Bergen County Disaster Relief Employment Program

Under the National Emergency Grant from the United States Department of Labor, New Milford has temporarily hired four people to assist the DPW with its continued clean up from damage sustained by Hurricane Irene. 

In conjunction with the Bergen County One-Stop Career Center, the Disaster Relief Employment Program is responsible for coordinating the hiring of unemployed individuals and matching them with municipalities in need of additional assistance to "clean debris or remove property" damaged by Irene.  

According to the Office of the Bergen County Executive, workers hired under this program can earn up to $12,000 and work up to about 1,000 hours. The grant stipulates that the work is temporary and must be completed by Feb. 29, 2012.

Salvatore Mastroeni, Director of the Bergen County One-Stop Career Center, said, “We think the Disaster Relief Employment Program is a great initiative and we hope that more towns request temporary workers to help with their clean-up efforts.”

There are specific hiring criteria under the terms of the grant. In order to be eligible, a person must be considered "long-term unemployed" or displaced from their home due to Hurricane Irene. All eligible candidates must also undergo a background check. Once a person is hired, they are matched to the workforce needs of participating municipalities.  

This employment comes at no cost to the borough. Funding from the grant pays all employees salaries, in addition to a $300 stipend to cover any necessary equipment or transportation costs.

Anyone interested in learning more about this program please visit www.onestopbwc.org or call Barry Lowe at (201) 329-9600, ext. 5527.