freeholder president brendan w. gill and the essex county freeholder board approve additional funding to montclair neighborhood development corporation through cares act

Pictured are (from left to right, front row) District 2 Freeholder Vice President Wayne Richardson, Freeholder At-Large Romaine Graham, District 3 Freeholder Tyshammie L. Cooper, Freeholder At-Large Patricia Sebold, and Freeholder President At-Large Brendan Gill. (From left to right, back row) District 5 Freeholder Carlos Pomares, District 4 Freeholder Leonard M. Luciano, Freeholder At-Large Rufus I. Johnson, and District 1 Freeholder Robert Mercado.

(Newark, NJ) – On October 21, 2020, Montclair native and Essex County Freeholder President Brendan Gill and the Freeholder Board approved a resolution that will channel an additional $260,000 to the Montclair Neighborhood Development Corporation (MNDC). These funds were granted through the Community Services Block Grant (CSBG) Program and the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, and will be used for the provision of various services.

Through Essex County’s CSBG Program, the MNDC was initially awarded $58,000.00 to be used by December 31, 2020. Due to the COVD-19 pandemic, and the subsequent passage of the CARES ACT, an additional $360,000 was allocated to the MNDC – $233,000 to be used by December 31, 2020 and an additional $127,767.00 to be used by September 30, 2022. At the October 21st meeting, the Board approved a resolution adding an additional $260,000 to the funds to be used by 2022, bringing the total amount of funding to be used by September 30, 2022 to $387,767.00.

The MNDC offers a multitude of services for community residents ranging from Employment Readiness and Financial Literacy education, to Independent Living Support Services and Youth After-School programs. The additional monies granted through the resolution will be used to supplement the assistance measures already in place.

Freeholder President Gill stated, “The Montclair Neighborhood Development Corporation has done a tremendous job of providing our residents and communities with needed services.” He continued, “They have been a fixture of the Montclair community before the pandemic, during the pandemic, and the additional funds allocated will be crucial in ensuring they remain impactful through the pandemic and in years to come.”

MNDC Executive Director Albert Pelham was also pleased with the provision of additional funds, and expressed how necessary the funding would be over the course of the next two years. “We are in a crisis with the COVID-19 pandemic.” Executive Director Pelham stated. “In addition to concerns regarding the health of our residents, people are losing their jobs and previously allotted funds are starting to dry up. People in our community are worried about their housing situations, legal matters, providing care for their families – and the extra money provided through the CARES ACT will enhance our ability to continue providing vital services.”