Businesses and Service Organizations Give Back During Government Shutdown – TAPinto.net
LIVINGSTON AND WEST ORANGE, NJ — During the longest government shutdown in U.S. history, which temporarily ended on Friday afternoon, local businesses and service organizations came up with unique ways to show their support, including RWJBarnabas Health, the Metropolitan YMCA of the Oranges, the Holy Trinity-West Orange Food Pantry and Livingston Neighbors Helping Neighbors (LNHN).
Earlier this week, RWJBarnabas Health offered a “waiver of co-pays, deductibles and additional eligible patient care balances for furloughed employees and their dependents.”
Board of Trustees Chair Jack Morris and Barry Ostrowsky, president and chief executive officer, announced that the health system would waive co-pays, deductibles and additional eligible patient care balances for furloughed federal employees and their dependents at all system hospitals, ambulatory facilities and owned physician practices. They added that this action would apply to all inpatient, outpatient, emergency and ambulatory-based care provided by RWJBarnabas Health, and the waiver will be discontinued upon federal employees returning to their pre-shutdown employment status.
“We recognize the financial hardship being experienced by these families, because they are our neighbors and friends—they live in the communities we serve each day,” said Morris.
In addition to waiving payments due for care provided during the government shutdown, any payments that these same workers may be obligated to make to the health system on past visits will be deferred until their wages are reinstated. The waiver has been made available to all federal employees and dependents who provide proof of federal employment upon receiving a bill.
“We are an organization that is committed to not just delivering health care but improving the health of those we serve,” said Ostrowsky. “Affordability is a key factor in whether families can access care, and we believe that our action today can help alleviate some of the pressures these furloughed federal workers are currently facing.”
The seven branches of the Metropolitan YMCA of the Oranges—which includes the East Orange YMCA in East Orange; Fairview Lake YMCA Camps in Stillwater; the South Mountain YMCA in Maplewood; the Sussex County YMCA in Hardyston; the Wayne YMCA in Wayne; the West Essex YMCA in Livingston; and the YMCA of Greater Bergen County in Hackensack—are also extending support to those impacted by the shutdown.
Any federal government employee who is not being paid due to the government shutdown is welcome to use the West Essex YMCA’s facilities free of charge. The YMCA is offering federal employees a free one-month membership and waiving joiner fees, and those who already are YMCA members will have their next month’s membership fee waived.
More information on the Y’s outreach to local families in need can be found HERE.
West Orange resident Cynthia Cumming, who runs the Holy Trinity-West Orange Food Pantry, posted a reminder on the pantry’s Facebook page to let government employees on furlough know that the pantry is available to them. The post said that they just need to bring their ID cards to the panty that is located at 315 Main Street. The pantry is located by Washington school, and those interested are invited to enter the space via the red door on the Franklin Avenue side.
According to Cumming, donations are always welcome. Those interested in learning more are invited to contact her at 201-341-9217.
Livingston Neighbors Helping Neighbors (LNHN), which runs Livingston’s Community Hunger Outreach Warehouse (CHOW) food panty, is offering assistance to anyone furloughed in Livingston, but according to Stacey Rubinstein, no one has asked for help. However, they are continuing to feed existing families.
“For families living paycheck to paycheck, the government shutdown is devastating,” LNHN posted on its Facebook page. “Please remember LNHN is here to help Livingston residents and all assistance is confidential. We offer food through the CHOW pantry, grocery store gift cards and one-time emergency financial assistance for a needed expense. Financial assistance requires screening by township social worker and need must be confirmed. And special thanks to all of our generous supporters who make this possible.”
Through the generosity of the community, the CHOW Food Pantry helps more than 35 Livingston families and currently supports 27 children, according to the Facebook page.
Anyone with the ability to donate food items, including kids’ snacks, fruit cups, juice boxes, detergent toilet paper, paper towels is welcome to donate. Food can be dropped at the collection box at Town Hall (by the elevator), the public library, the community center, the town dance building or the West Essex Tribune office. Monetary donations for grocery gift cards and are welcome and can be made via the group’s Facebook page.
To read about what some West Orange residents have been doing to help those in need during the shutdown, click HERE.