COVID-19 Blog

May 23: COVID-19 Update

Dear Friends:

I have two pieces of important news to report:

A Vote for Democracy: Voting by mail (VBM) for the Tuesday, July 7^th primary election is now going to be far easier than ever before, thanks to the Governor’s executive order (EO 144) that requires each county’s elections officials to send vote by mail ballots to all registered Democratic and Republican voters and VBM ballot applications to unaffiliated and inactive voters. All ballots and applications will come with pre-paid postage. And if you choose to vote in person, COVID-safe options will exist. (Details below).
Food Assistance for Children: The NJ Department of Human Services received approval from the federal government to allocate $248 million in special federal funding to nearly 600,000 New Jersey children who normally receive free or reduced-price school meals. The plan will provide each eligible student with more than $400 to help with nutritional support during the time that schools have been closed during the pandemic.

The bad news is that food insecurity in New Jersey is increasing by unprecedented proportions. The Community Food Bank of New Jersey (CFBNJ) reports that demand at some onsite pantries are up by 60 percent, while the number of emergency food boxes distributed on an average day has tripled since the beginning of the crisis.

For this reason, I hope you will consider a donation to any food bank in your area. I have listed several of the food bank organizations serving the residents in the 16^th District, but donations to any nonprofit organization addressing food insecurity amounts to a life-changing donation.

And finally, Memorial Day is this weekend. While this highly unusual, socially-distant time prevents us from gathering for a parade to honor those that made the ultimate sacrifice in the service of our nation, some of our communities are planning virtual ceremonies. Please consider joining one of these ceremonies or take a moment on Monday to stop whatever you are doing in honor of our fallen service members.

Take care,

Assemblyman Andrew Zwicker
16^th Legislative District
www.andrewzwicker.com
AsmZwicker@njleg.org
732-823-1684

Food Banks

Please note: the addresses given below are for physical donations of food and personal items; the websites for monetary donations. The mailing addresses are sometimes different from the physical addresses.

Statewide:

Community Food Bank of New Jersey
https://cfbnj.org/?form=donate
(908) 355-3663
31 Evans Terminal Road, Hillside, 07205

Hunterdon County:

Flemington Area Food Pantry
http://flemingtonfoodpantry.org/donate
(908) 788-5568
154 Route 31 North, Flemington, 08822 (across the parking lot from the front of the Flemington WalMart)

Norwescap
https://norwescap.org/contact-us/
(908) 454-7000
350 Marshall Street, Phillipsburg, NJ 08865
(serving Hunterdon and Somerset Counties)

Somerset County:

Food Bank Network of Somerset
https://www.somersetfoodbank.org/donate/
(732) 560-1813
Building 9-E, Easy Street, Bridgewater, 08807

Hillsborough Food Bank
https://www.hillsborough-nj.org/departments/social/
(908) 369-3880
The Peter J. Biondi Building, 379 South Branch Road, Hillsborough, 08844

Montgomery Township Food Bank
https://recreation.montgomery.nj.us/food-pantry/
(609) 466-1054
Otto Kaufman Community Center, 356 Skillman Rd, Skillman, 08558

Middlesex County:

McFoods of Middlesex County
https://www.feedingmiddlesexcounty.org/donate
(732) 745-5548 or (609) 409-5033
28 Kennedy Boulevard, Suite 850, East Brunswick, 08816

South Brunswick Township Food Bank
https://www.southbrunswicknj.gov/food-pantry
https://register.capturepoint.com/reg/donation
(732) 329-4000, ext. 7674
Municipal Building, 540 Ridge Road, Monmouth Junction, 08852

Mercer County:

ArmInArm
(formerly Crisis Ministry of Mercer County)
https://arminarm.org/donate/
(609) 396-9355
61 Nassau Street, Princeton, 08540 (Nassau Presbyterian Church)

Mercer Street Friends
https://app.etapestry.com/onlineforms/MercerStreetFriends/donatenow.html
(609) 278-5547
151 Mercer Street, Trenton, 08611

Trenton Area Soup Kitchen
http://www.trentonsoupkitchen.org/donate.php
(609) 695-5456
72 Escher Street, Trenton, 08609

Voting Information

New Jersey Division of Elections
https://nj.gov/state/elections/vote-by-mail.shtml

Am I registered to vote?
https://voter.svrs.nj.gov/registration-check

Primary voting date: July 7, 2020
Every registered Democratic and Republican voter will get a Vote By Mail ballot – pre-paid postage.
Every unaffiliated and inactive voter will get a VBM ballot application - pre-paid postage. To receive the ballot by mail, the application must be received by the County Clerk 7 days prior to the election. A voter may also return the application in person to the County Clerk until 3 p.m., the day before the election. The County Clerk cannot accept faxed or emailed copies of a Application for Vote by Mail Ballot, unless you are a Military or Overseas Voter, since an original signature is required.
For those who want in-person access to voting, each municipality must have a minimum of one polling place; and provided that there are enough poll workers, there must be a minimum of 50 percent of polling places in each county to give voters access to in-person voting opportunities. Polling locations will be required to follow COVID public health standards.
In addition to using the U.S. Postal Service for delivery of the mail-in ballots, each county also will provide at least five secure ballot drop boxes and place them in locations readily accessible to the registered voters within the county.
The deadline for the receipt of mail-in ballots to be counted has been extended to seven days after the election.

May 1: COVID-19 Update

Dear Friends:

May is Senior Citizen Month and along with our worries about the health of some of our most vulnerable, social isolation is a huge issue as well. Seniors, who are often by themselves in long-term care facilities, are showing tremendous resilience and grit during these difficult times. Sometimes a simple note or message of encouragement can brighten someone’s entire day.

I hope you will join me in a new initiative that I'm calling "You've Got a Friend" to connect with senior care center residents, who, as you know, can have no visitors at the current time.

It is a simple card-writing campaign to anyone who may need a happy or funny or informative greeting – perhaps a bit of inspiring news that might be a conversation starter. For example, when Senior Citizens Month was established in 1963, only 17 million living Americans had reached their 65th birthday. In 2020, it is estimated that 55 million living Americans will be 65 and older. Cards that you mail will be distributed to residents who need a boost and it only takes a few minutes.

Below is a list, by no means exhaustive, of six assisted-living facilities. These facilities are in the 16^th Legislative District and their staff are aware that notes are on the way and will distribute them. But you should feel free to write to the residents of any senior residential facility that is nearby or familiar to you.

I also would encourage you to include a sentence thanking the caregivers, who are giving compassionate and competent care in these very challenging times. If you would like to have a return note, don’t forget to include a stamped, addressed envelope and a blank piece of paper.

And just in case you haven't heard yet, the parks and golf courses are reopening on May 2 and the weather is finally turning.

Take Care,