News

• From Norman’s Desk - Is New Jersey Really an Employment-First State? Hmm? NJ claims to be an Employment First state for people with disabilities, yet the proposed $12,000 annual premium for people making less than a six-figure salary makes me go “Hmm?”’. The reasoning behind the proposed premium is, even more, exasperating in its… ... Read more ...
• Project Freedom receives $175,000 Housing for Everyone Grant from TD Charitable Foundation - Support from the TD Charitable Foundation to help with nutrition and wellness activities Project Freedom Inc., the 39-year-old nonprofit developer of supportive and affordable housing designed for people with disabilities, was recently awarded a $175,000 Housing for Everyone grant from the TD Charitable Foundation, the charitable giving arm of TD… ... Read more ...
• PF Trustees Elected During Annual Membership Meeting - Project Freedom Inc. recently held its annual membership meeting as required by its by-laws.  Tracee Battis, President and Executive Director of Project Freedom Inc., gave her annual report to the assembled members providing an update on current and future projects. The meeting then turned to the election of Trustees to… ... Read more ...
• Carving Refuse into Beauty. One Tenant’s Quest - Recently Project Freedom at Hamilton trimmed its trees of excess branches. Normally this refuse would be ground up into chips or disposed of in an eco-friendly manner. Vincent "Vinnie"' Chiavonia, an original tenant of the 21-year-old complex, saw these branches in a different light--a more artistic light. Vinnie received permission… ... Read more ...
• Applications Now Open for 52-Affordable Apartments at Project Freedom’s Hamilton Woods - First residents to be picked by lottery on September 22 HAMILTON, NJ -- If you are in need of an affordable housing apartment, then now is the time to apply to become a resident at Project Freedom at its newest location - Freedom Village at Hamilton Woods. Since the groundbreaking, last… ... Read more ...
• ‘People will die waiting’: America’s system for the disabled is nearing collapse - Providers for intellectually and developmentally disabled struggle to recruit and retain staff amid soaring inflation, pandemic burnout. By Dan Goldberf, Politco.com, August 10, 2022 Private agencies that provide services for the intellectually and developmentally disabled have long warned that, without fresh state and federal funding, they would be unable to… ... Read more ...
• Project Freedom “Spotlights” the Need for New Funding - When NJ Governor Phil Murphy announced $303 million in federal funding being budgeted for affordable housing, the media turned to Project Freedom to explain why the funding is needed.  Taceee Battis, Project Freedom's Executive Director, joined other affordable housing advocates to talk about how this money will help build more… ... Read more ...
• Paralympic Winter Games will have Primetime Coverage by NBC - NBC will present primetime coverage of a Paralympic Winter Games for the first time when the network broadcasts the 2022 Games from Beijing, a spokesperson told USA TODAY Sports.  The games start March 4 and will be shown on NBC, Peacock, USA Network, Olympic Channel, NBCOlympics.com and the NBC Sports app. The opening… ... Read more ...
• Selective Insurance & Nottingham Agency Join to Support PF Recreation Activities -   Selective Insurance Company of America and the Nottingham Insurance agency combined to raise $249 to support Project Freedom's recreation and support services for its tenants. The donation was the positive result of a presentation to the Selective staff at their headquarters in Hamilton last summer. Nottingham Insurance Agency has… ... Read more ...
• Take The Isolation Survey - The New Jersey Legislature passed a law that requires the New Jersey Department of Human Services (DHS) to study social isolation among four specified groups: seniors age 65 and older, individuals with disabilities, individuals with mental illness, and those who have or currently serve in the military.  For this study,… ... Read more ...
• Watch & Follow the Paralympics - On 29 July 1948, the day of the Opening Ceremony of the London 1948 Olympic Games, Dr. Guttmann organized the first competition for wheelchair athletes which he named the Stoke Mandeville Games, a milestone in Paralympic history. They involved 16 injured servicemen and women who took part in archery. The… ... Read more ...
• Pushing to bring Supplemental Security Income benefits up to federal poverty level - Democratic leaders in Washington, D.C., have touted a $3.5 trillion spending package aimed at helping to fight poverty. Yet initial drafts have not included proposed reforms to enhance Supplemental Security Income — also known as SSI — that provides benefits to elderly, blind and disabled Americans. Still, advocates have not… ... Read more ...
