Debt Management and Credit Counseling
A Garden State Consumer Credit CounselingSM organization
A Non-Profit Organization
Credit Counseling


COMMUNITY OUTREACH




 As a non-profit offering financial education and counseling services to individuals in our communities, we become acutely aware of numerous other needs that exist. As a result, Novadebt reaches out into our communities in which we live and work. We have established an Outreach group, consisting of employees who actively volunteer or pursue projects in the neighborhoods of our many office locations. Take a moment and see what we have been doing to help make our communities stronger.
United Way of Monmouth County

Novadebt is a United Way of Monmouth County Certified agency. The Agency Certification process was established to promote partnership and define a mutually beneficial relationship between the United Way of Monmouth County and Certified agencies. This process also ensures good stewardship and accountability of the donations the United Way of Monmouth County receives by supporting programs by agencies that are strong, well managed and fiscally responsible. Novadebt will have access to a variety of supportive services and trainings aimed at increasing the capacity of the social service system to the community need, including consultation and technical assistance. Certification also provides the ability to identify and meet community needs by partnering with other certified agencies to achieve a greater impact.

Additionally, Novadebt employees work with the UWMC on a year round basis in support of their following initiatives:
  • Birthday Wishes
    Outreach team members visit Howell Senior Center and provide birthday cake for their participants each month to assist with the lunch and celebration that follows.

  • School Time Wishes
    Novadebt employees participate in the United Way of Monmouth County’s SchoolTime Wishes effort. This program brings together over 100 Monmouth County, NJ companies and organizations that host drives for donations of new school supplies. These supplies are then distributed to pre-identified Monmouth County children in need, in order for them to have their supplies ready and waiting for their first day back to school.

  • Snowflake Wishes
    Novadebt employees join other Monmouth County organizations in donating gifts to young and old alike in order to help make their holidays a little more special. Staff selects a tag that notes three “wishes” of an individual identified by the UWMC, whose ages range from infant to senior.

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    FINANCIAL EDUCATION OUTREACH

  • New Jersey Coalition for Financial Education - Novadebt’s Education Developer is currently Treasurer of this statewide organization. As such, our agency remains actively involved. The Coalition is a key vehicle for Novadebt to network with other state non-profits, banking institutions and social service agencies in a united effort to provide financial education resources to achieve financial stability. Novadebt’s Education and Counseling Department staff is involved in various Coalition activities.

  • Monmouth County Fair Housing Board - Our Director of Counseling and Education is a Board member of this group. The Fair Housing Board meets monthly to discuss fair housing issues in Monmouth County. Our agency has had the opportunity to present information regarding various financial topics such as the Bankruptcy Reform Act, etc.

  • Rutgers University Co-Operative Extension Financial Resource Management Advisory Committee - Our Director of Counseling and Education and Education Developer attend these advisory meetings. The purpose of this group is to provide feedback to the Rutgers Co-Operative Extension Chair on Financial Literacy programs at the school.

  • HUD and New Jersey Department of Banking and Insurance - In response to the increasing default/foreclosure crisis in the mortgage industry, numerous groups continue to hold Homeowner Clinics to try and reach out to those who are in financial distress in order to educate them about the possible resolution options available to them and emphasize the importance of communicating with their mortgage servicers in order to receive assistance. Novadebt has been involved with HUD, the New Jersey Department of Banking and Insurance and other groups in support of these efforts

  • New Jersey Mortgage and Housing Finance Agency - Novadebt has been approved to provide credit and housing counseling to participants of various programs offered by this agency. Homeowners who are experiencing default/foreclosure issues are referred to Novadebt for counseling assistance, which is a pre-requisite for program assistance.

  • The following are representative groups for whom we provide monthly financial education workshops to their participants:

  • Workshop for Workfirst Program-Neptune, NJ - for individuals that are currently unemployed and seeking employment.

  • Princeton House - for inpatients of this drug and alcohol rehabilitation facility.

