Christie Administration Awards $585,000 In Recreational Opportunities For Individuals With Disabilites Grants
CHRISTIE ADMINISTRATION AWARDS $585,000 IN RECREATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES FOR INDIVIDUALS WITH DISABILITIES GRANTS
Local Governments Receive Grants to Support Ongoing Recreational Programs and Special Events
TRENTON, N.J. – The Department of Community Affairs today announced 5 counties and 28 municipalities that have been awarded a total of $585,000 in grants through the Recreational Opportunities for Individuals with Disabilities (ROID) program. ROID grants assist local governmental entities in meeting the Americans with Disabilities Act requirements to include people with disabilities into their municipal and county recreation and leisure services and to provide the necessary accommodations to ensure their full inclusion.
This round of funding will support recreation, performing arts, and leisure programs including a fishing derby, after-school programs, team sports, exercise and visual arts programs, storytelling, and healthy cooking. These activities, designed with an emphasis placed on positive reinforcement, social interaction and community awareness, will be provided to children and adults with disabilities.
"The Christie Administration is committed to developing both cultural and recreational opportunities for New Jersey’s residents," said DCA Commissioner Richard E. Constable, III. "These recreational grants help develop and maintain programs and services that enhance the lives of adults and children with disabilities in New Jersey while providing participants with social interaction, skill development, physical activity and personal growth."
Created in 1978, the ROID program offers two grants; the Comprehensive Grant supports continuous, integrated recreation and leisure service programs, and the Special Event Grant for a short-term event, which fulfills a particular and specific community need. In addition, each grant requires a 20 percent cash match.
The ROID program assists municipalities and counties in delivering both short-term special events and comprehensive, integrated recreational services for individuals with disabilities.
Recreational Opportunities for Individuals with Disabilities (ROID) Grant Recipients and projects include:
Grantee Name |
Project Description |
Award Amount |
Atlantic County |
To support the "Out and About" program which provides social and educational experiences for individuals who have various (ADA) disabilities. |
$ 14,975 |
Brick Township |
To offer new, year-round inclusive recreational activities for children ages 5-18 who are developmentally disabled. Chosen activities will provide the greatest opportunity to enable social recreational learning between those with and without disabilities. |
$ 20,000 |
Cape May County |
To offer after school recreation activities, community recreational outings, and a comprehensive recreation and leisure skills program that will benefit multiply-handicapped youth. Blind and/or visually impaired adult residents will also receive instruction in the areas of computers, music, drama and exercise. |
$ 25,066 |
Cherry Hill Township |
To support five programs that help ensure successful participation of individuals with disabilities in all of Cherry Hill's recreation programs. |
$ 20,000 |
East Orange City |
To enable the City to commence "East Orange Autism Awareness Week" in late April with a trip to the popular Turtle Back Zoo. |
$ 1,000 |
Fanwood Borough |
To provide individualized cost-effective, therapy and recreation to children with disabilities through the Scotch Plains/Fanwood Soccer Association and the Scotch Plains/Fanwood Baseball League. |
$ 20,000 |
Gloucester County |
To provide art and sculpture therapy to the blind or visually impaired along with non-disabled peers. Computer literacy training, physical activities and several trips will supplement the art classes and allow for a hands-on art experience. |
$ 14,975 |
Jackson Township |
For 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 |
Lincoln Park Borough |
To provide a recreation program for children with special needs in Lincoln Park. |
$ 7,000 |
Livingston Township |
To provide various recreational activities for individuals with disabilities in Livingston. |
$ 14,975 |
Lyndhurst Township |
For integrated recreation programs for people with disabilities. The program will develop social skills relating to sports and develop gross motor skills, coordination and physical fitness. |
$ 7,500 |
Manasquan Borough |
To offer integrated sports and recreation programs in Manasquan |
$ 20,000 |
Middlesex County |
For the Storytelling in a Multicultural World program designed to introduce people with disabilities to diverse cultural traditions expressed in folktales, myths, and literary adaptations. |
$ 35,000 |
Middletown Township |
To provide integrated recreation programs in Middletown Township. |
$ 20,000 |
Monroe Township |
For inclusive recreation programs for children with various disabilities. Activities will stimulate growth and development, target the social, emotional, behavioral and communications skills of special education students. |
$ 5,471 |
Montville Township |
To expand and develop inclusive programs that address the multiple needs of children with disabilities, including a new employment/entrepreneur training program and inclusive peer-to-peer leadership program. |
$ 20,000 |
North Bergen Township |
To provide integrated recreation programs to residents of North Bergen Township. |
$ 20,000 |
Parsippany-Troy Hills Township |
To develop inclusive recreation and leisure activities on an ongoing basis for people with disabilities including afterschool, evening, and weekend sports and recreational activities. |
$ 20,000 |
Perth Amboy City |
To provide recreation for youth with disabilities who reside in Perth Amboy and surrounding areas. |
$ 20,000 |
Plainsboro Township |
To offer 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 visual arts program will encourage creative expression through various media, including drawing, sculpture, and collage making. |
$ 20,000 |
Roxbury Township |
For recreational programming for youth and young adults with disabilities that includes participation in integrated recreational activities to develop and enhance their social interactions, social responsibility, self- awareness and life skills to increase independence. |
$ 20,000 |
Rutherford Borough |
To enhance and sustain a program of recreational activities which include and benefit both disabled and non-disabled individuals. |
$ 20,000 |
Secaucus Town |
To promote and expand integrated recreation for children and young people with disabilities in municipal recreation. |
$ 20,000 |
South Brunswick Township |
To provide year-round programming including sports, recreation, fitness activities, music and creative dramatic programs that will develop social skills for adults and for youth. |
$ 10,800 |
Summit City
|
For recreation programs for individuals with disabilities including community outings as a complement to the regular schedule of programs. |
$ 20,000 |
Union County |
For 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. |
$ 33,864 |
Union Township |
For an inclusive after-school arts program for children who are developmentally disabled. |
$ 20,000 |
Vernon Township |
To provide an inclusive and innovative program of recreation for individuals with disabilities in Vernon Township. |
$ 14,400 |
Washington Township |
For recreational inclusion opportunities for children with disabilities and their families in Washington Township, Morris County. |
$ 14,974 |
West Caldwell Township |
For year-round inclusive recreation programs for children and adults with disabilities in West Caldwell. |
$ 20,000 |
West Milford Township |
For comprehensive recreational leisure skills and reading enhancement and development programs. A "hands on" experience in the kitchen will be offered using creative and fun cooking skills. |
$ 20,000 |
West Windsor Township |
For the development of recreational programs for individuals with disabilities from West Windsor and vicinity. |
$ 10,000 |
Woodbridge Township |
To provide new recreation opportunities and leisure services for individuals with disabilities at township-operated pools and complexes. |
$ 20,000 |
33 Approved Applications Total: $ $585,000 |
The DCA’s Division of Housing and Community Resources is committed to building neighborhoods and to providing financial and technical assistance to municipalities, community action agencies and other nonprofit organizations for community and economic development projects that improve the quality of life for low-income, disabled and disadvantaged residents.
For more information, visit http://www.state.nj.us/dca/divisions/dhcr/.
Tammori Petty
(609) 777-4456