New Jersey

Easterseals New Jersey and Cross River Bank Rally to Support Residents Impacted by SNAP Benefit Delays Amid Government Shutdown

Published

4 months ago

November 7, 2025

Easterseals New Jersey and Cross River Bank Rally to Support Residents Impacted by SNAP Benefit Delays Amid Government Shutdown

originally published: 11/07/2025

(JAMESBURG, NJ) — Easterseals New Jersey, a disability services nonprofit, and Cross River Bank, a technology infrastructure provider offering embedded financial solutions, have joined forces to assist hundreds of individuals and families who are experiencing partial or delayed Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits amid the ongoing federal funding impasse.

With over 827,000 New Jersey residents relying on SNAP, including many with disabilities, continuing federal funding shortfalls and processing delays are deepening food insecurity and placing additional strain on local support networks. This strategic partnership aims to bridge immediate food access gaps while delays persist.

“When benefit systems pause, people don’t stop needing groceries, transportation or care,” said Brian Fitzgerald, Chief Executive Officer of Easterseals New Jersey. “This partnership with Cross River means we can act now.”

Easterseals New Jersey’s staff mobilized quickly to assess the needs of more than 4,000 program participants statewide and identify partners and resources to close emerging gaps. The team established a centralized resource hub linking residents to hundreds of food banks across all 21 counties and is directly coordinating with local vendors to prepare and distribute meals to those most affected. This swift response is particularly vital for individuals with disabilities, who already face heightened obstacles connected to employment, transportation, and access to care.

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Through Cross River’s charitable giving arm, Foundation@, the Bank donated $18,000 to Easterseals New Jersey to fund the purchase of ShopRite gift cards for their program participants who rely on SNAP benefits. The donation also includes the packing and distribution of food packages to additional residents affected by the ongoing government shutdown, helping ensure individuals and families continue to access essential groceries while federal operations stabilize.

“Our employees exemplify resilience. When faced with the SNAP benefits uncertainty, they responded with unwavering commitment and heart,” said Brian Fitzgerald, Chief Executive Officer of Easterseals New Jersey. “The passion our team brings to their work is matched only by the generosity of partners like Cross River Bank, whose support helps us meet urgent needs and empower those we serve to thrive even in times of crisis”.

Cross River has a history of providing aid in times of uncertainty. Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, the Bank provided crucial funding to small businesses in need, providing 480,000 Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans totaling more than $13 billion, saving more than 1.4 million jobs across the country.

“At Cross River, we believe that community is the foundation of everything we do,” said Miriam L. Wallach, Chief Philanthropy Officer at Cross River. “When uncertainty affects our neighbors’ ability to meet basic needs, we have a responsibility to step up. Through our partnership with Easterseals, we’re ensuring that families have access to nutritious food and the support they deserve.”

The collaboration combines Cross River’s deep-rooted devotion to community with Easterseals’ long-standing expertise in delivering essential human services, uniting both organizations around a shared dedication to promote stability, inclusion, and dignity for all New Jersey residents.

Easterseals New Jersey encourages anyone who wishes to support its mission to visit www.eastersealsnj.org and help ensure that no family is left behind during these periods of uncertainty.

For more than 75 years, Easterseals New Jersey has empowered people with disabilities and special needs to live independently and reach personal milestones with equality and dignity. Each year, nearly 4,000 New Jersey residents access services designed to foster independence and community integration.

Cross River provides technology infrastructure powering the future of financial services. Leveraging its proprietary real-time banking core, Cross River delivers innovative and scalable embedded payments, cards, lending, and crypto solutions to millions of consumers and businesses. Cross River is backed by leading investors and serves the world’s most essential fintech and technology companies. Leading the industry, Cross River is reshaping global finance and financial inclusion. Member FDIC.

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New Jersey

How much are World Cup tickets? FIFA sells $2,000 tailgate tickets

Published

11 hours ago

March 5, 2026

Press Room

How much are World Cup tickets? FIFA sells ,000 tailgate tickets

Tickets for the 2026 FIFA World Cup are highly coveted. Admission to a game can cost thousands and most matches are already sold out.

Here’s what to know, and how much tickets are selling for.

