January 8, 2008
A federal appropriations bill signed last month includes $136,000 for the Sephardic Bikur Holim of Monmouth County, a social service agency that largely serves the county’s Syrian-Jewish enclave.
The funds for the nonprofit Bikur Holim were secured by Rep. Frank Pallone (D-Dist. 6), and were part of the $515.7 billion spending bill that was signed by President Bush on Dec. 27.
The county branch of Bikur Holim is a satellite office of Sephardic Bikur Holim Community Services of Brooklyn. The Monmouth County branch has been providing community services for the county’s Jewish and general communities for the past 15 years and has been in its current Ocean location for the past five years.
“I want to thank Mr. Pallone for his recognition of the work that Bikur Holim has been doing in Monmouth County for many years,” Doug Balin, executive director of SBH Community Services, told NJ Jewish News. “These funds will help the Monmouth County office continue to provide services that provide a great deal of assistance to county residents.”
The county’s SBH helps residents obtain government and local entitlements, Balin said, and provides an array of counseling services that include helping individuals connect with employment resources and other direct services in the areas of physical and mental health concerns.
The county office consists of an entitlement specialist, licensed social workers, and volunteer staff, he added.
The Monmouth County branch, which serves more than 150 families each year, also operates a kosher food pantry that is open to the general public, said Balin.
“The funds that Mr. Pallone helped us acquire will help us expand our services to those who need our assistance,” he said.
Members of the county’s ever-increasing aging population also will benefit from current and expanded SBH services, Balin said. “These residents are often facing life transitions that can be very difficult and traumatic. They often have to deal with changes in health care, housing, and financial management issues. They need our help and support to get through this critical time in their lives.”
Pallone expressed his own commitment to SBH.
“These funds will help Sephardic Bikur Holim operate a wide range of services in Monmouth County, including mental health, elderly, and employment programs as well as family preservation and stabilization,” Pallone said in a statement. “I am proud that this funding was approved to assist SBH of Monmouth County with its comprehensive service to our community.”