• Outdoor dining reopened restaurants for all — but added to barriers for disabled - Sidewalks have become more crowded with the increased popularity of outdoor dining, making it more difficult for people with disabilities to navigate the city By Brittany Renee Mayes and Maria Aguilar, Washington Post,  July 13 During D.C.'s annual Pride weekend, Katie Bruckmann and a friend joined the large crowds Saturday evening on… ... Read more ...
• Hamilton Activities Break Isolation - As New Jersey moves away from COVIID-19 social distancing, Project Freedom staff at each complex begin to offer recreation and social activities.  Tenants can look forward to "Hot Dogs Fridays" and "Coffee Mondays" for the next few months. Hamilton also started a Gardening Club for outside socialization and physical stimulation. ... Read more ...
• “Happy Trails, My Parting Two Cents” - “ Happy Trails to you, until we meet again,  Happy Trails to you, keep smilin’ until then.    Who cares about the clouds when we’re together? Just sing a song and bring the sunny weather.  Happy Trails to you, till we meet again. Such were the words to the theme song… ... Read more ...
• “My Two Cents” — April 2021 - Last month, in the midst of leasing up our new “ Freedom Village at Town Center” apartment complex, we welcomed Robbinsville mayor David Fried to our community to celebrate a special achievement.  It was to honor and recognize a Robbinsville Freshman, Zoya Jadhav, for winning second place in a Statewide… ... Read more ...
• Remembering Jack Rafferty, Our First “Angel” - Tim Doherty and Norman Smith remember John K. "Jack" Rafferty and his impact on Project Freedom's formative year. It was sad for everyone in Hamilton and Mercer County to learn of Jack’s passing this February.  He did so much for the citizens of Hamilton  Township and for a little organizations… ... Read more ...
• “My Two Cents” – February 2021 - “Another Opening, another Show”.  Lines from a famous musical, it appropriately describes the feeling of excitement and happiness that comes from opening a new housing community.  And all this took place on the day of the worst snow storm to hit our area in quite some time. What I am… ... Read more ...
• “My Two Cents” — January 2021 - Well what a year 2020 has been!  What started out as a normal year, became topsy turvy with the emergence of the Covid-19 virus, and how our lives did change.  No longer could we go out to dinner, assemble in church, or visit our grandparents in nursing homes.  Many companies… ... Read more ...
• Facebook Friends Make Thanksgiving Meal Possible - Just like most people, the COVID-19 pandemic changed Thanksgiving plans for the tenants of Project Freedom at Hamilton.  Traditionally, many of them attended a Thanksgiving early dinner hosted by the congregation of the Resurrection Lutheran Church in Hamilton Square, but not this year. Determined not to let Thanksgiving go by… ... Read more ...
• From Norman’s Desk – December 2020 - “True freedom is to have power over oneself for everything,” wrote French philosopher Michel de Montaigne in 1588.  For 36 years Project Freedom has implemented this concept for people with disabilities through our housing and advocacy.  This happens through the generous support of friends and contributors during bad times and… ... Read more ...
• “My Two Cents” – December 2020 - So, as I write these words, it is Thanksgiving Weekend, and I am  suffering from the guilt of eating too much this year.  Even with only our immediate family present…the five of us…it was good to get together to enjoy each other’s company.  My brother and sister- in- law, called… ... Read more ...
• Many fell through cracks COVID crisis. Here’s how to fix it, disabilities leaders say - By Gene Meyers. NorthJersey.com, November 23, 2020 Leaders in the disability community who condemned the state's COVID-19 response in a recent report said one fi is obvious to anyone with a disability and it's shocking that it wasn't to others. Expand the office of the New Jersey "Ombudsman for Individual… ... Read more ...
• “My Two Cents” – November 2020 - So, this Covid-19 Virus has affected life in so many different ways.  In the past, around this time, we would be preparing and then holding our Annual Gala fundraiser.  This annual event would attract about 250 people all who would gather at the Stone Terrace by John Henry.  We would… ... Read more ...
• NJ Disability Advocates Release COVID-19 Report - For the past several months,  Project Freedom's co-founder, Norman A. Smith, worked with other NJ disability advocates to address the gaps, shortcomings, omissions, and faulty planning of the State’s COVID-19  response as it impacted on people with disabilities.  They came together as the Disability Action Committee for COVID-19, and collectively… ... Read more ...
