There are many excellent resources in New Jersey for people whose native language is Spanish. Unfortunately, people are not always aware of the services that exist to help them. This list describes numerous agencies so that Spanish-speaking residents will be able to access the help they need in their native language.

National Organizations and Hotlines

The following organizations are nationwide programs, but assist people within their own communities, either by phone, or through regional offices.

• Insure Kids Now
  1-877-543-7669 (1-877-KIDS-NOW)
  Insure Kids Now offers bilingual information about the State Children’s Health Insurance Program and links to each state’s child and adolescent health insurance program Web site

• National Hispanic Family Health Help Line, “Su Familia”
  1-866-783-2645 (1-866-Su-Familia)
  Su Familia offers Hispanic consumers free and reliable health information to help prevent and manage chronic conditions. They maintain a nationwide database to refer callers to local health care providers and federally supported health programs.

• ASPIRA
  ASPIRA is a national nonprofit organization devoted to the education and leadership development of Puerto Rican and other Latino youth. Activities include a health career program through which they coordinate educational workshops and seminars, provide career counseling and test preparation, and share information about financial aid. Services also include an Upward Bound program (an educational program geared towards helping high school students apply and prepare for college), various leadership programs that emphasize community involvement and cultural heritage, and a teen pregnancy prevention program. ASPIRA’s main office in New Jersey is at 390 Broad Street, 3rd floor, Newark, (973-484-7554), but programs are coordinated throughout the state. Call the Newark office for help in locating the office nearest you.

New Jersey Community Organizations Organized by Region

There is a wide range of organizations in New Jersey that help Spanish speakers with everything from counseling to transportation, interpretation, and childcare. Below is a list of these organizations and a brief summary of what services are offered.

Northern New Jersey
 

• Comunidad Unida Para La Rehabilitación de Adictos (CURA)
  47 Lincoln Park, Newark, NJ 07102
  (973) 622-3570
  CURA is a drug and alcohol rehabilitation program staffed by Spanish speakers. The Newark site includes an adult residential treatment program, outpatient drug and alcohol treatment for adults, HIV/AIDS education and services, and a charter school for children in grades three through eight. The Secaucus program includes a male adolescent program, with outpatient services for youth and adults.

• FOCUS Hispanic Center for Community Development
  441-443 Broad Street, Newark, NJ 07102
  (973) 624-2528
  Health center that offers care and provides bilingual training in health care fields. FOCUS also offers many services for children and youth, including summer camp programs, after-school programs, mentoring, and tutoring. Additional services for senior citizens are also provided.

• Hispanic Institute for Re​search and Development
  355 Main Street, Hackensack, NJ 07601
  (201) 368-1414
  Offers various courses geared towards Spanish speakers, including ESL classes, HSE (formerly known as GED) courses taught in Spanish, and computer classes in various levels of English proficiency levels.

• Hispanic Multi-Purpose Services Center
  911 East 23rd Street, Paterson, NJ 07504
  (973) 684-3320
  Relocation assistance, transitional shelter, housing, education, and employment services. There are also two other organizations at this location: Mi Casa es Su Casa (973-345-4300), a long-term care facility for seniors and disabled, and the Paterson International Preschool (973-279-9860).

• Immigration and American Citizenship Organization
  301 Main Street, Suite 401, Paterson, NJ 07505
  (973) 472-4648
  Publishes newsletters and presents seminars to the general public on issues related to immigration and immigrants. Also provides assistance with tax-related matters, teaches history and civics classes, and provides general assistance with the immigration and naturalization process.

• La Casa Don Pedro
  23 Broadway, Newark, NJ 07104
  (973) 483-2703
  A community-based organization with locations throughout Newark that provides individual counseling, domestic violence support groups, and vocational programs. Also provides information and referral, and community education. The 23 Broadway location specifically focuses on youth, family, and health services.

• Morris County Organization for Hispanic Affairs
  95-97 Bassett Highway, Dover, NJ 07801
  (973) 366-4770
  Satellite office: 23 Clyde Potts Drive - Suite 105, Morristown, NJ 07960
  (973) 644-4884
  Satellite office: 10 High St, Butler, NJ 07405
  (973) 838-3885
  Butler office only open Wednesday 9-5
  
  Provides transportation within Morris County to medical, employment, social services, and court appointments (Must call 3 days in advance: (973) 366-4770, ext. 18); assists with weatherization and home energy assistance. Also offers translation services, counseling, immigration services, and vocational programs.

