January 26, 2017 - Christie Administration Awards $585,000 in Recreational Opportunities for Individuals with Disabilities Grants
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Thursday, January 26, 2017
Local Governments Receive Grants to Support Ongoing Recreational Programs and Special Events
Trenton, NJ – The Department of Community Affairs Commissioner Charles A. Richman today announced the award of $585,000 in grants to two counties and 29 municipalities through the Recreational Opportunities for Individuals with Disabilities (ROID) program. ROID grants ensure the necessary accommodations are made for full inclusion for individuals with disabilities participating in municipal and county recreation programs. The grants also help local governments in meeting Americans with Disabilities Act requirements.
A number of programs are supported through the ROID program including athletics, performing arts, and leisure activities such as, after-school programs, team sports, visual arts, storytelling, and cooking classes. The activities, provided to children and adults with disabilities, are designed with an emphasis on positive reinforcement, social interaction and community awareness.
“Recreation plays an integral role in the lives and rehabilitation of people with disabilities,” said Commissioner Richman. “These grants offer physically-challenged children and adults a variety of athletic opportunities to enhance their lives.”
Created in 1978, the ROID program offers two grants to assist municipalities and counties in delivering both short-term special events and comprehensive, integrated recreational services for individuals with disabilities. The Comprehensive Grant supports continuous, integrated recreation and leisure service programs, and the Special Event Grant funds short-term events, which fulfills a particular and specific community need. Each grant requires a 20 percent cash match.
ROID grant recipients and projects include:
|
Grantee Name |
Project Description |
Award |
|
Barnegat Township |
Provides various programming activities for pre-school and school-age children with disabilities. An after-school club will be provided for teens students. |
$ 20,000 |
|
Bloomfield Township |
Provides an integrated after-school arts program for Bloomfield's residents with developmental disabilities. |
$ 20,000 |
|
Brick Township |
Offers inclusive recreational activities through a Winter Camp where children with developmental disabilities interact through games, arts and crafts, sports and trips. Additional activities throughout the year will be targeted for inclusion to increase participation. |
$ 20,000 |
|
Camden County |
Provides a regularly scheduled inclusive recreational program for all Camden County’s disabled residents. |
$ 35,000 |
|
Cherry Hill Township |
Offers access and individualized accommodations in arts and cultural programming for children, teens and seniors with disabilities. |
$ 20,000 |
|
East Brunswick Township |
The East Brunswick Youth Council provides a social setting for all teenagers, regardless of special needs. The program provides an integrated setting on recreational trips, activities, sports programs and community service opportunities. |
$ 20,000 |
|
Eatontown Borough |
Creates an inclusive recreation program that fosters creativity and innovation. The program provides a forum for positive social interaction between participants. |
$ 20,000 |
|
Englewood City |
Offers, through the Englewood Recreation Department, appropriate behavioral therapy for children, who are identified as having a disability and also behavioral issues. |
$ 15,552 |
|
Fanwood Borough |
Delivers individualized recreation assistance to children who have special needs and encompass a broad range of ages and functional limitations. |
$ 16,500 |
|
Franklin Township |
Broadens participants’ horizons by exposing them to a variety of programs on a monthly basis. |
$ 6,700 |
|
Hudson County |
Unites individuals who reside in Hudson County, through artistic expression, learning of new artistic mediums, and skill development. |
$ 21,402 |
|
Jackson Township |
Offers integrated recreation and leisure activities throughout the year for residents with disabilities and their peers including sports, bowling, cooking and crafts, arts, and horseback riding. |
$ 15,000 |
|
Jersey City |
Youth will learn the fundamentals of golf in the Jersey City Youth Golf program. Participants will also learn core values such as integrity, respect and perseverance. |
$ 20,000 |
|
Linden City |
Provides recreational activities for Linden's disabled population. |
$ 18,505 |
|
Livingston Township |
Exposes, through the Shining Stars program, individuals with special needs to a variety of team sports, art, and recreational programs, special events and activities. Participants will work with a “shadow” to support inclusion and to build self-confidence and esteem. |
$ 15,000 |
|
Lyndhurst Township |
Offers integrated recreation programs for people with disabilities residing in Lyndhurst and other Bergen County Municipalities. |
$ 7,500 |
|
Middletown Township |
Provides children with disabilities the opportunity to participate in social activities alongside peers in a summer camp setting. |
$ 20,000 |
|
Montville Township |
Expands and develops inclusive programs that address the multiple needs of children with disabilities, including the photography program, disc jockey program, rock band and online radio show. The Youth Internship Program will be expanded. |
$ 35,000 |
|
North Bergen Township |
Provides structured recreation and socialization activities to individuals with and without disabilities, including dancing, dining, and arts and crafts. |
$ 20,000 |
|
Paramus Borough |
Engages the families of children with disabilities through the All Sports Field Day. |
$ 1,000 |
|
Parsippany-Troy Hills Township |
Develops inclusive recreation and leisure activities on an ongoing basis for people with disabilities including afterschool, evening, and weekend sports and recreational activities. |
$ 20,000 |
|
Plainsboro Township |
Provides multiple offerings including affordable swim instruction, a music movement, and a creative drama program that focuses on development of social, motor, and drama skills through peer interaction and physical activities. Additionally, a Young Athletes program, sponsored by the Special Olympics, will be offered year round. |
$ 20,000 |
|
Roselle Borough |
Provides, through the summer program, a variety of recreational, leisure and enrichment activities for children with disabilities in the Borough of Roselle. The Borough will also provide leisure and enrichment activities for special needs children K–12. |
$ 15,000 |
|
Roxbury Township |
Offers programming for youth and young adults with disabilities, which includes participation in integrated recreational activities to develop and enhance their social interactions, social responsibility, self- awareness and life skills to increase independence. |
$ 17,881 |
|
Secaucus Township |
Establishes a new integrated recreation program to administer recreational activities for the benefit and development of disabled children and their non-disabled peers ages 5 to 12. |
$ 20,000 |
|
Summit City
|
Coordinates recreation programs and special events through the TryCAN program, a collaboration with nearby communities that offers recreation programs for children with special needs or those who need special accommodation. |
$ 21,600 |
|
Union County |
Provides a series of stage performances with special adaptations for children with autism and related disabilities. Social events will be held twice a year at county facilities or parks. |
$ 35,000 |
|
Union Township |
Offers an inclusive after-school arts program for children who are developmentally disabled. Also offers a year-round inclusive recreational activity for children 6-12 to provide social recreational learning. |
$ 20,000 |
|
West Milford Township |
Provides recreational activities to young adults and older teens with developmental disabilities. Participants can participate in therapeutic horseback riding, visiting the library, and social activities including Karaoke night, Night at the Carnival, dinner dances and holiday celebrations. |
$ 20,000 |
|
West Orange Township |
Offers special needs children residing in West Orange an opportunity to learn to ride a two-wheeler bike. |
$ 8,720 |
|
Woodbridge Township |
Provides a swim program dedicated to help students with special needs learn how to stay safe while swimming. |
$ 20,000 |
|
31 Approved Applications Total: $ 585,000 |
||
The Division of Housing and Community Resources strengthens and revitalizes communities through the delivery of affordable housing, supportive services and the provision of financial and technical assistance to communities, local government and community-based organizations. The Office of Community Services distributes federal funds to community agencies that help income-eligible households with health, education, employment, and housing needs. It also oversees the Office of Recreation, which certifies professionals and provides technical assistance on recreation.
For more information about the Division, visit http://www.state.nj.us/dca/divisions/dhcr/
CONTACT:
Tammori Petty
or Emike Omogbai
(609) 292-6055