• “Live streaming” of Gibbsboro’s Grand Opening - The invitation-only Grand Opening of Freedom Village at Gibbsboro will be held on September 22, 2020, will be steamed live through Project Freedom's Facebook page.  To access that  page Please Click Here around 11:00 AM. ... Read more ...
• “My Two Cents” – September 2020 - So, we are coming to the end of our summer this year, and what a year it has been.  This Covid19 Virus has turned our world upside down; however it seems to be subsiding, at least, in the eastern part of the country for those of us in New Jersey… ... Read more ...
• PF Communities Work Together During Power Outage - On August 11, 2020, Hurricane Isaias made landfall in New Jersey, causing about 3.7 million power outages across the state.  Freedom Village West Windsor was one of those communities affected by this massive outage.  With tenants without power or air conditioning, the Project Freeeedom staff at West Windsor and Lawrenceville… ... Read more ...
• 30 Years After a Landmark Disability Law, the Fight for Access and Equality Continues - By Abigail Abrams, Time, July 17, 2020 Judy Heumann remembers the day she went to register for kindergarten in 1952. She’d gotten dressed up and her mother had pulled her wheelchair up a flight of stairs before the principal intervened. Her disability, he said, meant she was not allowed to… ... Read more ...
• Long Road To Hollywood: Why Actors With Disabilities Have Yet To Be Recognized - By Wendy Lu, The Huffington Post, July 19, 2020 A pedophilic circus performer. A comedic womanizer. A killer. These were just a few of the roles that Danny Woodburn was offered when he began auditioning for film and TV roles in the early 1990s. Woodburn, a self-described little person, quickly… ... Read more ...
• Area Service and Community Groups Aid Tenants - In times of disasters and national emergencies, individuals and organizations have always stepped in to fill the gaps in the response. The COVID-19 response has been no different with individuals making masks or going shopping for people who cannot get to the stores safely. Community organizations serving Mercer County have… ... Read more ...
• From Norman’s Desk – May 2020 - It is May!  It is time for my annual rant as we near Hurricane Season. It is time to focus on the looming hurricanes season and the predictions by the Colorado State University tropical study program.  This year is no different—especially because we are in the tail end of the… ... Read more ...
• Holiday Party Thank You from Lawrence - ‘Twas the night of December 18th, a highly anticipated night for our tenants at Project Freedom at Lawrence, as our Annual Tenant Holiday Party had arrived. The room was filled with joy and laughter as almost 30 tenants, as well as their guests, entered the green and red winter wonderland.… ... Read more ...
• “My Two Cents” — March 2020 - Well when I first heard this news, I smiled and said, ”of course, we are the perfect venue for this kind of news.”    And the news was that NJHMFA wants to announce a new program of financing that will help to fund Special Needs Housing and wanted to do… ... Read more ...
• “My Two Cents” – February 2020 - Remembering My Friend Nate By now most of the Project Freedom community knows that our friend, Nate Smith passed away in January.  Nate Smith was a tenant and employee at our Lawrence office and served as our receptionist there—answering the phones, and greeting our many visitors each day.  Nate could answer… ... Read more ...
• From Norman’s Desk – February 2020 - Last month saw the Democratic presidential candidates begin to focus more on people with disabilities and our issues.  This took place as candidates dropped out of the race. Each of the major Democratic candidates completed the 15-question 2020 Disability Voter Candidate Questionnaire  written by RespectAbility, a nonpartisan national nonprofit organization… ... Read more ...
• Project Freedom Awarded Funding for New Hamilton Complex - Opening the door to over 1,200 new apartments affordable for families, seniors and residents with special needs, the Murphy Administration announced today it has awarded over $22 million in annual 9% federal Low Income Housing Tax Credits (LIHTC). The highly competitive tax credits are expected to generate $214.7 million in… ... Read more ...
• Groundbreaking Marks Start of New Affordable Apartments, Supportive Housing in Mercer County - ROBBINSVILLE – A groundbreaking last December kicked off the construction of Freedom Village at Robbinsville, which will provide 72 apartments affordable to families as well as supportive housing for special needs residents and was funded in part by the New Jersey Housing and Mortgage Finance Agency (NJHMFA). NJHMFA executive staff… ... Read more ...
