Elizabeth – 91��Ƭ

91��Ƭ Employee Benefits from Monsignor Linder Scholarship

Michelle Lang — Mon, 19 Dec 2022 17:40:46 +0000

The Monsignor William Linder Scholarship Committee awarded a $2,000 scholarship to Gardens Senior Resident Services Coordinator Desiree Crespo to pay for the education of her daughter, Mia Lopez. Lopez attends Harmony Christian Academy in Elizabeth.

This scholarship, named for 91��Ƭ Founder Monsignor Linder, is awarded annually to 91��Ƭ employees whose children attend Catholic or private schools. Monsignor Linder believed that quality education is the foundation of a successful life and the scholarship is a way of honoring his legacy.

91��Ƭ Showcases Financial Opportunity Center to LISC Partners

Michelle Lang — Wed, 13 Jul 2022 17:45:18 +0000

Staff members of 91��Ƭ’s Financial Opportunity Center (FOC) recently had the opportunity to share their work with others who are looking to duplicate a successful FOC model. 91��Ƭ has run its FOC under the umbrella of Greater Newark LISC (Local Initiatives Support Corporation) since 2016. The FOC operates out of 91��Ƭ Career & Technical Institute (NCCTI) and helps individuals access financial education and financial coaching. Since its inception, 91��Ƭ’s FOC has been a top performer in the LISC FOC network, which is made up of more than 100 sites nationwide. 91��Ƭ FOC personnel hosted representatives from New Jersey agencies working with Greater Newark LISC to launch FOCs in four other New Jersey cities to explain how the model works and answer questions.

Greater Newark LISC Deputy Director Judith Thompson-Morris explained that LISC is expanding its programs to other parts of the state, starting with the FOC. The organization has plans to create FOCs in Camden, Elizabeth, Perth Amboy and Trenton.

The initiative has been in process for about two years and is now close to kickoff. The visit to 91��Ƭ’s FOC was an opportunity to show partners how the program works in a practical way.

“You can explain what the FOC model is, but we thought it would be helpful for them to see and hear from the partners in the Newark footprint who have been doing this work for a while,” Thompson-Morris said.

While all LISC FOCs follow a particular framework, Thompson-Morris explained that each site has unique aspects to match the partner’s work in the neighborhood. For example, 91��Ƭ’s FOC is tied to its career and technical education program at NCCTI, a service not every FOC partner offers.

NCCTI Director Dr. Sylvia McCray welcomed the visitors on June 27 and provided an overview of how the FOC operates. Then Financial Coach Tamara Brown went into greater detail about how she works with clients and answered the participants’ questions.

91��Ƭ Chief Operating Officer Fred Hunter was also on hand to greet the guests and provide a brief explanation of NCC as a whole.

“The LISC partner site visit presented a wonderful opportunity for the staff at NCCTI to discuss the FOC program. FOC staff provided a robust discussion that included outreach activities, program enrollment, measuring success and the future vision,” Hunter said. “The success of the FOC program can be measured by the clients’ increased knowledge of their financial potential. Positive outcomes include improvements in job placement due to job coaching sessions, improved personal credit scores and financial plans that increase clients’ net value.”

McCray was happy to host the agency representatives.

“It was a good opportunity to meet other partners who are also committed to working with the community in understanding financial health, stability, growth and wealth legacy building for their future generations,” McCray said. “I look forward to our continued collaboration with not only LISC but its partners across New Jersey and the United States.”

Brown believes increasing the number of FOCs in the state is positive for residents, particularly those with limited financial resources.

“Access to having a financial coach is an important resource for low-income and moderate-income families,” she said. “In the past, a lot of wealth-building information was only available to the rich and the very few. The prospect of adding more Financial Opportunity Centers means more access to financial education and wealth-building services for everyday people.”

Four groups that will be launching FOCs participated in the event, both in-person and virtually: Center for Family Services in Camden, Isles Inc. in Trenton, Union County Department of Human Services in Elizabeth and United Way of Central Jersey in Milltown which will operate the Perth Amboy FOC.

Thompson-Morris said the Perth Amboy location will likely be the first new site since Congressman Frank Pallone secured funds in a federal bill for that FOC location. It could become operational in the fall.

There are currently three LISC FOCs in Newark: at 91��Ƭ, Ironbound Community Corporation and Urban League of Essex County.

Since 1986, Greater Newark LISC has collaborated with community-based organizations in Newark and the surrounding region to improve the quality of life for residents and shopkeepers.

NCCTI is an accredited post-secondary career and technical institution that offers the following programs: Automotive Technician, Diesel Technician, Building Trades Specialist, Clinical Medical Assistant, Patient Care Technician, Community Healthcare Worker, Culinary Arts Specialist and Business & Computer Technologies. NCCTI also operates a comprehensive Financial Opportunity Center and Bridges to Career Opportunities Program sponsored by the local and national Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC) offices. For more information, call 973-824-6484, log onto or visit 274 South Orange Ave., Newark.

