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Newark Now - About Us
Newark Now was founded by Newark Mayor Cory A. Booker in 2003 to provide Newark residents with skills, tools, and support to transform their neighborhoods. After a robust outreach effort, Newark Now's work began with seven brave grassroots organizations. Today, those seven organizations are some of the most successful grassroots organizations within the City of Newark and have been joined by many more grassroots organizations that partner with Newark Now to improve their neighborhoods.
Over the years, Newark Now's work has evolved. Today, Newark Now is an intermediary organization that partners with municipal government, residents, grassroots organizations, and the philanthropic community to catalyze the achievement of significant positive outcomes throughout the city. The organization channels the efforts and energy of the grassroots community to improve safety, economic independence, and civic participation.
Newark Now initiatives include:
* The Financial Empowerment Center (FEC) is dedicated to providing Newark area residents with access to valuable resource and benefits. The FEC directly connects thousands of Newarkers annually to important governmental, financial, and legal services.
* A Fatherhood Center that is committed to helping fathers develop a stronger commitment to father, stronger parenting skills, and more solid employment.
* Family Success Centers that connect more than 1000 of Newark's most challenged families to vital government and non-governmental services and resources in ongoing ways, and coordinated the overall Newark Family Success Center Network of 12 Family Success Centers
* Super Summer initiative that connected more than 150,000 Newarkers to positive activities, events, and resources
* An annual Brighter Holidays campaign that provides more than 1500 challenged Newark families with toys, clothing, and food, during the December holiday season.
* NewarkRx is an innovative program created to assist low-income, uninsured or underinsured New Jersey residents with obtaining access to critically needed, often life-sustaining, prescription medications.
* Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) and Refund Now sites that, in 2010 helped more than 3,800 low-income families obtain more than $6.3 million in tax refunds through free, professional tax preparation services.
* Free Application for Federal Student Aid Coaching - Financial Aid U: At Newark Now's VITA Sites we can help those interested in attending college with the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). We also assist with other issues related to College Access including school selection and college applications.
* A Community Partners initiative that helps dozens of Newark community organizations build capacity and coalitions, and provides organizations with training to help them grow – leadership development, strategic planning, program development, community organizing, fundraising, and media relations