• “America’s Medicaid Trap” for People with Disabilities - An Essay by Anna Landre Most non disabled people I meet seem to assume that the U.S. government provides disabled Americans all the services and supports we need to survive, and even thrive, as equal citizens. Once, when I was coming home from the grocery store, I lost my grip… ... Read more ...
• The Truth Of Disability Employment That No One Talks About - By Sarah Kim, Contributor  -  Forbes.com - October 24, 2019 October is National Disability Employment Awareness Month, and it’s about time to discuss the staggering unemployment and sub-minimum pay rates among the disability community. According to data obtained by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the employment-population ratio for people with disabilities… ... Read more ...
• Gibbsboro Lottery Set for October - The lottery to establish the initial listing of applications is set to take place on October 9, 2019, beginning at 10:00 AM at the  Gibbsboro Senior Community Center located just behind the building at 250 Haddonfield-Berlin Road, Gibbsboro, NJ 08026.  The lottery is open to the public. For questions, please… ... Read more ...
• September 11th Remembered - This month marks eighteen years since the attacks of September 11th. It is also National Preparedness Month is recognized each September to promote family and community disaster and emergency planning now and throughout the year. The 2019 theme is Prepared, Not Scared.  The timing is no coincidence. For many  the… ... Read more ...
• We Are In The News! - Developer proposes Hamilton affordable housing complex for special needs individuals HAMILTON — Nearly seven acres of trees will be removed and a special needs housing complex will be built off Justice Samuel A. Alito Jr. Way if the Hamilton Township Planning Board approves a developer’s pending application. Project Freedom Inc.… ... Read more ...
• An Open Letter to Mothers of Disabled Children - by Erin Andrews, PhD  --  Disabled Parenting Project (www.disabledparenting.com)    Erin Andrews serves as a parent advisor and co-researcher for the DPP. She is a board certified rehabilitation psychologist. As a disabled mother, I can’t help but reflect sometimes on my own entrance into the world. As a member of several… ... Read more ...
• 17th Annual Golf Classic’s Date Set - ... Read more ...
• Freedom Village at Gibbsboro Breaking Ground in South Jersey - GIBBSBORO, N.J. (WPVI Channel 6, December 10, 2018) -- There will soon be affordable rental properties available for those with disabilities in south Jersey. A groundbreaking ceremony was held Monday morning for the brand new Freedom Village. The 72 unit rental community will be built on seven acres of land… ... Read more ...
• Lawrence Band Brings Holiday Cheer to Tenants - Tenants from Robbinsville, Hamilton, and Lawrence gathered at Project Freedom at Lawrence to hear holiday and winter season music from the Lawrence Community Band. 30+ band members and 35 attendees made for a packed night of beautiful holiday music and a joyful atmosphere! The band was spectacular and the audience truly… ... Read more ...
• Why Do I #CripTheVote? Because the Disability Vote is Power - By Randall Oldenburg Randall Oldenburg is a writer and thinker who is primarily concerned with topics in disability studies. As a philosophy student, he worked primarily on issues at the intersection of disability, language, and ethics.  As a child, I didn’t think being disabled had anything to do with voting,… ... Read more ...
• From Norman’s Desk – November 2018 - The petition begins: The New Jersey Disability Community wholeheartedly opposes efforts by companies, cities, and states to ban single use plastic straws. These policies create barriers to independence, community integration, and daily living for people with disabilities, work counter to our community ideals of universal access, and place an unnecessary… ... Read more ...
• “My Two Cents” – November 2018 - So, as most of you know, Project Freedom holds our “Angel Award Dinner Gala” around this time in November. It is our once a year fundraiser which honors four individuals or organizations that have somehow contributed to furthering the cause for those with disabilities . Former Hamilton Mayor John "Jack"… ... Read more ...
• West Windsor Update — October 2018 - Project Freedom is pleased to announce the construction of our latest affordable housing community…Freedom Village at West Windsor.  This seventy two unit apartment community will feature one, two and three bedroom apartments, surrounding a large Community center, only steps away from the West Windsor Train Station.  The buildings are a… ... Read more ...