How to get New Jersey New York FIFA World Cup 2026 tickets

Fans can buy the New Jersey New York Venue Series pass starting at $25,800 per person, for admission to all eight games in New Jersey New York Stadium Stadium.

Alternatively, fans can buy premium admission that are available for upward of $1,000.

For instance, the admission to the France vs Senegal game on June 16 ranges from $2,300 to $3,400.

The closer to the final, the more expensive tickets are. Admission for the Round of 16 match on July 5, costs between $2,800 and $6,000.

Anyone interested in a luxury suite should be ready to pay roughly $200,000 for game at the New Jersey New York Stadium. The silver lining is that the price includes admission for to 24 people.

Premium tickets for the final match are sold out.

How can I buy cheaper FIFA World Cup Tickets?

A Last-Minute Sales Phase for individual tickets opens on April 2 at 11 a.m. ET. Tickets might sell out within minutes, given the high global demand for them. Most of the tickets left are category 1 and 2, the most expensive seats.

Price varies depending on the match. As an example the USA vs Paraguay match has seats available for $1,940 and $2,735, according to The Athletic.

Forty out of the 104 matches are already sold out.

What are the tailgate tickets? What is the FIFA Pavilion?

FIFA is selling Pavilion tickets for roughly $2,000. The sporting organization describes the pavilions as “an exclusive retreat located in our secure perimeter immediately outside the stadium. Featuring beverage service and elevated street food-inspired dining available pre- and post-match.

For the price, you get to tailgate a game three hours before the match and two hours after it finishes. It also includes a ticket to see the game inside the stadium.

Juan Carlos Castillo is a New Jersey-based trending reporter for the USA Today Network. Find him on Twitter at _JCCastillo.

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New Jersey

Did anyone win Powerball? Winning numbers for March 4, 2026

Published

23 hours ago

March 5, 2026

Press Room

Did anyone win Powerball? Winning numbers for March 4, 2026

APP.com Digital Desk
| Asbury Park Press

Powerball winning numbers are in for the Wednesday, March 2 drawing with a jackpot that reached an estimated $20 million ($9.4 million cash option).

The winning numbers in Wednesday’s drawing are 7, 14, 42, 47, and 56, with Powerball number 6. The Power Play number is 4.

Did anyone win the Powerball jackpot?

No one won the Powerball jackpot

When is the next drawing of the Powerball?

The next Powerball drawing is Saturday. Drawings are held at 10:59 p.m. every Monday, Wednesday and Saturday.

How late can you buy a Powerball ticket?

In New Jersey, in-store and online ticket sales are available until 9:59 p.m. on the night of the draw.

What does it cost to play Powerball?

Powerball costs $2 to play. For an additional $1 per play, the Power Play feature can multiply nonjackpot prizes by two, three, four, five or 10 times.

Are you a Powerball winner? Here’s how to claim your lottery prize

All New Jersey Lottery retailers will redeem prizes up to $599.99. For prizes over $599.99, winners can submit winning tickets through the mail or in person at New Jersey Lottery offices. By mail, send a winner claim form, winning lottery ticket and a copy of a government-issued ID to New Jersey Lottery, Attn: Validations, PO Box 041, Trenton, NJ 08625-0041.

Winners can drop off their claim form and winning ticket in person at the New Jersey Lottery office where a secure drop box is available. Claim forms are also available at the office. Hours are Monday to Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.; Lawrence Park Complex, 1333 Brunswick Avenue Circle, Trenton, NJ 08648.

To find a lottery retalier, you can search the NJ lotto website.

What is the Powerball payout?

The complete guide to winnings is:

Match 5 White Balls + Powerball: Jackpot
Match 5 White Balls: $1 million
Match 4 White Balls + Powerball: $50,000
Match 4 White Balls: $100
Match 3 White Balls + Powerball: $100
Match 3 White Balls: $7
Match 2 White Balls + Powerball: $7
Match 1 White Ball + Powerball: $4
Match Powerball: $4
Match 5 White Balls with Power Play: $2 million
Match 4 White Balls + Powerball with Power Play: $200,000
Match 4 White Balls with Power Play: $400
Match 3 White Balls + Powerball with Power Play: $400
Match 3 White Balls with Power Play: $28
Match 2 White Balls + Powerball with Power Play: $28
Match 1 White Ball + Powerball with Power Play: $16
Match Powerball with Power Play: $16

What are the odds of winning the Powerball jackpot?

