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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:
* 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
* Family Success Centers that connect more than 1,000 of Newark's most challenged families to vital government and non-governmental services and resources in ongoing ways
*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.
* Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) sites that, in 2009, have helped more than 3,000 low-income families obtain more than $4.6 million in tax refunds via free, professional tax preparation services
* Super Summer initiative - In 2009, 147,214 Newarkers participated in 309 Super Summer events, including block parties, outdoor movies, music concerts, cultural festivals, sporting events, farmers markets, and more. Also, in 2008, nearly 100,000 Super Summer Directories in newspaper format were filled with summer opportunities for youth, families and seniors were distributed throughout the five wards in Newark.
* A Fatherhood Center that, on its second year, will help almost 200 fathers annually develop a stronger commitment to fatherhood, stronger parenting skills, and more solid employment skills.
* An annual Brighter Holidays campaign that provides challenged Newark families with more than 3,000 turkeys each Thanksgiving, and provides more than 1,000 families with toys, clothing, and food during December.
