HSAC

Resource Guide for New Americans – PDFs

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Resource Guide for New Americans

Below are resources & services complied by the Union County Human Services Advisory Council (HSAC) to address the needs of immigrants arriving in New Jersey, as well as, assisting local partners in the human services network.  This document is intended to assist newcomers who may NOT be able to furnish proof of status as a U.S. citizen, legal permanent resident or “qualified alien,” but who are making their home in Union County.

Food Pantry and/or Soup Kitchen

• Jefferson Park Ministries
  • 70 W. Grand St. Elizabeth, NJ 07202 – 908-469-9508
    • Food pantry every 2^nd & 3^rd Thursday of the month 1pm-5pm, registration starts at 9am. ID IS REQUIRED.
• Rahway Community Action Organization
  • 796 E. Hazelwood Ave. Rahway, NJ 07065 – 732-382-9311
    • Every Wednesday 10am ends when food runs out.  ID IS REQUIRED.
• Jewish Family Service Central NJ
  • 655 Westfield Ave. Elizabeth, NJ 07208 – 908-352-8375
    • Food pantry every Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, & Friday 10:30am – 12:30pm & 1:30 – 3:30pm. You can visit the food pantry two (2) times per month.  REGISTRATION REQUIRED.
• St. Joseph’s Social Services
  • 118 Division St. Elizabeth, NJ 07201 – 908-354-5456
    • Sandwiches are given out every day between 9am-12pm & 1pm-3pm
    • Hot soup kitchen every Saturday 11:30am-1pm
    • Monthly Community Distribution Days: see website for current calendar at www.sjeliz.org

Housing/Emergency Shelter

• United Way of Greater Union County
  • 33 W. Grand St. Elizabeth, NJ 07202 – 908-353-7171
    • Rental assistance
• Rahway Community Action Organization
  • 796 E. Hazelwood Ave. Rahway, NJ 07065 – 732-382-9311
    • Rental & utility assistance; other emergency needs assistance
• PROCEED, INC.
  • 1126 Dickinson St. Elizabeth, NJ 07065 – 908-351-7727
    • Rental assistance through grant (CSBG) & County (GAP) funds
• NJ 211
  • Dial 211 or https://www.nj211.org
• Elizabeth Coalition to House the Homeless
  •  118 Division St. Elizabeth, NJ 07201 – 908-355-2060
    • Temporary Housing/Emergency Shelter
• YWCA Union County/Family Justice Center
  • 10 Cherry St. Elizabeth, NJ 07201 – 908-355-2060
    • Emergency shelter for domestic violence victims
• Family Promise Union County
  • 402 Union Ave. Elizabeth, NJ 07208 – 908-289-7300
    • Emergency Shelter/ Rental Assistance/ Shelter Diversion
• Elizabethport Community Center
  • 250 2^nd St. Elizabeth, NJ 07206 – 732-381-4100
    • Temporary Housing/Emergency Shelter

Toiletries

• Jefferson Park Ministries
  • 70 W. Grand St. Elizabeth, NJ 07202 – 908-469-9508
    • Free diapers every 3^rd Thursday of the month 1pm-5pm. MUST have child’s birth certificate & ID.
    • Free menstrual pads every 2^nd Thursday of the month 1pm-5pm

Immigration Legal Services

• Jefferson Park Ministries
  • 70 W. Grand St. Elizabeth, NJ 07202 – 908-469-9508
• International Rescue Committee
  • 208 Commerce Place, 4^th Floor Elizabeth, NJ 07201 – 908-290-5496
• Union County Newcomer Welcome Center
• Open every 4^th Wednesday of the month

42 Broad Street, Elizabeth, NJ 07201

1:00 – 6:00 pm

• Once a month, join a network of community-based organizations to access information and resources for newcomers to Union County, New Jersey, including:
• Orientation to the US immigration legal system (no individual consultations available)
• Health insurance enrollment and health care access (including on-site vaccinations)
• Local food pantries and soup kitchens
• Mental health and well-being services
• And more!