The overall odds of winning the Powerball are 1 in 292.2 million.

How do I find the Powerball winning numbers?

Powerball drawings are broadcast live every Monday, Wednesday and Saturday at 10:59 p.m. from the Florida Lottery draw studio in Tallahassee. Drawings are also lived streamed on Powerball.com. The winning numbers are posted to the Powerball and New Jersey Lottery websites.

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New Jersey

NJ’s biggest Catholic diocese hits pause on plan to merge parishes

Published

1 day ago

March 4, 2026

Press Room

NJ’s biggest Catholic diocese hits pause on plan to merge parishes

Last June, the Catholic Archdiocese of Newark launched a review called “We Are His Witnesses,” which aimed to consider potential consolidations or closures of some of its 211 North Jersey parishes.

But amid confusion and pushback from many parishioners, Cardinal Joseph Tobin said Wednesday that the archdiocese will now extend its review to allow for further study and conversations.

In a letter published on the Archdiocese website March 4, Tobin, the archbishop of Newark, noted the challenges remain the same: a steady decline in membership and a shortage of priests projected to grow worse in the coming years. He did not specify how much longer the process would take but said he would have more to announce in June.

The largest of New Jersey’s five Catholic dioceses, the Newark Archdiocese serves approximately 1.3 million people in Bergen, Essex, Hudson and Union counties.

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Some parishioners, Tobin wrote, “came to believe — incorrectly — that the overall goal of We Are His Witnesses is to close churches. That has never been the purpose.

“This work is not driven by downsizing, but by mission: by the call to strengthen parish life so that it can truly form disciples and reach those who are not yet engaged in the life of the Church.”

The program’s aim is not to close churches, but to “strengthen parish life” he added.

He said a follow-up announcement would come on June 12 but reassured parishioners that “there is no need to fear that an immediate and wholesale closure of parishes will be announced.”

‘The Church is not a museum’

Current circumstances demand Church leaders to make difficult decisions, he said. “The challenges we face are real: fewer priests, fewer people in the pews, communities that look very different than they did even a generation ago, and financial strain. Ignoring the changed landscape does not preserve parish life; it weakens it. The Church is not a museum to preserve what it once was,” he wrote.

The initiative kicked off last summer, with meetings at churches around the region to allow parishioners to offer feedback. Many expressed fears about their future of their church, Tobin said.

Parishioners at many of the meetings and in letters to Tobin expressed concerns about the program. As a result, Tobin concluded that “it is clear that the communities of the Archdiocese need more time for honest discernment. We are extending this phase of our work to allow for deeper reflection and broader consultation throughout our local Church.”

“This is not a pause in mission. It is a call to take the mission seriously and to ask ourselves, with renewed honesty, what it means to be a missionary Church today.”

Msgr. Richard Arnhols, pastor emeritus of St. John the Evangelist Roman Catholic Church in Bergenfield and a member of a committee of pastoral leaders helping to guide the review, said that, “Based on the input from the priests and people of the parishes which took place last fall, Cardinal Tobin has approved a period of additional study and reflection before any decisions are made.”

The first step is further conversation among parish priests, which will take place this month, he said.

Gregory Hann, a religious instructor at St. Vincent Academy in Newark, applauded Tobin’s decision. “If we continue to do things the way we have been doing them, we become a stagnant Church and we allow the comforts of our culture and the outside to keep us from moving from the Cross to glory.”

Nicholas Grillo of Bloomfield, a parishioner who attended several listening sessions at Holy Rosary Church in Jersey City, approved of the decision. “Hopefully the pause will give them time to reevaluate this going forward,” he said.

He added that it was a “waste of money” to pay large sums of money to a consultant that “doesn’t understand the intricacies of the Archdiocese of Newark,” he said, referring to the Catholic Leadership Institute, a Pennsylvania group that the archdiocese has engaged.

Instead, Grillo suggested, “they should put together a group of lay parishioners and priests from the diocese who can collaborate on a better path forward.”

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