Lead-Free NJ Seeks a Community Partner to Form a Hub in South Jersey

TRENTON, NJ — Lead-Free NJ, a statewide collaborative of over 20 advocacy organizations and nonprofits with over 100 regularly participating community members, is seeking a community partner in South Jersey to establish a new hub to address pernicious lead issues in its community.

Lead-Free NJ was developed to address our state’s lead issues holistically, and to facilitate the removal of lead in paint, water, and soil from our environment. Following the 2021 state mandate for all water utilities to remove and replace lead service lines within 10 years and the 2021 Lead Safe Certification Law requiring lead paint inspection on certain residential rental properties, the collaborative has made steady progress assisting communities at the local and state levels in the mission of total lead removal.

Currently, LFNJ includes hubs in Newark, Paterson, and Trenton. Information on LFNJ’s community work can be found on its website. LFNJ’s hubs define and advance the collaborative’s objectives and goals by tailoring their actions, efforts, and educational outreach to the needs of their distinct and diverse communities.

Interested organizations are required to submit a letter of interest before the March 24, 2023 deadline to apply. The selected organization will receive one-time seed funding to assist in building capacity for local initiatives to address lead in paint, water, and soil in their community.

Heather Sorge, Lead-Free NJ Program Manager states:

“Our goal is to fully remove lead from our water, homes, schools, and childcare facilities in New Jersey. This is a massive task that takes coordination and collaboration across all levels of government and society in our state. We’ve made great strides already, particularly in our existing community hub cities, and look to extend this crucial work to South Jersey by forming a partnership with a grassroots community organization in the region.” 

Please contact Heather Sorge, Lead-Free NJ Program Manager, at hsorge@njfuture.org or 609-393-0008 ext 1016 with your letter of interest, suggestions, or questions.

Download and share our outreach flyer.