Newark Community Solutions delivers necessities during the COVID-19 pandemic.
With our offices temporarily closed, Newark Community Solutions has remained connected to the court, community partners, and participants through a variety of channels. This crisis has been hard on everyone but is particularly challenging for the populations we serve. Here is a sample of some of the work we have been engaged in over the last few months.
Mandated and Voluntary Case Management
- Staff have engaged mandated clients through phone-based case management and continue meet weekly with judges and court staff to review cases for dismissal.
- With “virtual court” now in session, Newark Community Solutions staff are able to review open matters and accept new mandated participants.
- Working with the Essex County Jail and State Office of the Public Defender, community court and Newark Community Solutions Victim Services staff have been able to provide critical social service assistance to inmates released early due to the crisis.
Youth Impact Newark
- On Tuesdays and Thursdays, Newark Youth Court members lead facilitated discussions over Zoom. Topics have included mental health, self-care, community leadership, social justice, and the pros and cons of social media.
"Virtual Youth Court programming has had a huge impact on members because we have been able to interact with each other and talk about topics we normally wouldn't. These very important topics made us reflect and get to know each other better even from afar… it has helped each one of us still have a productive Tuesday and Thursday and check in on each other!" - Senior Member, Amanda
Our community service van has been repurposed to provide food and supply delivery.
Community Engagement
- The Newark Community Solutions community service van has been repurposed to provide food and supply transport and delivery services to city agencies and local nonprofits. Partners so far include the Habitat for Humanity Newark, the Shani Baraka Center and South Ward Children’s Alliance.
"The partnership and collaboration providing transport for the Shani Baraka Center has been amazing. Picking up the donations has been extremely helpful - the women and men in our community are very grateful and appreciative of the donations and the people who are giving the donations are very happy that they can give. Newark Community Solutions have provided a way out of no way out for the residents who are in need. Hope for the Hopeless!!!" - Lakeesha Eurie, Director, Shani Baraka Women's Resource Center