The team solicited donations from the Seton Hall community with a drop-off location in the Richie Regan Recreation Center over a two week period and delivered the boxes of donated items to the Family Success Center on Monday, April 23.
"Thanks to the compassion and dedication of Seton Hall men's soccer team, new and gently used clothing will be provided to families in need through the Newark Now Family Success Center at Georgia King Village," said Chesha Hodge, director of the Newark Now Family Success Center.
"The purpose of collaboration is clarified in moments like these, where the community gives unto itself; providing support, basic needs and a regained hope in the concept of community," Hodge added.
Newark Now operates neighborhood-based Family Success Centers that are strength-based, culturally competent, and able to provide convenient and coordinated access to information, support, and resources that families need to be successful. The Family Success Centers provide a range of governmental and non-governmental services and support to promote safety, well-being, and self-sufficiency for families who voluntarily request assistance at the Center sites.
The Centers are staffed, in part, by members of the community, and are supported by partnerships with government agencies and community organizations who help facilitate the provision of services and resources such as General Assistance and TANF, the Earned Income Tax Credit, Food Stamps, health insurance, free prescription drug coverage, pre-natal care, career readiness activities, parenting workshops, anti-violence workshops, and nutrition workshops.
Over the past year, Newark Now has served more than 1,000 unduplicated families at its three Centers. In addition, Newark Now serves in an intermediary role, helping to facilitate the work of all 15 Newark-based Family Success Centers with regard to the sharing of best practices, creation of data collection, development of strategies to increase awareness of the Centers' work, and identification of additional resources to support the Centers' work.
