Congressman Mark Pocan of Wisconsin will join New Jersey Congressman Donald Norcross to announce the grant
Democratic Congressman Donald Norcross (NJ-01) will be joined by Congressman Mark Pocan of Wisconsin of the Congressional Equality Caucus, and others on Monday at 3pm in Collingswood to present a check for $175,000 in funding to Garden State Equality (GSE).
The New Jersey nonprofit provides support services and programming to members of the state’s LGBTQ community. The grant will allow for expansion of services. GSE Executive Director Christian Fuscarino will be in attendance.
“We are thrilled to have Congressman Donald Norcross as a partner on our work around lived equality in Camden, NJ,” said Fuscarino on behalf of GSE. “LGBTQ people, particularly LGBTQ people of color, are statistically more likely to experience what we call adverse childhood experiences, like being exposed to violence, poverty, and substance abuse.
“To address these disparities, Garden State Equality and community partners are working in Camden County on a healing-centered community model focused on empowering those most impacted by trauma to be leaders in their own community healing. We are thankful for Congressman Norcross for seeing the importance of this work and working with us to help ensure all those in Camden County have a shot at experiencing lived equality.”
As Republican politicians across the country continue their assault on LGBTQ people, Representatives Norcross and Pocan said they are standing in solidarity with New Jersey’s LGBTQ community and their families.
At the grant announcement Robert Lewandowski and Morgan Robinson, both Commissioners in the Borough of Collingswood, will also be in attendance. They will be joined by Alisha DeLorenzo, Adverse Childhood Experiences Consultant at GSE.
The GSE project will educate and empower South Jersey residents to address adverse childhood experiences through a self-healing community model focused on education, social support, stress reduction strategies, and resilience, thereby improving mental health outcomes for community youth. The project will provide funding for continued education and services to combat adverse childhood experiences around mental health.
The check to GSE is the smallest of all the grants and will be presented at Knight Park Playground, 400 Browning Road in Collingswood.
Other Community Funding Recipients are, Volunteers of America Delaware Valley ($500,000), Camden County Police Department ($500,000), Acenda Integrated Health ($300,000), Center for Family Services ($600,000), Rowan University ($500,000), Jewish Federation of South Jersey ($250,000), Camden County Historical Society ($500,000), and Cooper University Health Care ($500,000).