  • Visiting Nurses Association STAR Program - for clients who are on Welfare assistance.

  • Manna House - provides transitional housing and resources for homeless women. Our agency has been awarded grant funding by the United Way of Monmouth County for 2008/2009 (third year of support) to help in the cost of facilitating the nine month financial literacy program we administer with residents of this location.

  • Workshop for Stars Program - Keansburg, NJ - for individuals that are currently unemployed and seeking employment. We also provide workshops at their Asbury Park, NJ location.

  • Spring House - provides transitional housing and resources for homeless women. Our agency has been awarded grant funding by the United Way of Monmouth County for 2008/2009 (second year of support) to help in the cost of facilitating the nine month financial literacy program we administer with residents of this location.

  • Interfaith Neighbors - provides rental subsidy to underprivileged persons; provides meals either in a congregate setting or delivered to the homes of people who are either elderly poor (senior citizen), infirm or seriously ill persons or those who are classified as impoverished; encourages support and undertake construction, rehabilitation and operation of houses, shelters, homesteads, and other facilities for underprivileged and homeless persons with low incomes and generally to support the needs of underprivileged persons. Novadebt has been contacted to provide pre-purchase housing counseling to those whom they serve.

  • Additionally, Novadebt has relationships and provides financial educational workshops for the following groups:

  • San Diego Housing Authority - provide workshops on personal financial topics for residents of the San Diego Housing Authority Aspire Program. This is a Section 8 housing community.

  • Affordable Housing Alliance - Affordable Housing Alliance sponsors HUD certified housing counseling programs for Monmouth County, NJ residents. Novadebt counselors participate with the Affordable Housing Alliance by presenting the budgeting and credit basics portion of the programs.

  • Resource Center for Women and Their Families - Novadebt counselors provide agency services to their clients who are referred by their case workers.

  • Willow Point At Vista Center - Workshops on designated topics are held for the residents of this Section 8 housing community.

  • Employees Assistance Programs of the St. Barnabas Health Care System - Provide financial education workshops, such as “Lunch and Learn” to employees of their member companies.

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    Community Impact

    Our agency was acknowledged in April 2008 by the Volunteer Center of Monmouth County for the efforts of our agency’s Outreach Group during 2007. We were nominated by the United Way of Monmouth County for this award.

  • Monmouth County Department of Human Services, Community Emergency Assistance Services (CEAS) - participant in bi-monthly meetings of member agencies involved in social services for the homeless.

  • Foodbank of Monmouth and Ocean Counties - Five teams of Novadebt employees volunteer at the Foodbank every month. Each team helps in the sorting and repacking of donated food items, preparing them to be distributed to non profit organizations, local food banks and families in need.

  • First Call For Help - Listed as a resource and have provided information to hotline representatives for individuals dealing with a financial hardship.

  • Monmouth-Ocean Legal Services - Serving on the domestic violence advisory board.

  • Department of Housing and Urban Development - Our organization is certified by HUD to provide housing counseling services. Our pre-purchase, default and HECM counseling programs are offered to any consumer in need.

  • Pediatric Unit of Jersey Shore University Medical Center - Novadebt employees volunteer three hours of their time once a month to help in the pediatric floor of the hospital, visiting with patients and their families, assisting the nursing floor staff and helping in the Pediatric Day Stay surgical unit.

  • Central Jersey Blood Bank - Blood drives are held twice a year at our Freehold, NJ office location.

  • American Cancer Society Making Strides Breast Cancer Walk - Novadebt employees are involved in various fundraisers for this initiative, which culminates in our participation in the Making Strides Breast Cancer walk in Point Pleasant, New Jersey every year during the month of October.

  • Volunteer Income Tax Assistance - Novadebt credit counselors volunteer several hours a week at a Freehold location preparing tax returns in supporting the IRS VITA effort to assist lower income individuals and families.

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    Page last updated on 03/10/2010