• Hogar Infantil Child Development center
  560-566 Main Street, Paterson, NJ 07503
  (973) 279-4486
  A child development and day care center open to all residents of Paterson, with before- and after-school programs for income-eligible families. Offer monthly workshops for parents and information and referral services as needed for families of students.

• North Hudson Community Action Corporation
  5301 Broadway, West New York, NJ 07093
  (201) 210-0200
  Provides health care services through eight Federally Qualified Health Centers and a mobile health center (Other locations: Englewood, Garfield, Hackensack, Harrison, Jersey City, North Bergen, North Hudson, and Passaic). Some areas of specialty include internal medicine, pediatrics/family health, women’s health, dental, mental health, behavioral health, and addiction services (Specialties vary by location). Also coordinates Head Start and Early Head Start programs throughout northern Hudson County and low-cost child care from bilingual caregivers.

• PROCEED
  1126 Dickinson Street, Elizabeth, NJ 07201
  (908) 351-7727

  Satellite Office I
  1122 East Grand Street, Elizabeth, NJ 07201
  (908)-351-7727

  Satellite Office II
  120 West 7th Street, Plainfield, NJ 07060
  (908)-351-7727
  
  Services include preschool, after-school, and summer camp programs; utility assistance, transitional housing for HIV/AIDS clients, and senior citizens’ home repair; HIV/AIDS community health programs; substance abuse programs, individual counseling and support groups, domestic violence programs, and child abuse prevention; interpretation and translation; and homelessness prevention services.

• Puertrriqueños Association for Community Organization (PACO)
  390 Manila Avenue, Jersey City, NJ 07302
  (201) 963-8282
  Provides individual and group counseling for adults, HIV prevention, housing assistance, job development and placement, immunization program, and information and referrals.

• Save Latin America
  138 39th Street, Union City, NJ 07087
  (201) 271-7474
  Focus is on education, access, and awareness. The Community Resource Center (CRC) assists Hispanics with health services, educational and employment resources, economic and business development, and politics and government. Other activities are geared towards keeping youth in school and raising awareness of certain health issues.

• Wind of the Spirit
  2 Green Village Rd, Madison, NJ 07940
  (973) 538-2035
  Interfaith organization that strives to raise awareness about immigration issues; promotes civic participation; provides information and legal assistance in the areas of wages, health care, taxes, and immigration; advocates on behalf of the immigrant community; offers training in tenants’ rights and labor law, citizenship classes, and ESL/SSL classes.

Central New Jersey

• El Centro Hispano Americano
  525 East Front Street, Plainfield, NJ 07060
  (908) 753-8730
  Immigration, education, social and emergency services, and community events. Legal assistance and ESL courses are also available. Also offer food and clothing to those in need (Tuesday: canned goods; Wednesday: clothing; Thursday: bread items).

• Community Affairs & Resource Center (CARC)
  Asbury Park:
  913 Sewall Avenue, Asbury Park, NJ 07712
  (732) 774-3282
  Freehold:
  12 Throckmorton Street, Freehold, NJ 07728
  (732) 431-6977
  Both sites provide information and referrals, immigration assistance (but cannot fill out forms), employment services, translation, transportation, and ESL classes. Also offer services for youth, including drug and alcohol prevention and a childhood obesity reduction program, and women’s resources, including abuse/neglect prevention.

• Mercer County Hispanic Association
  231 Bakers Basin Road, Unit No.5, Lawrence Township, New Jersey 08648
  (609) 578-4246
  Many services in the areas of housing, employment, education (with after-school and summer camp programs), and substance abuse prevention. Additional services include energy assistance counseling, ESL classes, diabetes prevention education, and translation services.

• Puerto Rican Action Board.
  754 Rte 18, Suite 202, East Brunswick, NJ 08816
  (732) 832-7535
  Multi-service program with job development and placement services, community education, counseling and advocacy, legal assistance, and health education. PRAB is an intake agency for the Home Energy Assistance Program (HEAP), NJ Shares, and weatherization assistance for Middlesex County. They also operate a number of preschools and day care centers in New Brunswick.
  
  Early Childhood Services:

  • Howard Street Early Childhood Center (732) 832-4108
  • Raritan Gardens Early Childhood Center (732) 247-5640
  • 18 Drift Early Childhood Center (732) 828-4709
  • Mario Gonzalez Child Development Center (732) 828-4572
  • Parent Infant Care Center (732) 745-5300 x 3088
  • Joyce Kilmer Early Childhood Center (732) 339-8772
     
• Puerto Rican Association for Human Development
  100 First Street, Perth Amboy, NJ 08861
  (732) 442-1081
  Provides case management services for individuals and families, including outreach, translation, transportation to emergency services, workshops, legal, health, and housing-related services, information and referral.
  
