Care & Outreach Services
Care, Concern, and Outreach (CCO) offered at the STEM Engagement & Empowerment Center serves as holistic advocacy and support to all students enrolled in a STEM course who are experiencing extenuating circumstances. In collaboration with on campus support services and external agencies, resources may include access to basic needs assistance, financial and mental health counseling, childcare services, employment aid, and emergency relief.
Need immediate assistance? Fill out the SOS Survey.
Our Care, Concern, and Outreach Coordinator is available by scheduling an appointment (through the SOS Survey button) or walk-in. With any questions or concerns, please reach out to Cristaly Argenal at [email protected].
External Services for Students
Family Care and Assistance
- The Child Care Assistance Program assists lower income families in affording child care services. Eligible parents/applicants must be either working, in training, in school, or a combination of these areas, must be a New Jersey resident, and meet the income requirement (Department of Human Services Division of Family Development, n.d.). For more information on eligibility, please visit the Child Care NJ site at https://www.childcarenj.gov/Parents/SubsidyProgram.
- The Division of Aging Services (DoAS) assists older adults through a number of federal and state-funded programs related to health care costs and other living expenses. .Eligibility is determined through NJ Save, an online application for low-income seniors and individuals with disabilities. For information on the programs accessed through NJ Save and for the application, please visit https://www.state.nj.us/humanservices/doas/services/njsave/.
Food and Clothing Insecurity
- The New Jersey’s Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Programs (NJ Snap) assists families with low incomes in purchasing groceries through a benefits card; the eligibility depends on the family’s source of income (Department of Human Services, n.d.). For more information regarding the program, please visit https://www.nj.gov/humanservices/njsnap/.
- The Saint Peter’s and Saint Aedan’s Food and Clothes Pantry assists families, community members, and students with food, clothes, and toiletries. The pantry/closet, located out of the garage of Stewardship Hall in the parking lot of 41 Tuers Ave, offers their services on the first and third Saturday and the last Sunday of every month (Campus Ministry, n.d.). To schedule an appointment, please click on the following registration form: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdm6_OqHrmSimau1n-qCIRoh9ZbjfaNNZOWbrFBPb0CFv4dwQ/viewform.
- The Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) provides federal grants to low-income pregnant, breastfeeding, and non-breastfeeding postpartum women, and infants and children up to age 5 (U.S. Department of Agriculture [USDA], n.d.). The grants offer assistance in receiving supplemental foods, health care referrals and nutrition education (USDA, n.d.). For more information on the program as well as the application process, please visit https://www.fns.usda.gov/wic.
Health Insurance
- The New Jersey Hospital Care Payment Assistance Program (Charity Care) is available to patients at all acute care hospitals throughout New Jersey; eligibility depends on income and asset criteria (New Jersey Department of Health, n.d.). For more information on charity care, please visit https://www.nj.gov/health/charitycare/.
- The New Jersey Health Insurance Exchange platform assists individuals in enrolling for health coverage. For the 2022 coverage, open enrollment ends on January 31st; however, individuals may be eligible to enroll outside of the open enrollment period. For more information, please visit https://www.nj.gov/getcoverednj/.
Internet/WiFi Connectivity
- Xfinity WiFi Free for Everyone offers hotspots at no additional cost. For instructions on how to connect with a nearby hotspot, visit www.xfinity.com/wifi.
Support Centers
- The Center for Immigrant Representation is a nonprofit organization, representing clients in the following legal areas: citizenship, lawful permanent residence, removal defense, asylum, SIJS, U VISAS, VAWA, and other humanitarian relief, and document renewals (Center for Immigrant Representation, n.d.). For a more thorough depiction of their services, please visit their website at https://www.thecenterimmigration.org/.
- Hudson Pride Center is a nonprofit, community-based organization in Jersey City that serves as an advocate and social service provider for both the LGBTQ and HIV/AIDS communities in Hudson County (Hudson Pride, n.d.). For more information on Hudson Pride and the services they provide, please visit their website at www.hudsonpride.org.
- Hudson Speaks is a nonprofit sexual assault program that assists individuals of all genders within the ages of 13 and up with services that include a helpline (201.795.5757), 24-hour accompaniments to hospitals, courts, and law enforcements agencies, individual and group counseling, community education, and recruitments and training of confidential advocates (Hudson Speaks, n.d.). For more information about the organization, please view their pamphlet at https://www.northbergen.org/_Content/pdf/Hudson-SPEAKS.pdf.
- WomenRising is a community-based organization for women and families residing in Hudson County. The organization assists their clients through services in the following areas: work, domestic violence, youth and family, permanent supportive housing, health, and legal aid (WomenRising, n.d.). For more information, please visit their website at https://www.womenrising.org/.
Transportation
- In the NJ Transit Student Discount Portal, students can register for monthly transportation passes with a 25% discount off of the regular pricing. Students must be enrolled full-time at the university. For instruction on how to register and information regarding deadlines and contact, please visit https://huangshizhaopin.com/directions/nj-transit-student-discount-portal.