Remembering Longtime NCC Executive Chef Joe Rodriguez

Michelle Lang — Tue, 03 Sep 2019 19:40:34 +0000

Jose “Joe” Rodriguez worked at 91��Ƭ for nearly 33 years before his retirement in January. He passed away Aug. 10 at the age of 84. Photo courtesy of Anne Marie Ventura.

Many who are part of the 91��Ƭ network know the name Joe Rodriguez. He served as the executive chef for the organization for nearly 33 years. He passed away Aug. 10 at the age of 84.
Rodriguez retired this past January, working well beyond the age when people typically retire.
“He was a hard worker. And he loved 91��Ƭ, that’s for sure,” said daughter Anne Marie Ventura. “He liked the work and he liked the people. He made a home there.”
NCC’s late founder Monsignor William J. Linder hired Rodriguez to be the chef to oversee the opening of the Priory Restaurant. 91��Ƭ five years later, Rodriguez was transferred to Extended Care where he remained for the rest of his NCC career. He oversaw the meals prepared for the nursing home residents in addition to preparing meals for NCC special events and several schools NCC served.
“It isn’t often that you see the dedication that Joe Rodriguez brought to NCC every day for almost 33 years,” said 91��Ƭ CEO Richard Rohrman. “I never heard a harsh word come out of Joe’s mouth. He was truly part of the NCC fabric. Every meal that Joe produced was important. He will be missed by all of us.”
Ventura said Rodriguez loved to cook, even when he wasn’t working. She said he would cook for his family and for parties hosted by family members and friends.
“I’m looking through all his things and behind every little paper, there’s a menu,” she said.
In addition to his love of cooking, Rodriguez enjoyed helping others. He fed the homeless at his church, Immaculate Conception in Elizabeth, about once a month and spent Thanksgivings cooking turkeys for those in need.
“Joe loved his job and cooking was a passion of his,” said 91��Ƭ Board Member and Outreach Coordinator Madge Wilson. “He exuded a little ray of sunshine each time that I saw him. He was an exceptional and extraordinary person.”
Ventura said Rodriguez was a good father and was dedicated to his family. He was very close with his wife who passed away in 2015. Rodriguez leaves behind three daughters and eight grandchildren.
“He was a real family man. He just always wanted to make us happy and he was very generous. He was always there for us,” Ventura said. “He was a funny guy but he was very strong willed and very religious.”
Rodriguez was in the seminary for a time.
“He really had some strong Catholic values and he instilled them in all of us,” Ventura said.
Rodriguez had great respect for Monsignor Linder, who often made requests for his food.
“My dad made some amazing soups and pastries,” Ventura said. “And Father Linder would put his orders in.”
Rodriguez also had a strong work ethic, rarely taking time off. He would even travel to work in a snowstorm to make sure food was prepared at Extended Care.
Even in retirement, Rodriguez continued to cook. He planned a July 4 barbecue with his family that included king crab legs, clams casino, spare ribs and fried chicken. He wasn’t feeling well when the day came, but the family pitched in by following his instructions and pulled everything together.
“He was very proud to show off his food and also that we helped him,” Ventura said.
91��Ƭ will host a Memorial Mass in Rodriguez’s honor Sept. 27 at 4 p.m. at St. Joseph Plaza.

Remembering Longtime NCC Resident Marilyn Watson

Michelle Lang — Thu, 02 May 2019 20:27:57 +0000

Marilyn Watson was a longtime 91��Ƭ resident. She passed away March 16. Photo courtesy of Samaya Holston.

Those who enter the Community Room at Associates see a tribute to Marilyn Watson, a longtime 91��Ƭ resident who passed away March 16 at the age of 70. A chair sits in the room with a teddy bear and a shirt with her name to remember the neighbor and friend who participated in so many building events.
The gesture touched Watson’s family members. Granddaughter Samaya Holston said she was shocked when she saw it.
“I didn’t think she had left such a mark at NCC,” Holston said. “And seeing that, I got emotional.”
Watson was a very active individual. She participated in Associates events and trips, including health education workshops and excursions to Walmart and restaurants.
“She was a good resident and a good person,” said Resident Services Coordinator Anne Moran.
Watson was born in Goldsboro, North Carolina in 1948. She later moved to Newark and graduated from West Side High School. She was married for more than 30 years to her late husband Robert Lee Watson. The pair had two children: Wayne Flanigan and Tonia Flanigan-Gunther. She had 13 grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.
Holston said her grandmother was very energetic and talkative and she never missed an opportunity to take a bus trip, including to far places like Las Vegas and Georgia.
“We used to call her Queen Greyhound,” Holston said. “She was real adventurous. She didn’t just want to stay in the house.”
Watson loved to sing and dance. She was part of a singing group with her sister in the 1970s called the Singing Stars.
She had a career in nursing, working at a nursing home in Elizabeth. She had to retire early due to the progression of lupus, which ultimately led to her passing.
“She was always in pain but real active,” Holston said.
Watson was very social in her building and enjoyed going down to the Community Room often.
“She liked NCC housing,” Holston said. “Everyone knew her there.”