FAQ

What Is the People for People Foundation?

People for People Foundation is a private, nonprofit foundation that helps normally self sufficient individuals and families that fall on hard times through no fault of their own and need one time help. People for People may provide monetary and advocacy assistance to those in need who may not know where to turn to for help or who may not readily qualify for traditional assistance from the government or large charities.

How did People for People get started?

The People for People Foundation of Gloucester County Inc. was started in November of 2003 as a registered 501c 3 Foundation by concerned community leaders that saw a lack of programs within Gloucester County that would provide assistance to those that “Fell Through the Cracks” of traditional help providers and government agencies seeking help for such items as food, utilities, medicines, heating oil, rental assistance, medical supplies, auto repairs, and many other life essentials.

Where does People for People provide service?

The People for People Foundation of Gloucester County Inc.  provides services to residents of New Jersey.

What is unique about People for People?

People for People is made up and administered by concerned members of the New Jersey community wanting to help their neighbors in a time of need. People for People is about neighbors helping neighbors.

What programs are available under People for People?

There are two programs under People for People. The first is our “Direct Grant Program.”  This program may provide small monetary grants for the normally self sufficient and seniors and the disabled living on fixed incomes who face a family crisis or emergency and need one time assistance with their bills and other expenses. No monies are ever paid directly to those seeking help. People for People only pays funds to the debtor or service provider.

The second program is our “Hands Across the County Program.” This program provides advocacy assistance to those that may face multiple problems, or need help beyond the financial means of the People for People Direct Grant Program, that may lack the ability or means to successfully navigate the help provider network on their own.

Isn’t People for People simply duplicating services of other help providers?

Not really. A majority of the requests we receive seeking help come from the traditional help providers themselves who cannot provide the help needed because of their lack of funding for specific programs at certain times, or due to the ridged rules by which they must abide. For example, when the government funding for items such as rental assistance or utilities are depleted within a traditional agency or charity program, these entities turn to People for People and our Hands Across the County Program to help find the funds needed to solve the problems. People for People has had to step in to provide help on many occasions for long periods of time throughout the past year when the larger and better financed charities depleted their funding for specific assistance programs. We also had to step in and help those in need on many other occasions when those seeking help fell outside the means testing, financial criteria, or personal profile of the traditional help providers. These are the “Working Poor,” those that make too much for general assistance, but not enough to see themselves through a tough time in their lives without some help. We provided the help needed when others could not.

We can provide assistance for a wide range of needs, everything from food, medicines, utilities, clothing,  car repairs and other life essentials.  Those seeking help can be individuals, families with or without children, young or old, veterans or those who never served, of any race, creed or ethnicity. What we do require is that those seeking help be normally self sufficient and not already of government programs such as TANF.

People for People also serves as advocates for those in need through our Hands Across the County Program, a service few provide. Many help providers may simply help with a specific problem that fits within their guidelines, but  tries to advocate on a person’s behalf and bring together as many different resources and areas of expertise as possible to better help those in need. Our vast data base of help providers, both traditional and non-traditional, allows us through our unique web site program to easily communicate with a large number of other help providers in seeking help. Our goal is to be able to provide the maximum amount of help possible that an individual or family is eligible to receive whenever possible.