<p dir="ltr" id="docs-internal-guid-6e9f7f45-7fff-39a7-9c29-cea7011312e1" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:12pt;margin-bottom:12pt"><span style="font-size:14pt;font-family:Arial;font-variant-ligatures:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">---------- Forwarded message --------</span></p><p dir="ltr" id="docs-internal-guid-6e9f7f45-7fff-39a7-9c29-cea7011312e1" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:12pt;margin-bottom:12pt"><span style="font-size:14pt;font-family:Arial;font-variant-ligatures:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">From: 'Diane Riley' via newsSent: Thursday, October 28, 2021 3:41 PM</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:12pt;margin-bottom:12pt"><span style="font-size:14pt;font-family:Arial;font-variant-ligatures:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">To: Diocesan News <<a href="mailto:news@dionewark.org">news@dionewark.org</a>></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:12pt;margin-bottom:12pt"><span style="font-size:14pt;font-family:Arial;font-variant-ligatures:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">Subject: [Diocesan News] Assistance Available</span></p><br style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.3); -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:12pt;margin-bottom:12pt"><span style="font-size:14pt;font-family:Arial;font-variant-ligatures:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">Department of Human Services in NJ annouced the availability of assistance to those left out of other pandemic relief efforts such as but not limited to the undocumented and those returning from the justice system.  See below.</span></p><br style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.3); -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:12pt;margin-bottom:12pt"><span style="font-size:14pt;font-family:Arial;font-variant-ligatures:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">Applications are now open for the Excluded New Jerseyans Fund (ENJF) cash assistance program at <a href="http://ExcludedNJFund.nj.gov">ExcludedNJFund.nj.gov</a>.</span></p><br style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.3); -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:12pt;margin-bottom:12pt"><span style="font-size:14pt;font-family:Arial;font-variant-ligatures:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">“Eligible individuals will be able to apply for the Excluded New Jerseyans Fund and start the process to get this critical assistance,” Acting Commissioner Sarah Adelman said. “If you did not receive federal stimulus checks and pandemic unemployment assistance, you may be eligible. If you were impacted by COVID and struggled to pay for basic needs including housing, you may be eligible. Visit our website, find out if you are eligible and apply today."</span></p><br style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.3); -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:12pt;margin-bottom:12pt"><span style="font-size:14pt;font-family:Arial;font-variant-ligatures:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">The $40 million ENJF program will provide a one-time, direct cash benefit to eligible households that suffered an economic hardship due to COVID-19 and were excluded from federal stimulus checks and COVID-19 related unemployment assistance.           </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:12pt;margin-bottom:12pt"><span style="font-size:14pt;font-family:Arial;font-variant-ligatures:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">This includes undocumented individuals, residents returning from the justice system, and any other individuals otherwise excluded from pandemic-related financial help.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:12pt;margin-bottom:12pt"><span style="font-size:14pt;font-family:Arial;font-variant-ligatures:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">Households with annual incomes of up to $55,000 with a documented hardship or lost income due to COVID-19 can apply for this assistance. Eligible applicants will receive a benefit of up to $1,000 per eligible individual and a max of $2,000 per household.</span></p><br style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.3); -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:12pt;margin-bottom:12pt"><span style="font-size:14pt;font-family:Arial;font-variant-ligatures:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">Applications will be processed in the order they are received and until funds are exhausted.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:12pt;margin-bottom:12pt"><span style="font-size:14pt;font-family:Arial;font-variant-ligatures:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">The ENJF program is run by the Department’s Office of New Americans (ONA).</span></p><br style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.3); -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:12pt;margin-bottom:12pt"><span style="font-size:14pt;font-family:Arial;font-variant-ligatures:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">“We are glad we can extend this assistance to individuals who need it,” Deputy Commissioner Elisa Neira said. “Eligibility requirements are on the <a href="http://ExcludedNJFund.nj.gov">ExcludedNJFund.nj.gov</a> website. "We continue to encourage potential applicants to check if they are eligible and apply.”</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:12pt;margin-bottom:12pt"><span style="font-size:14pt;font-family:Arial;font-variant-ligatures:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">“This assistance will be available until funds run out so we urge individuals who meet the eligibility requirements for these benefits and who can provide the required documentation to apply once the application opens” said ONA Director Johanna Calle.</span></p><br style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.3); -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:12pt;margin-bottom:12pt"><span style="font-size:14pt;font-family:Arial;font-variant-ligatures:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">Learn more.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:12pt;margin-bottom:12pt"><span style="font-size:14pt;font-family:Arial;font-variant-ligatures:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">The Rev. Deacon Diane Riley  </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:12pt;margin-bottom:12pt"><span style="font-size:14pt;font-family:Arial;font-variant-ligatures:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">973-906-3467</span></p><br style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.3); -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;">-- <br><div dir="ltr" class="gmail_signature" data-smartmail="gmail_signature"><div dir="ltr"><div><font face="tahoma, sans-serif"><span style="color:rgb(34,34,34)"><br></span></font><div><font face="tahoma, sans-serif"><span style="color:rgb(34,34,34)"><span>​</span>Warmly, <br>Linda Melendez, President<br>National Federation of the Blind of New Jersey<br>732-421-7063<br></span><span style="color:rgb(34,34,34)">Email: </span><a href="mailto:president@nfbnj.org" style="color:rgb(17,85,204)" target="_blank">president@nfbnj.org</a><span style="color:rgb(34,34,34)"></span><span style="color:rgb(34,34,34)"><br><i>Website: </i></span><a href="http://www.nfbnj.org/" style="color:rgb(17,85,204)" target="_blank"><i><span style="color:rgb(5,99,193)">www.nfbnj.org</span></i></a><i style="color:rgb(34,34,34)"><br>Facebook: </i><a href="https://m.facebook.com/NFB-NJ-353099574776238" style="color:rgb(17,85,204)" target="_blank"><i><span style="color:rgb(5,99,193)">https://m.facebook.com/NFB-NJ-353099574776238</span></i></a><i style="color:rgb(34,34,34)"><br>Twitter: </i><a href="https://twitter.com/nfbnewjersey" style="color:rgb(17,85,204)" target="_blank"><i><span style="color:rgb(5,99,193)">@NFBNewJersey</span></i></a><i style="color:rgb(34,34,34)"><br>YouTube: </i><a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCKEDbjGsCYHMlwd4gqpBPjg" style="color:rgb(17,85,204)" target="_blank"><i><span style="color:rgb(5,99,193)">NFBNJTransformDreams</span></i></a><i style="color:rgb(34,34,34)"><br>Live the life you want.<br></i><br style="color:rgb(34,34,34)"><span style="color:rgb(34,34,34)"><i><font size="1">The National Federation of the Blind of New Jersey is a community of members and friends who believe in the hopes and dreams of the nation’s blind. Everyday we work together to help blind people live the lives they want.</font></i></span></font><br></div><div><font face="tahoma, sans-serif"><span style="color:rgb(34,34,34)"><i><font size="1"><br></font></i></span></font></div><div></div></div><div dir="auto"></div><font color="#888888"></font></div></div>