Neighbor News
Hunterdon Senior Program Awarded Grant
Hunterdon Senior Programs Gain More Than $770,000 With Grant Agreement Approved By Freeholders
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
DATE: September 30, 2019
Contact: Susan Soloway, Freeholder
Find out what's happening in Flemingtonfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
Hunterdon Senior Programs Gain More Than $770,000
Find out what's happening in Flemingtonfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
With Grant Agreement Approved By Freeholders
The Hunterdon County Freeholder Board, at the September 17th meeting, approved a $777,452 grant agreement with the state Department of Human Services, that includes just $11,487 in County funds, to provide services for the senior citizen population as part of Hunterdon County’s Area Plan.
Freeholder Sue Soloway, the Board’s liaison for the County Department of Human Services, stated, “The minimal match for these grant funds makes this one of the County’s most efficient programs, dollar for dollar, while delivering vital services for our seniors, such as the Meals on Wheels program.”
The outside funding includes $418,229 in federal grant funds and $347,736 in state grant funds, administered by the state Department of Human Services, Division of Aging.
Hunterdon County programs funded by the grant includes; Mr. Fix It, Adult Protective Services, Information & Assistance (a referral program), Evidence based health programs, and senior exercise programs.
Additionally, the grant allows the County to support such senior programs as the Link paratransit system, Home Health, Safe Housing Program, Friendly Visitor, Telephone Reassurance, Congregate and Home Delivered Meals, Nutrition services and evaluation, Legal Services specific to Seniors, Caregiver support groups, and Adult Day Centers.
The Older Americans Act requires each Area Agency on Aging, which in the case of Hunterdon County is the Division of Senior, Disabilities, and Veterans Services, to prepare and update annually an Area Plan to foster the development of a comprehensive and coordinated service system to meet the needs of older persons in the county.
Soloway said, “As required by the law, the County held a public hearing on senior needs on May 17, 2019, which both Freeholder Director Suzanne Lagay and I attended. The hearing helps to define and create awareness of the various needs of the community.”
The County Division of Seniors, Disabilities, and Veterans Services staff does a remarkable job in providing services for thousands of Hunterdon seniors. Both the Division and the Department of Human Services staff are to be commended for ensuring the continuation of these grant funds that make so many important programs possible,” Soloway concluded.
