Middlesex County assistance programs.

How to get help paying bills

Two local organizations have received additional government funds that will be used to provide assistance. The Jewish Renaissance Foundation of Perth Amboy and the Puerto Rican Action Board, Inc. of New Brunswick are the community action agencies for Middlesex County New Jersey.

Both of these are newly designated community action agencies, and the non profits were also able to get a one-shot infusion of revenue from the federal stimulus package. The Puerto Rican Action Board got about $900,000 in funds, and The Jewish Renaissance Foundation got about $800,000 in stimulus funding. The funding will allow both groups to greatly increase the amount of assistance they can provide to local families.

A spokesperson from the Jewish Renaissance Foundation said that the additional funding will, among other things, allow the organization to establish child-care facilities. In addition, they will have a mobile dental clinic visit towns in conjunction with the Jewish Renaissance Medical Center that will provide people with free or discounted dental care.

New Jersey has designated the Jewish Renaissance Foundation to serve as the community action agency for the Middlesex County East region, which includes Carteret, Edison, Metuchen, Perth Amboy, Sayreville, South Amboy, Woodbridge and Highland Park.

The Jewish Renaissance Foundation is located at 149 Kearny Ave.

The Puerto Rican Action Board Inc. will allow the organization to greatly expand upon an already broad range of assistance services offered. They can now provide emergency assistance program targeted for food and housing. In addition, the agency's food pantry will be expanded while a new assistance program will be created to provide emergency assistance for rental, monthly mortgage payments, and heating payments for families who may be either in jeopardy of losing their homes or who are without adequate heat or utility services.

The Puerto Rican Action Board has been named as the charity agency for Middlesex County West serving people from Cranbury, Dunellen, East Brunswick, Helmetta, Jamesburg, Middlesex Borough, Milltown, Monroe, New Brunswick, North Brunswick, Old Bridge, Piscataway, South Brunswick, Plainsboro, South Plainfield, South River and Spotswood.

To learn more or apply, the Puerto Rican Action Boar is located at 90 Jersey Ave.