of 14 and 17 to volunteer for non-profit organizations engaged in housing construction.

The Executive Order maintains all current labor safeguards that protect minors involved in construction, such as barring them from using heavy equipment and power tools, and will only be in effect until the end of 2013.

“In the aftermath of Sandy, New Jerseyans of all ages came together to rebuild our state, including many minors working with charitable organizations like Habitat for Humanity,” said Governor Christie. “This Executive Order allows minors to safely give back to their state and help their fellow citizens during their time of need.”

In signing the Executive Order, Governor Christie directed the Commissioner of Labor to take all appropriate steps to effectuate the Order.

The preliminary flood maps have been released, a direct link to FEMA’s Coastal Analysis and Mapping website is here:  http://www.region2coastal.com/bestdata

The state has just released two very helpful FAQ documents pertaining to the two main CDBG homeowner programs. The first explains the $150,000 max grant RREM program, and the second explains the $10,000 resettlement grant. Please find the links below.

http://renewjerseystronger.org/rrem/frequently-asked-questions-for-rem/

http://renewjerseystronger.org/resettlement/frequently-asked-questions-about-the-resettlement-program/

TRENTON, N.J. – The New Jersey Department of Community Affairs (DCA) received a report that an individual who applied for a ‘reNew Jersey Stronger’ housing assistance grant was contacted by phone and notified that they had won a grant to rebuild their home from the “Renewjerseystronger Foundation.” The caller then indicated that the applicant was required to pay a fee to apply for the grant.

Applicants to the ‘reNew Jersey Stronger’ Housing Assistance Program are advised that there is no fee to apply. Information pertaining to the ‘reNew Jersey Stronger’ program can be found online at www.renewjerseystronger.org. People can apply for free online or by calling 1-855-SANDYHM (1-855-726-3946). Additionally, there will be Sandy Housing Recovery Centers opening June 8 where applicants may apply in person. Locations and directions to the centers will be posted at www.renewjerseystronger.org as the information becomes available.

The ‘reNew Jersey Stronger’ program was launched May 24, 2013. Grants awarded through the program are designed to encourage Sandy-impacted homeowners to resettle in their primary residences and help them reconstruct, rehabilitate, elevate and mitigate their homes.

Individuals who are contacted by anyone requesting a fee for the grant application are urged to report the attempted fraud to the New Jersey Attorney General’s Statewide Sandy Fraud Working Group.

New Jersey Attorney General Jeffrey S. Chiesa created the Working Group as the State’s central clearinghouse for data-gathering, investigation, and prosecution of civil and criminal fraud related to Superstorm Sandy and the disaster recovery process. Victims or witnesses of fraud should contact the Working Group at 855-SANDY39 (855-726-3939) or www.StopSandyFraud.org.

Your Children are invited to attend Camp Noah this Summer!

A day camp for children whose communities have been impacted by disaster.  The camp is for elementary age children and will be held  July 22-26 2013 from 9am-3pm at St. Barbara Greek Orthodox Church, 220 Church Road, Toms River.

Camp Noah will offer games, skits, storytelling, puppet shows and fun activities. Each activity is designed to help children process their feelings and fears, tell their story, learn resiliency skills, make new friends and, most of all, know they are not alone. Camp Noah can change a child’s life!  Register now as space is limited.

For questions or registration please contact Chrysanthe Patestos BSN, RN, FCN, Site Coordinator, 732-255-5525 or camp.stbarbara@yahoo.com

Friday, May 24, 2013

Trenton, NJ – Marking a major step forward in the recovery from Superstorm Sandy, the Christie Administration today launched the reNew Jersey Stronger housing assistance initiative to assist homeowners impacted by the storm. Beginning today, eligible homeowners can apply for grant assistance at <http://www.renewjerseystronger.org> www.renewjerseystronger.org or by calling
1-855-SANDYHM (1-855-726-3946).

Federal Funds Will Expand New Jersey Hope and Healing Program

Trenton, NJ – The Christie Administration announced today that New Jersey has received an $11.5 million grant from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), which will allow the Department of Human Services (DHS) to expand the New Jersey Hope and Healing Program and continue to provide crisis counseling and outreach services to survivors of Superstorm Sandy.

The federal grant will fund ongoing efforts by the Department of Human Services’ Division of Mental Health and Addiction Services (DMHAS) Disaster and Terrorism Branch, and its partners, to help Sandy survivors cope with the emotional challenges associated with loss or displacement. Through a special certification system, more than 700 volunteers throughout the state have been trained to provide immediate emotional support after a disaster.

“Disasters like Sandy damage more than just property – for many the sense of loss, helplessness and hopelessness is unshakeable,” said DHS Commissioner Jennifer Velez. “Restoring survivors’ emotional and psychological balance is a fundamental factor in New Jersey’s rebuilding process.”

The FEMA grant will allow DMHAS and its New Jersey Hope and Healing partners – the Mental Health Association in New Jersey, Barnabas Health Institute for Prevention, Family Service Association in Atlantic, and Family Service Bureau of Newark – to continue providing community outreach, emotional support, crisis counseling, and referral services.

“The extensive physical damage from the rare superstorm was immediately evident, with storm-beaten homes, buildings and scattered debris featured extensively in national and international media,” said Adrienne Fessler Belli, Director of DHS’ Disaster and Terrorism Branch within DMHAS. “Less evident, but no less significant, was the emotional impact and distress that such a traumatic event can create.”

Research shows that feelings of anxiety and depression can increase as people try to recover from a disaster. Outreach and support efforts aim to promote resilience through use of good support systems and coping techniques, including sharing your feelings, maintaining your routine, seeking professional advice, and limiting exposure to news about the event.

Prior to this new grant, New Jersey received $4 million from FEMA to launch the Hope and Healing Program. To date, more than 150,000 residents have received counseling and outreach services.

In addition to supporting Hope and Healing of New Jersey, DMHAS has also awarded a $54,498 grant to the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey’s University Behavioral HealthCare (UBHC) to provide emergency mobile and telephonic behavioral health counseling to Sandy survivors.

The New Jersey Hope and Healing program helpline can be reached at 1 (877) 294-HELP (4357) with TTY availability at 1 (877) 294-4356, from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday for people recovering from Sandy’s emotional impact.