BLOOMFIELD, NJ — Bloomfield received $615,000 in Community Development Block Grant funding that Township Administrator Matthew Watkins suggested using for COVID-19 relief and expenses at the Sept. 14 Township Council meeting. The money could be used for expanded community virus testing, small business assistance, food pantry supplies and mental health programs for seniors.
“There are ongoing health programs that help out seniors,” Watkins said at the meeting. “It’s been very successful, so we’re supplementing those existing programs with this money.”
Watkins also explained a strategy Bloomfield could use to help residents in town who need assistance with access to food pantries, saying options have been a topic of discussion for several months.
“We looked at ways of helping out those who are in need in this township of food,” he said. “We’ve looked at providing fresh produce through farmers markets or some other form. That’s presenting a bit of a challenge, just having an outlet for that. We want to look at a way to assist our food pantries.”
According to Watkins, most people who are in need of food assistance do frequent food pantries in town. He wanted to find a way to deliver more food to the pantries.
“The problem with food pantries is they take food in and put it right back out,” Watkins said. “They have no storage, especially if we want to put a massive amount into a food pantry. We do have a need now, but certainly as the winter comes on there’s going to be a greater need. Instead of getting truckloads of food, we get gift cards.”
There are four grocery stores in Bloomfield, and the town can use the grant money to purchase gift cards from each of them. Those who need more food can receive a gift card and use it to buy the supplies they need.
“We’ve done this in the past, though not to this level,” Watkins said. “But we believe that there’s going to be a need here, and there may be some other things you might want to do. We have a good opportunity to substantially help our residents who are in need.”
Councilwoman Wartyna Davis suggested working with the grocery stores to give residents who use gift cards a discount on the products they buy.
“If someone is using a gift card that is sponsored by the town, maybe they get a 10-percent or 15-percent discount,” she said at the meeting. “So they’re not paying full retail. It seems like it would be beneficial on both ends if it were something that they were getting a little more value out of.”
Watkins said the administration has been in touch with the grocery stores, and they would probably be willing to offer discounts. The gift cards would most likely be worth $50 each. The council will also consider using grant funding to help residents who are currently unable to pay rent or utility bills; they will be vetted by the town first.
The council didn’t vote on a plan for the funding; a public hearing will be held at a subsequent meeting.
“This is a time of great need,” Watkins said. “I don’t think it’s going to get any easier as the months go by.”
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