Members of South Jersey green teams attend a 'hub" event on how to overcome food insecurity at Reeds Farm in Egg Harbor Township, Aug. 24, 2022.
OCEAN CITY - The Atlantic Cape May Sustainable Jersey Hub invites local green teams and others to learn more about how to successfully identify, apply for, and obtain grants to fund projects and initiatives at a free event 6, -8 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 23 at the Ocean City Free Public Library, 1735 Simpson Ave. The event is free and open to everyone, but registration is requested.
Local green teams are instrumental in helping their towns and schools move forward on a path to a more sustainable future, but many projects need more than volunteers to make them happen. Grants provide much needed support to help initiatives get off the ground. Some towns and schools can dedicate resources to hire grant consultants or to dedicate a staff person to find and write grants. Unfortunately, not every town or school can, and the task of seeking and applying for grants can be daunting.
Grants are key to making things happen in many towns and schools. Preparing for this event has been an eye-opener. There are more resources than you might think out there to help, Hub Co-chair Amy Menzel said.
The Sustainable Jersey organization has awarded more than $7.2 million to schools and towns since 2009.
"These grants have been an important resource for green teams and have been essential for the success of many energy and cost saving initiatives local schools and towns have been able to put in place, Hub Co-chair Ralph Cooper added.
We love the support Sustainable Jersey provides for green teams, not only the access to grant funding, but also the guidance, instruction and examples they provide through webinars and on their comprehensive website," Menzel said. "But Sustainable Jersey is just one place towns and schools can go when they are seeking funding. We hope this event will help people to know more about other opportunities as well."
In addition to Sustainable Jersey representatives who will speak on their grant programs, presenters include Meghan Wren, planner at the NJ Office of Planning Advocacy's Business Action Center.
Wren will talk about the importance of having a plan or a vision for your community to help you to be prepared when opportunities arise. Rather than a last minute scramble to work out a plan with a submission deadline looming, green teams can proactively search for grants and funding to match their needs.
Presenter Abby Tang-Smith of the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection will walk participants through the resources and links to different types of grants they offer. Other local resources, including access to foundation information through Atlantic Cape Community College, will be shared at the event.
Local green teams will also share their grant successes.
You don't need to be a member of a green Team to attend. Light refreshments will be served.
Registration is requested by visiting https://bit.ly/A-CMHub23Feb2023
Additional information about the sustainabilityhub is available at https://AtlanticCapeMayRegionalHub.wordpress.com
