Through its Fondo de Oportunidades, Norwescap  provided emergency assistance to residents to help cover the cost of basic household expenses such as rent and nutritious food. With a focus on serving individuals and families who don’t qualify for unemployment benefits or other types of support, the Fondo de Oportunidades (Opportunity Fund) selected applicants to receive direct emergency assistance and distributed gift cards to those residents. Norwescap also worked to connect these community members to existing programs and services such as its Financial Empowerment Centers. One phase of this project included developing a streamlined intake process for residents in Hunterdon, Morris, Somerset, Sussex and Warren counties to request assistance through Norwescap’s web site. Through this project, Norwescap has advanced existing efforts to connect households with available programs, services and other supports, which could inform an equitable recovery.

In February 2021, nearly one year after the onset of the pandemic, Norwescap Chief Program Officer Chris Kirk recorded his reflections on the impact of this work. Scroll down to watch the video.