Helping Jersey City Residents
Since its inception in 2011, Angela Cares Inc. has developed projects and programs designed to support a complementary network of senior residents, senior caregivers and youth volunteers in Jersey City. The range of community and 1:1 services they provide include workshops, volunteer activities, case management, agency referrals, and resident follow-up.
The mission of Angela Cares Inc. is to empower seniors to live their best life by overcoming challenges, and progressing along the path to self-sufficiency. To achieve this mission, Angela Cares Inc. has established several core values to guide their interactions with Jersey City seniors:
- Teamwork: Promote and support the team. Work as a team to fulfill mission and goals. Commit to community.
- Respect: Respect residents, employees, volunteers, supporters, and all stakeholders. Show passion for the mission. Demonstrate integrity, honesty, and fairness in every action taken.
- Accountability: Accept individual and team responsibility to meet commitments. Take responsibility for decisions, actions, and performance.
- Innovation: Use creativity to deliver responsive and valued services to those in need. Seek excellence.
HealthierJC + Angela Cares Inc.
For Angela Cares Inc., building a Culture of Health involves education, leading by example, and supporting others to meet their health goals. They also promote and support healthy initiatives happening in the community. In addition to engagement, the staff creates and supports legislation to help build a greater Culture of Health in Jersey City. On social media platforms, groups share health journey struggles, access and learn coping tactics. Angela Cares Inc. understands that we – the community – are all is in this together and it takes a village to help build a sustainable Culture of Health.
The Angela Cares Inc. program closely aligns with the HealthierJC goal to expand access to health resources and address health disparities within the Jersey City population. In awarding the mini-grant, HealthierJC acknowledged the ongoing contribution of Angela Cares Inc. in advancing a progressive urban Culture of Health in all Jersey City neighborhoods.
Pandemic Food Assistance
During the global pandemic, Angela Cares Inc. responded by launching the Groceries4Seniors program to provide food assistance to aging Jersey City residents. The program featured:
- A neighborhood food pantry that gave around 350 seniors access to healthy food choices.
- A partnership with Jersey City Department of Health & Human Services Department to purchase and deliver at least 200 seniors/disabled residents a week.
With the Groceries4Seniors program, Angela Cares Inc. served food to approximately 500 people in total each week. The program was funded using a series of grants from foundations, corporations and government organizations.
The HealthierJC mini-grant was specifically used to research and promote healthy eating habits with the food received from the food pantry in a time of crisis. As a result, educational materials were distributed to Food Pantry patrons covering topics, like healthy recipes, diabetes and heart disease information, healthy substitute ingredients, portion sizes, etc.
Moving forward…
Angela Cares Inc. focuses on grass roots community involvement, and caring about the wellbeing of all senior community residents.
The organization reflects the passion and drive of the founder – Angela McKnight – to uplift others. Angela Cares Inc. believes helping, mentoring, empowering, and supporting are key factors in making a positive impact in peoples’ lives. Angela Cares Inc. continues to build relationships and beneficial programs for community seniors, caregivers, and youth.
For more information about Angela Cares Inc., please visit the organization’s website at https://www.angelacares.org/