• NJ Office of New Americans works in partnership with legal service providers including Legal Services of New Jersey, American Friends Service Committee, Rutgers Law School, & Seton Hall Law School

https://www.nj.gov/humanservices/njnewamericans/newcomers

• Provides free & expert legal counsel & representation to individuals with low incomes who are at risk & vulnerable to deportations or are facing deportation/removal proceedings in New Jersey & do not have access to legal counsel. See full details & contact information here:

https://www.nj.gov/humanservices/njnewamericans/programs/.

• Catholic Charities of Newark – Legal Orientation Programs
  • Family Group Legal Orientation Program (FGLOP) serves recently-arrived families who are on the court’s Dedicated Docket. Families may be on this special docket if they are apprehended between ports of entry on or after May 28, 2021, quickly placed in removal proceedings, & enrolled in Alternatives to Detention.
    • Email: FGLOP@ccannj.org
    • Phone #: 973-733-3516 ext. 161228 or option 5 from the main menu program list
  • Immigration Court Helpdesk (ICH) serves non-detained individuals in removal proceedings, i.e. any individual who is not on the Dedicated Docket.
    • Email: ICH@ccannj.org
    • Phone #: 973-733-3516 ext. 161212 or option 4 from the main menu program list
  • Legal Orientation Program for Custodians (LOPC) focuses on unaccompanied minors in removal proceedings. LOPC informs custodians of their responsibilities in ensuring that the child’s appearance at all immigration proceedings & that the child’s mental health, physical health, & educational needs are met, as well as in protecting the child from mistreatment, exploitation, & trafficking.
    • Email: LOPC@ccannj.org
    • Phone #: 973-733-3516 ext. 161227 or option 3 from the main menu program list
• El Centro Hispanoamericano
  • 525 East Front St. Plainfield, NJ – 908-753-8730
    • Counseling & representation of low-income immigrants, including the undocumented
• American Friends Services Committee (AFSC) Immigrant Rights Program
  • 89 Market St. 6^th Floor, Newark NJ – 973-643-1924
    • Offers legal services for individuals facing deportation for people in detention, for survivors of domestic violence & other crimes, for unaccompanied minors & to assist in family reunification through naturalization & other immigration applications.
• Centro Comunitario Comitѐ En Unión para Salvadoreňos (CEUS)
  • 2119 Kennedy Boulevard, North Bergen, NJ – 201-617-2466
    • CEUS legal staff accepts the following cases: citizenship, family petitions, political asylum, work permits (NACARA, VAWA), domestic violence cases.
• African Diaspora for Justice
  • 528 Linden Ave. Elizabeth, New Jersey 07202 – 929-600-3147
    • Provides help with Asylum, Adjustment of Status, Temporary Protected Status (TPS), Removal Proceedings, Domestic Abuse, visa extension, work authorization, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) matter, Immigration Court & other legal matters
• Make the Road New Jersey
  • 42 Broad St. Elizabeth, NJ 07201 – 908-368-1196
    • Immigration legal services

Youth & Family Services (ex: afterschool enrichment, tutoring)

• United Way of Greater Union County – 908-353-7171
  • GED/HSE Preparation & Workforce Development
  • Accessing resources to address education & health needs
  • Parent Leadership workshops (via Zoom) in English & Spanish ($25 gift card for workshop participation)
• Jefferson Park Ministries – 908-469-9508
• Make the Road New Jersey
  • 42 Broad St. Elizabeth, NJ 07201 – 908-368-1196
    • Youth Services (ex: afterschool enrichment, tutoring), English to Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) classes, driving classes for the written test.
• Families & Communities Together (FACT)
  • 240 Sheffield St. Mountainside NJ, 07092 – 908-789-8500
    • Care managers to support youth & families using wrap around model, mainly to address mental & behavioral health needs; meet with youth & families to create a plan that will help youth thrive in community
    • Services might include linkage to counseling, mentoring, parent coaching, etc. FACT also works alongside system partners such as NJ Division of Child Protection and Permanency (DCP&P), Probation, Juvenile Court, Family Support Organization, schools, etc. to ensure best outcomes for youth & families.
• Elizabethport Community Center
  • 250 2^nd St. Elizabeth, NJ 07206 – 732-381-4100
    • Afterschool enrichment, tutoring
• Bayway Family Success Center
  • 10 1^st St. Elizabethport, NJ 07206 – 908-289-0136
    • Parent Education, Parent-child activities