• From Norman’s Desk – October 2018 - New Jersey held its Eighth Annual Disability Pride Parade and Celebration in Trenton this month.  The event is organized by the Alliance Center for Independent Living based in Edison, and I’m proud to have been a part of the parade since the beginning. I have told this story many times,… ... Read more ...
• America’s Workforce: Empowering All to Work - Join Project Freedom as we celebrate National Disability Employment Awareness Month (NDEAM), a national campaign to increase awareness about disability employment issues and celebrates the many and varied contributions of America's workers with disabilities. The theme for 2018 is "America’s Workforce: Empowering All." NDEAM's roots go back to 1945, when… ... Read more ...
• “My Two Cents” – September 2018 - Every year, Marion and I and Tracee Battis, our Director of Housing Development, attend the Governor’s Conference on Housing, which is  always held in Atlantic City.  Now I know what you are thinking, not much work goes on during that time, but probably lots of gambling.  Not so with me… ... Read more ...
• DISABLED GROUPS ARE UNITING AGAINST STARBUCKS’ PLASTIC STRAW BAN - By Jason Hopkins, DailyCaller.com  August 23, 2018 Disabled advocacy groups are calling on Starbucks to reverse its phase-out of plastic straws from its stores, highlighting the controversy of the decision. An international coalition of disabled rights groups sent a letter to Starbucks CEO Kevin Johnson, stating that his company’s decision… ... Read more ...
• She cleaned for $3.49 an hour. A gas station just offered her $11.25. - By Danielle Paquette, Reporter  - WashingtonPost.com , June 21, 2018 Colton Channon needed just 90 minutes each day. Every morning for about a month, in training designed for him, the high school senior with an intellectual disability practiced making steel brackets for trucks at a Des Moines factory. The skill took… ... Read more ...
• ‘Disabled People Are Not Part of the Conversation.’ Advocates Speak Out Against Plastic Straw Bans - By GINA MARTINEZ  Time.com, July 12, 2018 Some disabled rights advocates are speaking out against an emerging trend of restaurants and other companies phasing out the use of plastic straws with drink orders, arguing that the alternatives can be inadequate for customers with various disabilities. Plastic straws have been disappearing from… ... Read more ...
• It Shouldn’t Be This Hard for a Woman in a Wheelchair to Get a Pedicure - BY MADISON LAWSON      Glamour.com  -  AUGUST 7, 2018 Early last week a screenshot of a Yelp review for a nail salon started surfacing on Facebook. In the post, a woman from St. Peters, Missouri, a suburb of St. Louis, wrote about the shock and frustration she felt when a salon… ... Read more ...
• Project Freedom Tenants RevUp the Vote - Nearly 20 tenants from Project Freedom's Mercer County housing complexes attended the RevUpNJ's kickoff rally during National Disability Registration Week.  RevUp is a national nonpartisan effort by the American Association of People with Disabilities (AAPD).  RevUp-NJ is organized by the Alliance Center for Independence (ACI) based in Edison, and it… ... Read more ...
• Trustees Honored for Long Service - As a not-for-profit organization, Project Freedom is governed by a 21-member Board of Trustees.  Recently two dedicated members of the Board stepped down after long service to Project Freedom's mission. Dave Workman served as chair of the Finance and Golf Committees and served on numerous other committees as needed.  Under… ... Read more ...
• Lawrence Tenant Dashes Home with Gold - Project Freedom at Lawrence tenant Rebecca "Becky" Scheick earned three medals last month at the Special Olympics.   Becky  brought home a Gold and two Silver medals.    Becky crushed it in the Softball Throw earning herself the Gold medal!   Her silver medals were for the 4 x 100 … ... Read more ...
• Freedom Village at Toms River Hosts Prom Gown Event - April brings the beginning of warmth, some booming flowers, and thoughts of what to wear to high school proms. This can be an anxious time for some young ladies, but an event held at Freedom Village at Toms River may have relieved some this anxiety for some. Around 30 young… ... Read more ...
• NJ forces disabled Howell student to make brutal choice: internship or health aide money - Jerry Carino, @njhoopshaven Published  by  Asbury Park Press  May 21, 2018 | Updated May 21, 2018 HOWELL - Like any college student, Anna Landre was thrilled to land a quality summer internship. Unlike her peers, though, she faces a brutal decision: Taking the job means losing some crucial health benefits. The Howell… ... Read more ...