  
• Puerto Rican Community Center
  223 Perry St, Trenton, NJ 08629
  (609) 392-8787
  Bilingual day care center for families living in Trenton.

Southern New Jersey

• Casa Prac
  800 East Chestnut Avenue, Vineland, NJ 08360
  (856)-692-2331
  Multi-service agency, providing housing and homelessness assistance, NJ Shares, an office on aging, a truancy program, community service programs, anger management, domestic violence classes and parenting classes, HIV/AIDS referral services, and medical transportation referral services .

• El Centro Comunal Borincano Day Care
  438 Martin Luther King Blvd, Camden, NJ 08103
  (856) 541-0201
  A bilingual day care center for children, with special programs for children ages three to five, who live in Camden.

• Hispanic Family Center of Southern New Jersey
  35-47 South 29th Street, Camden, NJ 08105
  (856) 541-6985
  Multi-service agency with three sites. The 29th Street location offers ESL, citizenship, and computer classes. The clinic, Hispanic Family Center Family Counseling Clinic, (2700 Westfield Avenue, (856) 365-7393), includes outpatient and partial care programs for mental health and substance abuse, and a senior day care program. The Family Success Center, (2850 Federal Street, (856) 963-0270), includes a pediatric asthma prevention program and an HIV/AIDS prevention program. Energy assistance programs are also available.

• Latin American Economic Development Association (LAEDA)
  433 Market Street, Camden, NJ 08102
  (856) 338-1177
  The goal of LAEDA is to promote economic development in the city of Camden—specifically by creating jobs and promoting minority-owned businesses. LAEDA invests in properties to renovate them for use; encourages business development and employs local residents; and provides entrepreneurial training, business and technical assistance, and credit opportunities for low-income individuals and businesses.

• Puerto Rican Action Committee
  Salem County:
  114 East Main Street, Penns Grove, NJ 08069
  (856) 299-5800
  Cape May County:
  3801 Route 9 S, Rio Grande, NJ 08242
  (609) 861-5800
  Provides case management, educational and cultural programs, job training, counseling, domestic violence programs, senior citizen programs, transportation, translation, interpretation, and crisis intervention services, such as emergency food, utility assistance, and rental assistance.

• Puerto Rican Unity for Progress
  818 South Broadway, Camden, NJ 08103
  (856) 541-1418
  Information and referral to community agencies for employment, housing, economic, legal, education, training, and health services. Also offers translation services.

• Servicios Latinos de Burlington County
  795 Woodlane Rd, Mt Holly, NJ 08060
  (609) 518-7171
  Provides translation and interpretation, ESL classes, referrals to social services agencies, employment information, assistance with resume writing and computers, information on health and housing resources, child safety education, and basic immigration assistance.

• The Spanish Community Center has two sites.

  Landisville:
  303 Sumner Street, Landisville, NJ 08326
  Tel. (856) 697-2967

  Atlantic City:
  3900 Ventnor Ave, Atlantic City, NJ 08401
  (609) 345-1249

  Programs offered are: Maintaining Family Unity (MFU) program to assist parents who have an active DCP&P (formerly DYFS) case with parenting counseling, advocacy, companionship, case management, health/vision screening, HIV Testing Referrals (Atlantic City Site), HIV/AIDS Prevention, Education and Outreach (Atlantic City Office), Home Base Instruction, In-Home Crisis Family support, intensive family support services, older adult case management program, licensed summer camp, youth workforce education program, and referrals to other services. Also provide translation and coordinate a food pantry, a clothing closet, and a latchkey program.

  Monday-Thursday 8:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.
  Closed for lunch. (12:00-1:00 p.m.)
  Friday 8:30 a.m. to 12 Noon
  Evening & Weekend Hours by Appt. Only

Additional Helpful Web sites

• In addition to the services described above, there are many programs in New Jersey that offer English as a Second Language (ESL) classes. An excellent publication from the state, called Resource Guide for Adult English Language Learners, lists information about each one.
  
  Resource Guide for Adult English Language Learners (from The New Jersey Department of Community Affairs)

• List of Free Legal Services Providers (from the U.S. Department of Justice) - a list of legal services providers that provide free legal assistance to low-income people in immigration and removal proceedings.

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