Four local nonprofits selected as finalists for Impact100 Essex grant award

Photo Courtesy of Erika Munter
Above are Impact100 Essex members at the organization’s launch reception at 3rd Space in Newark last September.

ESSEX COUNTY, NJ — The four finalist nominees for the Impact100 Essex 2019 grant award were announced recently. One of the finalists will be voted the recipient of the $120,000 grant by the Impact100 Essex membership at the organization’s annual meeting on Jan. 21 at Seton Hall University in South Orange.

“Once again, identifying only four finalists from the dozens of excellent proposals we received was painstaking work undertaken by our members,” said Kate Shoemaker, co-chairwoman of the Impact100 Essex grant committee.

The 2019 finalists are:

Hetrick-Martin Institute of New Jersey, which proposes to expand its services providing safe and supportive environments for LGBTQ youth and their families with a new site on the border of Maplewood and Irvington;
Imagine: A Center for Coping with Loss, which envisions expanding its Newark pilot project providing trauma-informed grief support to children and families dealing with loss due to death, incarceration or deportation in Newark;
Meeting Essential Needs with Dignity, which hopes to source, store and transport fresh produce to its network of 20 Essex County–based food pantries serving some 134,000 individuals; and
Volunteer Lawyers for Justice, which proposes addressing the exploding eviction crisis by tripling the pro bono attorney time devoted to tenancy issues and expanded information sessions for the community.

“These four finalists are proposing particularly transformational projects that will substantially impact the lives of our neighbors in Essex County,” said Mayuri Chandri, co-chairwoman of the grants committee.

Impact100 Essex is a collective philanthropic group founded and funded by women in Essex County. The organization invites women inspired by their mission with an interest to learn more to attend the annual meeting in January, or the December Mix & Mingle event. For details visit, impact100essex.org. To RSVP and get directions, email rsvpevents@impact100essex.org.

Impact100 Essex, MEND, Seton Hall University, Volunteer Lawyers for Justice