• Designing “Adaptive Clothing” For People with Disabilities - Companies are releasing new inclusive lines that solve some of the dressing challenges that people with physical and mental disabilities face By Emily Matchar   Smithsonian.com  - May 8, 2018 Most of us don’t think a whole lot about getting dressed. Sure, we might care about our style, but the actual process of… ... Read more ...
• Man With Down Syndrome To Testify Before Congress - John Cronin, who runs John's Crazy Socks, will discuss the benefits of hiring workers with disabilities. By Paige McAtee, Patch Staff | May 8, 2018 5:35 pm ET The Huntington businessman with Down syndrome who gifted George H.W. Bush socks he wore to Barbara Bush's funeral will be heading to our nation's Capitol on Wednesday to… ... Read more ...
• Microsoft commits $25M over 5 years for new ‘AI for Accessibility’ initiative to help people with disabilities - Microsoft commits $25M over 5 years for new ‘AI for Accessibility’ initiative to help people with disabilities BY NAT LEVY - GeekWire.com - May 7, 2018 Microsoft is committing $25 million over five years to develop artificial intelligence-powered technologies to help people with disabilities. The aim of the new program announced at the… ... Read more ...
• From Norman’s Desk – May 2018 - It is May!  It is time for my annual rant as we near Hurricane Season. “In the next decade, the probability of a major hurricane hitting the Northeast is one and a half to two times greater than in recent years. We are returning to the earlier decades where landfalls… ... Read more ...
• “My Two Cents” – May 2018 - Project Freedom continues to grow our housing units by partnering with several   local municipalities in Mercer County as well as those from across the State.  Over time we have modified our housing design and amenities to better reflect the needs and wants of our tenant consumers.  Our target population has… ... Read more ...
• Born without arms, Sarasota State Senate Candidate Has Long Fought for Disability Rights - Born without arms, Sarasota (FL) State Senate Candidate Has Long Fought for Disability Rights By Zac Anderson Political Editor, The Herald Tribune, April 12, 2018 Olivia Babis often had to fight for equal rights growing up as a person with a disability. Now the Sarasota Democrat wants to take the lessons she… ... Read more ...
• Building Better Maps for the Disability Community - Building Better Maps for the Disability Community Google and a slew of startups are including accessibility information in apps to help people navigate the world if they use wheelchairs or have other disabilities. BY   MARGUERITE REARDONAPRIL 6, 2018  Occupational therapist turned disability rights activist Alanna Raffel has spent her career… ... Read more ...
• Willing and able: Disabled workers prove their value in tight labor market - With the low 4.1% unemployment rate making it tougher for employers to hire and retain workers, CVS hires hundreds of disabled people annually and has ramped up the hiring amid the tight labor market, with the number of recruits doubling in 2017. USA TODAY Julie Propp landed her first-ever job about… ... Read more ...
• “My Two Cents” – February 2018 - As we start the new year (2018), it has been over two years since the New Jersey Supreme Court took the power of making decisions regarding affordable housing, out of the hands of the COAH Board, and into the respective courts of jurisdiction.  So, the question to be asked and… ... Read more ...
• Priced Out In The United States - In 2016, there was no housing market in the United States where a person with a disability whose sole source of income was SSI could afford a safe, decent rental unit. The Priced Out report, co-authored by TAC and the Consortium for Citizens with Disabilities Housing Task Force, documents the nationwide housing… ... Read more ...
• Board & Corporate Officers Elected - During its first meeting of 2018, Project Freed's Board of Trustees elected its officers and the corporate officer of Project Freedom Inc.   They are: Chair, Board of Trustees Herb  Schneider Vice Chair, Board of Trustees Tim Lutz Treasurer, Board of Trustees Anthony Torrington Secretary, Board of Trustees Dan Surtz President,… ... Read more ...
• “My Medicaid, My Life” by Alice Wong - "My Medicaid, My Life" by Alice Wong,  New York Times -- Opinion/Disability Section, May 3,2017 I am a Medicaid welfare queen. When Republicans talk about safety net programs like Medicaid, Social Security and food stamps, they evoke images of people like me gabbing on their smartphones, eating steak and watching… ... Read more ...
