FY 2022 Community Project Funding Request
Congresswoman Bonnie Watson Coleman has submitted funding requests for community projects in New Jersey’s Twelfth Congressional District to the House Appropriations Committee.
Under guidelines issued by the Appropriations Committee, each Representative may request funding for up to 10 projects in their community for fiscal year 2022 – although only a handful may actually be funded. Projects are restricted to a limited number of federal funding streams, and only state and local governments and eligible non-profit entities are permitted to receive funding. Congresswoman Watson Coleman received over 80 requests by the deadline, many of which were not eligible under the criteria established by the Appropriations Committee. Additional information on the reforms governing Community Project Funding is available here.
In compliance with House Rules and Committee requirements, Rep. Watson Coleman has certified that she, her spouse, and her immediate family have no financial interest in any of the projects she has requested.
Requests:
Sister2Sister, Inc. Facility Rehabilitation
Project Recipient: Sister2Sister, Inc
Recipient Address: 1201 Hamilton St, Somerset NJ 08873
Amount Requested: $100,000
Explanation and Justification: The funding will be used to upgrade and modernize the facility that serves underserved women and accommodates the growing need for expanded programming while recovering from cancer treatment. The project is a valuable use of taxpayer dollars because Sister2Sister programs address public health measures and are designed to increase breast cancer education and screening among minority and underserved women. The organization is dedicated to all women in the fight to bring breast cancer statistics, for underserved and minority women in line with the United States standard population. The facility upgrades will allow this survivor run facility to extend its culturally sensitive programming targeted towards minority women cancer survivors.
Member Certification Form
Franklin Township Youth Center
Project Recipient: Township of Franklin
Recipient Address: 429 Lewis St, Somerset, NJ 08873
Amount Requested:$1,000,000
Explanation and Justification: The funding will be used to help construct and complete the new Youth Center creating a safe and welcome environment to meet the needs of youth. This is a valuable use of taxpayer funds because funding will allow Franklin to create a hub for social service agencies, youth service organizations, and educators. Township partnerships will provide services ranging from free afterschool snacks to job skills training. These inroads to education, access, and opportunity empower all youth.
Member Certification Form
Trenton Artwalk Project
Project Recipient: Artworks Trenton Inc.
Recipient Address: 19 Everett Alley, Trenton, NJ 08611
Amount Requested: $500,000
Explanation and Justification: The funding will be used for lighting and murals along a pedestrian and bicycle passage between the Trenton Transit Center and downtown Trenton. This is a valuable use of taxpayer dollars because the project will provide important safety improvements to address the quality and safety of this heavily utilized walkway.
Member Certification Form
Dunhams Corner Road
Project Recipient: Township of East Brunswick
Recipient Address: 1 Civic Center Drive, East Brunswick, NJ 08816
Amount Requested: $1,600,091
Explanation and Justification: The funding will be used for reconstruction of Dunhams Corner Rd in East Brunswick and South Brunswick, New Jersey. The funding will be used for reconstructing the concrete roadway including installing drainage systems. The project is a valuable use of taxpayer dollars because of the current failing concrete roadway that is over 40 years lacking proper drainage is in need of repair.
Member Certification Form
South Brunswick Library Expansion
Project Recipient: South Brunswick Township
Recipient Address: 540 Ridge Road, Monmouth Junction, NJ 08552
Amount Requested: $405,000
Explanation and Justification: The funding would be used for improvements, renovations, and repurposing within the public library that will create an inspiring space where all members of the community can convene. Increased capacity to host training workshops and civic services open to the community will provide additional necessary services to the community to assist with the increasing population. The Library is open to the community and will provide additional necessary services to the community which makes this a valuable use of taxpayer funds.
Member Certification Form
Capital Health Mobile Simulation Lab
Project Recipient: Capital Health System, Inc.
Recipient Address: 750 Brunswick Ave, Trenton, NJ 08638
Amount Requested: $550,330
Explanation and Justification: The funding will be used for medical training equipment as part of the new Mobile Simulation Lab as part of its continuing education for healthcare workers. The mobile lab will also meet the needs of the community allowing educational training and access to services throughout Trenton and would be a valuable use of taxpayer funds in a community in need of expanded medical and health resources.
Member Certification form
Summer STEAM Stars program
Project Recipient: United Way of Central Jersey
Recipient Address: 32 Ford Avenue, Milltown, New Jersey 08850
Amount Requested: $559,205
Explanation and Justification: The funding would be used for a Summer STEAM Stars program in Jamesburg, New Jersey. The project is a valuable use of taxpayer dollars because the summer learning program for Pre-K and Kindergarten students, will help vulnerable students combat learning loss and be on grade-level by the start of the 2022-2023 academic year. The funding would be used for a Summer STEAM Stars program in Jamesburg, New Jersey in a community that primarily serves underserved populations often without access to these expanded educational services and faces the most learning losses without critical enrichment opportunities such as this requested community project.
Member Certification Form
TechUnited:NJ BetterFutureLabs
Project Recipient: TechUnited:NJ BetterFutureLabs
Recipient Address: 101 Jefferson St #1 Hoboken, NJ 07030
Amount Requested: $1,000,000
Explanation and Justification: The funding would be used for running an immersive technology program that will cultivate the next generation of diverse tech leaders centered in Princeton, New Jersey. The project will work with Princeton University to recruit students from diverse communities like Trenton to narrow the diversity gap in the industry and foster talent and entrepreneurship.
Member Certification Form
Mercer County Emerald Ash Borer Management and Ash Tree Restoration
Project Recipient: Mercer County Park Commission
Recipient Address: 197 Blackwell Road, Pennington, New Jersey 08534
Amount Requested: $625,000
Explanation and Justification: The funding will be used for the removal and replanting of ash trees in New Jersey’s Twelfth Congressional District, and other reforestation efforts in areas with ash loss. The project is a valuable use of taxpayer funds because it would provide substantial benefits to wildlife habitat quality, improved water quality of local streams and rivers, public safety, and ecosystem services such as carbon sequestration, and water filtration, flood control and air quality. Ash tree loss due to the infestation of the emerald ash borer (EAB) is a significant ecological and economic problem for Mercer County and the State of New Jersey.
Member Certification Form
Trenton Wharf Flood Resilience Project
Project Recipient: County of Mercer
Recipient Address: 640 South Broad Street, PO Box 8068 Trenton, NJ 08650
Amount Requested: $1,000,000
Explanation and Justification: Funding will be used to restore the historic Trenton Fishing Wharf Park and reestablish access points previously provided as part of the riverfront restoration. Improvements include green stormwater management systems to mitigate flooding and rehabilitation of the surrounding public park. The implementation of the Trenton Wharf Park Improvement Project will have multiple benefits, including reduced flooding and public safety, increased equitable public access to waterfront parkland and recreation opportunities in an underserved community, and economic development in a low-income community. The project is a valuable use of taxpayer dollars because in a city with several miles of riverfront, but less than a handful of small access points, the Wharf Park is a uniquely treasured fishing spot for residents and its restoration is important for reconnecting residents to their riverfront.
Member Certification Form