SOMERVILLE, NJ – Help is near for the victims of Hurricane Ida still working to recover from the 2021 storm.
“After Hurricane Ida hit in 2021, I often wondered if I would ever recover. The storm dealt a devastating blow to my home, my community, and my finances. The programs that were supposed to help me rebuild and return home were confusing, slow-moving, and sometimes no help at all,” said Julie Montanari, one of thousands whose life was turned upside down by the storm.
“But through connecting with other Ida survivors, I learned that it doesn’t have to be this way, not if we all work together. We deserve more than this – and we’re going to stick together until we get the recovery we deserve,” she added.
The New Jersey Organizing Project, a community organization, will hold a meeting on Monday, April 3 from 6-8 p.m. at the American Legion Post #12 on Union Avenue (Route 28) to provide hope, help and answers. Previously, the meeting had been scheduled for April 6 at the Somerville Public Library.
“We’re fighting for the real solutions we want to see based on what we’ve experienced firsthand as storm survivors,” Montanari said.
“At this meeting, we’ll cut out the confusion to give you a breakdown of what you can do right now to continue your recovery process – and access some resources and grant opportunities coming to our community,” she added. “You’ll learn how you can receive Hurricane Ida grant money, how to apply for FEMA rental assistance if you’ve been displaced by the storm, and how to connect with case managers.
“We’ll also talk about what comes next and how we can fight for even more recovery resources – because we know that the programs available to us right now aren’t enough to get us fully home and whole. It’s time to build power together to change the way this process works, so that it actually does work, for all of us,” Montanari said.
If you have any questions, reach out at meghan@newjerseyop.org or call 609-290-2425.
RSVP at opens in a new windowhttps://forms.gle/CJDCvawMndSC7uET7.