• Justice Department Scraps ADA Guidance - Attorney General Jeff Sessions said he’s rescinding more than two dozen guidance documents including several clarifying the implications of the Americans with Disabilities Act. Among the 25 revoked documents are a number of ADA-related items dating as far back as 1995 offering guidance on everything from service animals to accessible… ... Read more ...
• “My Two Cents” – January 2018 - As I write these words, it is the day after Christmas, so all the parties, have come and gone, with only memories of those good times.  It indeed has been a wonderful year, for which we at Project Freedom have a lot to be thankful.  This year, we obtained our… ... Read more ...
• Donations to PF at Lawrence Brings a Delicious Thanksgiving to Tenants - Project Freedom at Lawrence was blessed to have received numerous food donations from extremely generous people, stores and restaurants to help the tenants celebrate Thanksgiving Day. As always, The Knights of Columbus along with St. Anne’s church began the holidays with a huge donation of 28 turkeys that they delivered… ... Read more ...
• Federal Home Loan Bank of New York Awards Project Freedom $1.6 Million for Gibbsboro - Federal Home Loan Bank of New York Awards 36 Million for 42 Affordable Housing Initiatives Projects will create, rehabilitate or preserve nearly 2,900 affordable housing units New York, NY –  José R. González, president and CEO of the Federal Home Loan Bank of New York, announced that the Bank has awarded $36.9… ... Read more ...
• The 1977 Disability Rights Protest That Broke Records and Changed Laws - The 504 Sit-In was the longest non-violent occupation of a federal building in United States history. BY BRITTANY SHOOT  NOVEMBER 09, 2017 Hundreds of people arrived to the planned protest march in San Francisco on April 5, 1977, weighed down by backpacks bulging with food, medication, and basic supplies. Adults, teenagers, and parents accompanying their… ... Read more ...
• Monsters, Spooks, and Red Riding Hood Come to Toms River - Freedom Village at Toms River was recently visited by some strange force that turned tenants and staff into beings not seen before on the complex.  Our cameras caught these pictures! ... Read more ...
• Gala Celebrates 20 Years of Celebrating - Nearly 200 supporters came together last week to celebrate Project Freedom's 2oth Annual Dinner Gala.  Some highlights ad photos:   The Gala featured Mayor David Fried of Robbinsville with the Julia "June" Ronan Angel Award in recognition of Mayor Fried’s “Pay it Forward Initiative."  Mayor Fried has has transformed his yearly State… ... Read more ...
• From Norman’s Desk – November 2017 - This year will be the twelfth time in my life that I cast a vote for the governor of NJ.  I remember back in 1973 being forced to vote two weeks ahead of time by absentee ballot because my polling place was not accessible.  I remember in 1992 being challenged… ... Read more ...
• “My Two Cents” November 2017 - Well, we are one week away from our Angel Award Dinner, and staff are busy pulling all the last minute details together.  Thanks to Board member Karol Moss for heading up this committee and for providing the leadership for this event once again. At this year’s Gala, we are honoring… ... Read more ...
• “My Two Cents – October 2017 - So, one of the hot topics today in our country, is the use of “Free Speech” which is guaranteed by our Constitution and First Amendment.  Usually this revolves around some kind of protest or some action that certain groups are usually against.  Recently we have seen this in protests involving… ... Read more ...
• “My Two Cents” – September 2017 - I have exciting news to report.  The governor announced last Friday, the Low Income Tax Credit Awards for this year, and Project Freedom has won for both our new projects—West Windsor and Gibbsboro.  Hooray. This is by no means an easy task, and in the past, we have only been… ... Read more ...
• From Norman’s Desk – October 2017 - New Jersey will be holding its Seventh Annual Disability Pride Parade and Celebration in Trenton this month.  The event is organized by the Alliance Center for Independent Living based in Edison, and I’m proud to have been a part of the parade since the beginning. I have told this story… ... Read more ...
• From Norman’s Desk – August 2017 - This year will be the twelfth time in my life that I cast a vote for the governor of NJ. I remember back in 1973 being forced to vote two weeks ahead of time by absentee ballot because my polling place was not accessible. I remember in 1992 being challenged… ... Read more ...