Our Programs

The NJBLF grant program consumes the lion’s share of the NJBLF budget. It has provided grants to hundreds of worthy applicants during the past decade.

The New Jersey Bankruptcy Lawyers Foundation (“NJBLF”) is continuing its two-decade long tradition of helping those in our community with our major grant program, now known as the New Beginnings Program. New Beginnings provides assistance to those going through life changing events including foreclosures and evictions, funerals, rent, security deposits, medical bills, payments for utilities, storage and automotive repairs.  Learn more or apply here.

NJBLF also provides support to student interns at Seton Hall Law School who work with Volunteer Lawyers for Justice and with Essex-Newark Legal Services, by providing those students with stipends to help them with their education while, at the same time, providing assistance to clients in legal service programs.  

Read Thank You Letters

We support programs at Rutgers Law School named for the Honorable Judith H. Wizmur and the Honorable Morris Stern.  These projects pair students with volunteer attorneys, many of whom are Rutgers Alumni to interview low-income clients and assist them with bankruptcy and state court matters. 

In addition, we support a grant program for clients of Legal Services of New Jersey who are in dire need of emergency assistance due to a wide variety of reasons.

The New Jersey Bankruptcy Lawyers Foundation has been sponsoring educational programs for high school students for almost two decades.  The objective of the programs is to encourage students to develop an awareness regarding the pitfalls that they are going to encounter once they have the ability to incur debt, get credit, spend money and so forth.  The program has been beneficial for literally hundreds, if not thousands, of young people who have participated in the program. Learn more.

NJBLF Stories

Here are just a few of the people that the NJBLF has helped in recent years.

I am writing to once again thank the NEW JERSEY BANKRUPTCY LAWYERS FOUNDATION.  Your organization promptly reviewed and approved my client’s application, and provided funds which allowed my client (who is elderly and disabled with limited mobility) to avoid eviction and remain in her home.

I appeared in court yesterday on a contested Order To Show Cause as the landlord did not want to accept the funds but instead proceed with eviction, however, I was able to advocate for my client and get the landlord to accept the funds and dismiss the matter.

Both my office and my client are grateful for your assistance. A special thank you to Karl and Carol who were always so responsive and kept me in the loop.

On behalf of my client and Central Jersey Legal Services, Inc., thank you!

We assisted a 35 year old divorced mother of 2 daughters who were homeless for 8 months prior to finding a small apartment. Our grant of $600.00 assisted her to obtain beds for her daughters and herself since the apartment came unfurnished.

We assisted a disabled veteran with his back rent with a $900.00 grant. The disabled veteran was mugged and robbed while he was carrying cash to pay his rent, as he didn’t have a bank account. He received assistance from Veterans of Foreign Affairs and Gi-Go, but our grant paid the balance and avoided him from being evicted.

We assisted a 60 year old woman who suffers from agoraphobia from getting her gas shut off. She had no family to assist her and the gas bill became high during the winter months. Legal services was able to her disability benefit to help pay her utilities in the future. But our assistance of $530.00 prevented the utilities from being shut off.

We assisted with rental arrears for a 37 year old physically disabled woman, who must constantly utilize a wheelchair to get around, she is the mother of 3 minor children. With our assistance in the rent arrears, we were able to keep her and her children in their home.

Your news of this totally unexpected and selfless generosity has me really at a loss for the proper words to describe how what you have done to help me. The effort and empathy and hard work on your part, well, it is more kindness then I have experienced in several years. I never expected this and your surprise during this very difficult time for me, well, I am so very appreciative and thankful to you and for all your hard work and for listening to me with such compassion.

I want you to know that you have given me hope, hope that I was beginning to think did not exist for me. I realize this is not going to be the outcome for all my problems but that you took the time and energy to help me is just about the most kind thing anyone has done for me. I will never forget how you have helped me and just know that what you have done for me, will never be forgotten!

A 71 year old Senior on a fixed income was served with an eviction action by her landlord. Through the intervention of the local Legal Services Program, the eviction was avoided. However, it was discovered that the Senior was without a stove and could not cook her meals. A small fund was available and a stove was purchased and installed for this elderly woman allowing her to meet her most basic living needs. This fund is now exhausted. Where is the safety net for such financially distressed individuals who simply need a helping hand? The answer may be the New Jersey Bankruptcy Lawyers’ Foundation. Will you help?

A 72 year old separated woman living in a senior citizen building, surviving on a small Social Security check and Medicaid, had enough monthly income and benefits to meet her basic needs. When her former husband unexpectedly died, she began to receive his Social Security benefits. As a result, her rent was increased and she lost her Medicaid. She could no longer afford her life sustaining medications. The Senior applied for the Pharmaceutical Assistance Program. However, her application would not be processed before her medication ran out. A small fund was available to help pay for her medications. This fund is now exhausted. Who will help the next Senior in these circumstances? The answer may be the New Jersey Bankruptcy Lawyers’ Foundation.