The New Jersey Department of Health (NJDOH) announced a new pilot program that will provide 1,250 New Jersey families enrolled in the Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) program — primarily in Camden County — to receive a one-time $200 grant to help pay their utility bills.
The program is funded by the American Water Charitable Foundation and administered by Promise, a technology company specializing in efficient delivery of assistance to low-income populations. Gateway WIC, which serves Camden County, is leading implementation with support from NJDOH.
“My administration is committed to exploring every option at our disposal to drive down utility costs for New Jersey families,” said Governor Mikie Sherrill.
“This pilot program targeting WIC enrollees is a great example of the innovative solutions we are bringing to our mission of delivering direct relief for those most in need.”
Eligible families are randomly selected to help ensure fairness and to support an unbiased evaluation of the pilot’s impact across the WIC population in Camden County and other select counties.
Recipients can choose whether to apply their $200 grant to their gas, electric or water utility account. No application or additional steps are required.
“Healthy families need stable homes, and that includes being able to keep the lights and heat on,” said Acting Commissioner of Health Dr. Raynard E. Washington. “This pilot program recognizes what we know to be true: financial security is deeply connected to physical and mental health.
“By efficiently delivering assistance directly to families who need it most, we’re supporting both the well-being of New Jersey’s youngest residents and the parents working hard to care for them.”
“For families with young children, the stress of keeping up with utility bills can take a real toll on health and well-being,” said Albert B. Kelly, president and CEO of Gateway Community Action Partnership, which operates the WIC program in Camden County.
“This pilot removes barriers and gets help directly to families when they need it most. By connecting utility relief with WIC services, we’re addressing real-world challenges in a way that is simple, dignified and impactful.”
In New Jersey, WIC helps more than 250,000 people each year access healthy foods, nutrition education, breastfeeding support and health or social services referrals. To qualify for WIC, a family’s income must be at or below 185% of the federal poverty line — an annual income of $59,478 for a family of four, or $28,953 for an individual.
The pilot program coordinates with participating utilities, including PSE&G, South Jersey Gas, Atlantic City Electric and New Jersey American Water to ensure the assistance is applied quickly and accurately.
“At a time when extreme cold weather is driving up the cost of utilities for New Jerseyans, this assistance will help lower energy bills for Camden families,” said New Jersey Board of Public Utilities President Christine Guhl-Sadovy.
“This program demonstrates government agencies working together with the private sector to support residents when they need it most.”
The program leverages a partnership between private philanthropy, nonprofit expertise and public infrastructure to test an innovative, scalable approach to utility affordability assistance — one that could inform future efforts to serve vulnerable populations across New Jersey.
