Interfaith Neighbors, Inc.
810 Fourth Avenue, Asbury Park, N. J. 07712-5982
Telephone (732) 775-0525   FAX (732) 775-5422
E-mail:  info@interfaithneighbors.org
www.interfaithneighbors.org
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2007 ANNUAL REPORT

Interfaith Neighbors achieved a milestone in 2006.  It added a fourth major program, the New Jersey Youth Corps.  This program’s goal is to build self-esteem in youngsters who are high school dropouts by offering them education and job training.

Rental Assistance Division

This division provided rental assistance to nearly 200 working poor families, which converts to approximately 700 individuals, most of whom are children. It expended approximately $275,000 in assistance, including over $20,000 in overdue utility bills. In addition it distributed dozens of holiday gift baskets and hundreds of toys for Christmas through our annual “Adopt-a-Family” program.

Nutrition Division (“Meals on Wheels”)

Approximately 400,000 meals were prepared, served and delivered to 3,900 seniors and disabled persons living in Monmouth County. Meals are delivered to homebound seniors and are served in our eight congregate settings. This year, the volunteer unit coordinated the activities of over 600 dedicated volunteers working throughout Monmouth County, recording over 75,000 hours annually in volunteer service. These volunteers prepare meals for distribution, deliver meals to our homebound seniors, and serve meals in our congregate settings. The organization has been the sole operator of the Monmouth County nutrition program since 1991.

Affordable Housing

This division had many exciting activities, including the addition of a new Assistant Program Manager to provide support for our NRTC program and to assist our Director of Real Estate Development.
Construction was completed on the company’s seventeenth house at 351 Myrtle Ave. in Asbury Park, and our eighteenth housing project at 40 Norwood Avenue, Long Branch. The homes that we build are of high quality and are virtually indistinguishable from market rate homes; a typical example is our 1,800 square foot 4 bedroom, 2.5 bath, single family detached home that comes complete with all appliances, central air, a state-of-the-art security system, ceramic tile, fully fenced and landscaped with photovoltaic solar systems where feasible.

Neighborhood Revitalization Tax Credit Program

Last year, our neighborhood revitalization plan for Asbury Park’s West Side was approved by the New Jersey Department of Community Affairs under the Neighborhood Revitalization Tax Credit Program. Interfaith Neighbors’ plan includes some 60 identified projects to be completed over a ten year period, and is divided into five overarching goals including improved housing conditions; economic revitalization; improved community and recreational facilities; improved public spaces and infrastructure; and improved social conditions and public safety.
We have purchased five parcels of land and will build three single-family and two two-family houses. We will provide money to restore the pool at the Boys’ and Girls’ Club, install lights at the Little League field, build space for the Police Athletic League (PAL) boxing program and assist the police department by providing street cameras to help fight crime. And we are already looking ahead to our cornerstone project for our second-year: a mixed-use facility on Springwood Avenue to be comprised of commercial and retail space on the first floor, with nine affordable housing units above. In our first year alone, we have secured $1 million in corporate investments in our plan. To date, our investors include the New Jersey Natural Gas Company ($500,000), Jersey Central Power and Light Company ($200,000), PNC Bank ($100,000), Selective Insurance Company ($119,000), and Horizon Blue Cross/ Blue Shield ($81,000). Interfaith Neighbors has been awarded a planning grant from the Wachovia Regional Foundation, which will provide $750,000 over the next five years.

New Jersey Youth Corps Program

We are currently in our second year of operating the Monmouth County chapter of the New Jersey Youth Corps Program.. Youth Corps is a year-round, voluntary program which engages young adults (ages 16-25) in full-time community service, training, and educational activities. In return for their efforts to restore and strengthen communities, Corps members receive education development in basic skills and preparation to obtain a GED or locally issued Adult High School Diploma; life skills and employability skills instruction; and personal and career counseling to build self-esteem, clarify values, and develop leadership skills while they are developing their career portfolio.

We currently have twenty youth enrolled, and have seen much success in the past year. Two Corps Members have earned their GED, while many others are showing dramatic improvement in their reading and math skills. Two Corps Members have completed the program, while many others are gaining vital experience, training, and support that will help them find steady employment. Corps Members have also provided countless hours of community service this year, including projects with Garden of Joy Urban Garden in Asbury Park, the Westside Community Center, the City of Asbury Park Department of Public Works, and other Interfaith Neighbors programs such as Meals on Wheels and our Affordable Housing program.

General Information

The organization has 47 employees and offers health and dental benefits, a 401K plan with company participation and life insurance for its full-time staff.

The organization was supported by 40 congregations and 267 private donors. It received government grants from the New Jersey Department of Community Affairs, the N. J. Department of Labor, the Monmouth County Department of Human Services and the Monmouth County Community Development Office, and it was also awarded grants from the following corporations and/or foundations:

Altria	Plangere Foundation
Concerts East (Bruce Springsteen)	PNC Bank Foundation
ExxonMobil Foundation	Prudential Foundation
Horizon Blue Cross/ Blue Shield	Selective Auto Insurance
Jersey Central Power and Light	Shrewsbury Foundation
Kurr Foundation	Sovereign Bank Foundation
LB & TD Foundation	Sunfield Foundation
Monmouth County Association of Realtors	Vanguard
Monmouth Park Charities	Wachovia Regional Foundation
New Jersey Natural Gas Company	Whelan Foundation
Nike, Matching Gift Program	Wright-Hager Foundation
Perricone Family Trust
	_____________________________ Joseph J. Marmora Executive Director _____________________________ Paul L. McEvily Associate Executive Director

(01/2007)