Folsom,
NJ – South Jersey Gas (SJG), this week,
provided $100,000 in immediately available funds to the state’s
NJ SHARES program. NJ SHARES (New Jersey Statewide Heating
Assistance and Referral for Energy Services) is a non-profit
organization providing assistance to individuals and families
living in New Jersey who are in need of temporary help paying
their energy bills. Since its inception, NJ SHARES has provided
154,000 New Jersey households with more than $57 million
in energy assistance.
“NJ SHARES provides relief to a segment of our population
who might not have anywhere else to turn – individuals
and families facing a temporary situation that has jeopardized
their ability to make ends meet,” said SJG president
Ed Graham. “This contribution underscores SJG’s
commitment to working with our customers during these difficult
economic times to ensure that we all get through this together.”
NJ SHARES is the only statewide, nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization
which provides grants to pay the energy and utility bills
of households in need, through a statewide network of more
than 213 community-based social service agencies operating
out of 238 sites.
“South Jersey Gas has been a supporter of NJ SHARES
from the very beginning in 1998. Together we have been able
to help thousands of New Jersey households with energy assistance
grants”, said Jim Jacob, executive director for the
organization. Jacob continued, “We are grateful to
South Jersey Gas for this grant and their partnership”.
A resident’s eligibility for NJ SHARES assistance
is based on income, a demonstrated financial crisis and a
history of good-faith energy bill payments. Upon approval,
an individual or household can receive a one-time grant of
up to $700 on the heating source and up to $300 on the electric
account. Energy grants are applied directly to the bill.
“Many New Jersey residents are walking a financial
tightrope each month as they try to maintain their household
in the face of rising costs and shrinking income,” added
Jeff DuBois, COO of South Jersey Gas. “NJ SHARES builds
a bridge for individuals and families across a difficult
situation and ensures that they receive the assistance they
need.”
For information on the NJ SHARES program, please visit www.njshares.org,
or visit SJG on-line at www.southjerseygas.com and click
on “Energy Efficiency” for NJ SHARES information
as well as money saving tips and ideas.
South Jersey Gas, one of the fastest growing utilities in
the nation, is a regulated company that safely and reliably
delivers natural gas to an ever-expanding customer base of
more than 340,000 residential, commercial and industrial
customers in New Jersey. The company’s service territory
encompasses over 2,500 square miles of southern New Jersey,
including all of Atlantic, Cape May, Cumberland and Salem
counties and portions of Camden, Burlington and Gloucester
counties. Also, through its Off-System Sales function, SJG
sells natural gas on a wholesale basis to customers in the
interstate market. For more information about South Jersey
Gas visit www.southjerseygas.com.
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