Atlantic Human Resources.
The community action agency for the counties of Atlantic and Cape May New Jersey is the Atlantic Human Resources, Inc. This non-profit organization is focused on addressing the needs of the poor, low income, seniors, and less fortunate in the community.
Each and every service they provide will have a formal application process in place. Also, resources are limited and they depend heavily on government grants and donations from the public. The organization can help people with their housing needs, provide educational services to children (such as Head Start), distribute food and energy bill assistance. Other assistance may also be offered to those that qualify.
Heating and utility bill assistance is available as part of the LIHEAP or Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program. This focuses on paying winter heating costs and can help qualified households pay their electric, gas, and heating costs during the cold winter months.
Atlantic County families may also benefit from Low-Income Energy Conservation Programs, including weatherization. It will install, for free, energy conservation materials such as insulation in the homes of those New Jersey families that qualify.
The state of New Jersey Universal Service Fund is for struggling, unemployed, and low income families. It gives them access to funding to help them with the cost of paying for their home heating bills. Cape May families and individuals that qualify will receive help in the form of a credit that will be used towards electric and natural gas bills.
The Atlantic Human Resources, Inc. is a HUD certified Housing Counseling Agency. So the services for rent, mortgage, and housing issues is extensive. Much if it is funded by an annual government grant.
When possible, the non-profit will pay for a full range of services. Staff offer advice and assistance to consumers in an effort to help them in improving their overall housing conditions. It is offered for people that own their home or rent as well and it assists with multiple needs.
Specialists can provide free information, advice, case management and ongoing assistance to address housing needs of income qualified clients on a wide range of issues. Under the highest demand is the requests for financial aid for rental delinquency and mortgage default assistance.
Other services from the non-profit include information for first time homebuyers, risk loss mitigation, homebuyer education, pre-occupancy, the Home Equity Conversion Mortgage Program, improvement and rehabilitation, and also displacement and relocation and pre-foreclosure sales in the Atlantic County region. The housing services are available at 1 S. New York Avenue, Ste. 303, Atlantic City, NJ 08401, call (609)348-4131.
Short term rental subsidies may be distributed from the agencies Housing Assistance Program. Low income and struggling customers who are found to be income eligible and are behind on their rent will receive temporary subsidies. As funding allows, they will be assisted for up to one year of time. Call 609- 343-7380.
Outreach and General Community Programming will coordinate emergency assistance and human services for working poor and low-income residents of the Atlantic City region and Cape May Counties. There are several sites located in the county. What may be offered includes intake, outreach, counseling, referral and follow-up, transportation neighborhood coordination, youth services, child day care, summer day camps, employment assistance and volunteer projects. Atlantic Human Resources will also work with other charities and non-profits such as Cape Human Resources, Inc.
Free tax help is available to individuals who are age 60 or older from VITA, or the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance Program. The low income, seniors, and poor can get free tax advice and help. Most of the aid is for those individuals who are age 60 or older.
VITA can provide technical assistance from IRS trained and certifies volunteers. They will provide free tax assistance and counseling to elderly individuals. This is done in an effort to help them in the preparation of their federal government and state of New Jersey income tax returns. Funds and grants from the federal government are used to reimburse the IRS trained volunteers for most of their out-of-pocket expenses including meals, transportation and other expenses that may be incurred by them in providing tax counseling assistance. There are locations open across the county that are hopefully convenient to the taxpayers.
Day Care Pre-School is a form of Childcare. The community action agency program provides several services to children from qualified families that range in ages from 2 to 5 years. Those children from the community that enroll will be able to receive benefits and include social, emotional, physical and intellectual growth. Atlantic Human Resources also coordinates a life skills program for parents and gives them social services. Priority is for abused/neglected children. There may than likely will be costs due from the family, and those fees are based upon the applicants income and also their total family size.
Atlantic Human Resources also coordinates assistance as part of the Child and Adult Food Program. The agency partners with senior centers and day care sites in Cape May to serve breakfast, lunch and p.m. snack to the children enrolled in the Child Day Care and Head Start classes.
Education and additional child care services are administered as part of the Early Head Start Program as well as Head Start, which is for older children. These resources serve as an infant, prenatal, toddler, and family development program for qualified children and their families.
Head Start may offer children support that builds on family strengths and responds to individual family needs. It also provides comprehensive yet intensive child development and family support services. Early Head Start is for pregnant women, infants, and toddlers up to 36 months. They also need to have an income lower than certain federal government approved guidelines. There is some assistance also available for disabled children.
Federal government funds are used to pay for the Head Start program. The goal is to help Cape May County children grow socially, mentally, emotionally and physically. Children from qualified low income families will also receive free dental and medical dental care, they will be given healthy meals and snack and enjoy playing. In addition to that, the Head Start Program provides assistance to meet the special needs of children with disabilities.
Early Childhood Education emphasizes cognitive, social, emotional and physical development of the child. It can meet each child’s individual needs. Also, Cape May County families will receive nutritionally balanced meals such as breakfast, lunch and an afternoon snack.
Health services are coordinated too. As part of Head Start, children receive complete medical and dental examinations including hearing and visual screenings. In addition, follow-up of immunizations and medical problems identified through screenings is also provided. Mental health services are also arranged by Atlantic Human Resources as part of Head Start.
There are several offices that operate as part of Atlantic Human Resources. The centers are below.
- 1 South New York Avenue, Suite 610, Atlantic City, New Jersey 08401, 609-348-4131
- Pleasantville Day Care Center, 119 W. Bayview Ave., Pleasantville, NJ 08232, main phone 609-641-5111
- Dr. Martin Luther King Complex, Dr. Martin Luther King Blvd., Atlantic City, New Jersey 08401, 609-343-7380
- 98 Market Street, 1st Floor, Salem, NJ 08079, telephone 856-935-7510
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