Financial Literacy/Financial Coaching

• Rahway Community Action Organization – 732-382-9311
• International Rescue Committee – 908-290-5496 (including tax preparation services)
• Jewish Family Service Central NJ – 908-352-8375
• PROCEED, INC. – 908-351-7727
• Elizabethport Community Center – 732-381-4100
• Bayway Family Success Center – 908-289-0136
• Hillside Family Success Center – 908-409-2962
• Urban League – 908-351-7200

Employment

• Rahway Community Action Organization – 732-382-9311
• Elizabethport Community Center – 732-381-4100

Non-immigration related legal services

• Jefferson Park Ministries – 908-469-9508

Health Services

• Union Township Health Department: No-cost vaccinations
• Union County Division of Social Services – 908-965-2700: Emergency medical for adults; Medicaid coverage for children under 19 years old
• PROCEED, INC – 908-351-7727: Counseling Services
• 988: National suicide & crisis hotline
• Planned Parenthood
  • Elizabeth: 1171 Elizabeth Avenue, Elizabeth NJ 07201 – (908) 351-5384
  • *Patient Assistance Line (833) 365-7526 {A member will answer questions, manage your prescriptions, & help you address your sexual & reproductive health care needs}.
• Partnership for Maternal & Child Health of Northern New Jersey
  • Connecting NJ is a first stop resource for women of reproductive health age. Connecting NJ referrals can be made at: https://connecting.nj.gov or by calling 201-876-8900
• St. Joseph’s Social Services – 908-354-5456
  • Health services for life saving prescription medication assistance (ex: diabetes); adult mental health counseling.
• Elizabethport Community Center – 732-381-4100
  • Senior nutrition and food security
• Bayway Family Success Center
  • 10 1^st St. Elizabethport, NJ 07206 – 908-289-0136
    • Access to information on child, maternal and family health services

FEDERALLY QUALIFIED HEALTH CENTERS

• Neighborhood Health Services: Charity Care for Services provided on-site
  • Find a federally qualified health center (FQHC): https://findahealthcenter.hrsa.gov (no insurance needed to access care at FQHC facilities)

Child Day Care Application Assistance

understand/outline eligibility criteria for Community Coordinated Child Care of Union County (4Cs) – 973-923-1433

• Rahway Community Action Organization – 732-382-9311
• PROCEED, INC. – 908-351-7727

Other / General Services

• International Rescue Committee (IRC) – 908-290-5496 – certain newcomers in immigration proceedings may qualify for benefits & services funded by the US Office of Refugee Resettlement. These ORR-eligible populations (who have documents outlined by ORR) can qualify for a full suite of services at IRC, including cash assistance (for single adults/couples with no minor children), employment services, case management, youth & adult education, & health & wellness services.
• NJ Women, Infant & Children (WIC) – Mother support for expectant mothers/with children less than 6yrs old
  • Elizabeth: 240 Williamson Street, 4^th floor, Suite 403 – (908) 994-5141 – WIC@rwjbh.org
  • Plainfield: 510 Watchung Avenue – (908) 753-3397 – wic@plainfieldnj.gov
• Personal Responsibility & Work Opportunity Act of 1996 & HUD’s Homeless Assistance Programs:
  • https://files.hudexchange.info/resources/documents/PRWORA-Fact-Sheet.pdf

Please be aware that the availability of any service described in this document is contingent upon each client’s program eligibility, as well as sufficient funding.  Inclusion of any agency or organization in this document does NOT imply endorsement of its purpose, NOR does omission imply disapproval of any entity.

For more information about these services in Union County and/or additional/updates copies of this flyer, please contact the Union County Department of Human Services Action Line at:
(908) 677-5405 or via email at DHSaction@ucnj.org.