Brick grants nonprofits $55,000
BY COLLEEN LUTOLF
Staff Writer

BRICK - Twelve of Ocean County's nonprofit organizations divvied up $55,618 in federal Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funds recently.

The annual allocation is $6,501 less than last year's grant total and represents the largest cut in the history of the program, but Ervin Oross, Brick's contracted CDBG coordinator, said Ocean County and all nonprofits who rely on these annual funds almost received none of this money at all.

"When the federal budget was released, the Bush administration was recommending abolishing the program," he said.

But a Republican-led U.S. Congress kept the program intact, he said, showing that both political parties believe in the program.

This year's grant recipients are:

+ Big Brothers/Big Sisters of Ocean County, $1,778. Big Brothers/Big Sisters provides community and site-based mentoring services for young people throughout the county. Call (732) 905-5349 for more information.

+ Community Services, Inc./Meals on Wheels, $13,500. Meals on Wheels provides nutritious meals to homebound seniors in their homes and provides daily meals to seniors at the Brick Township Senior Center on Adamston Road. Call (732) 367-1400 for more information.

+ Contact of Ocean County, $900. Contact provides a 24-hour hotline and crisis intervention for drug and alcohol abusers, victims of domestic violence or other personal issues, at (732) 240-6100.

+ Counseling and Referral Services, $1,000. Low- and moderate-income Brick residents use this organization as a resource for counseling services. Call (732) 477-9883 for more information.

+ Dottie's House, $6,120. Dottie's House is a Brick shelter for physically abused women and their children. Call (732) 295-7380 for more information.

+ The Epilepsy After-School Program, $4,000. Run by the Epilepsy Foundation

of New Jersey, this nonprofit offers an after-school program in conjunction with Brick schools for children with epilepsy and autism. Call (732) 262-8020 for more information.

+ Interfaith Hospitality Network, $3,000. This organization aids Brick residents who are facing homelessness due to personal, financial or medical reasons. Call (732) 370-1550 for more information.

+ Ocean County Hunger Relief, $7,920. This organization operates 38 food pantries in Ocean County. Call (732) 349-1500 for more information.

+ Ocean's Harbor House, $900. Ocean Harbor House is a short-term shelter and crisis intervention for youths 10-17 years of age. Kids who are homeless, runaways, abused, abandoned or otherwise in need may be taken in at this shelter. Their hotline number is (732) 929-0660.

+ Parents of Autistic Children (POAC), $2,500. POAC educates and supports families dealing with children with autism. Reach POAC at www.poac.net.

+ Providence House, $10,000. A division of Catholic Charities, Providence House provides a variety of services to domestic violence victims. Call (732) 262-3143 for more information.

+ VetGroup, $4,000. VetGroup is a resource for the various needs of veterans, such as career counseling, medical assistance and stress management. Call (609) 971-7613 for more information.