Lawrence Nonprofit Gets $15K Grant To Expand Reach Through Storytelling

LAWRENCEVILLE, NJ – A Local nonprofit was selected to receive a grant from the New Jersey Council for the Humanities to explore literature and storytelling for people from diverse backgrounds.

People & Stories/Gente y Cuentos (P&S/GyC) was selected to receive a grant of $15,000, Congressman Andy Kim (NJ-03) announced Wednesday.

Kim said he had the opportunity to see People & Stories/Gente y Cuentos’ work with local youth, veterans, and seniors.

“Their staff and volunteers go above and beyond to uplift others through the power of literature and story. I am proud to have been able to help get them this support through federal grant funding and am excited to see the opportunity it unlocks for their programs and facilitators,” Kim said in a statement.

Founded in 1972, People & Stories connects lives to literature through reading and discussion programs in diverse settings, including residential treatment facilities, prisons and reentry centers, homeless shelters, adult education programs, libraries, and senior residences.

Rebecca FrancoMartin, Executive Director of the nonprofit thanked Rep. Kim for helping them bag the grant. She said the fund will go towards bolstering the 'Training New Facilitators' initiative.

“Through strategic recruitment and training, we aspire to enhance our facilitator pool, promoting diversity and inclusivity in our literary endeavors. This crucial support enables us to broaden our impact and cultivate an inclusive and engaging environment for participants of our literary programs from marginalized communities and people with limited literacy skills across New Jersey,” FrancoMartin said.

“A sincere thank you to Congressman Kim's office for their steadfast support, propelling us toward our goal of fostering inclusivity and connections across diverse communities within his district.”

The New Jersey Council for the Humanities grant funding originates at the federal level through The National Endowment for the Humanities.

Local organizations and nonprofits applying for a federal grant, can reach out to Kim’s office which has a dedicated Grants Director who is available to submit a letter of support on their behalf, connect them with a federal grant liaison to answer application questions, obtain feedback about a previously denied grant to strengthen the next application, or work with congressional liaisons to research potential federal grant opportunities.

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