New Jersey
Easterseals New Jersey and Cross River Bank Rally to Support Residents Impacted by SNAP Benefit Delays Amid Government Shutdown
(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
Are all Freedom Fuel locations $3.47? Not anymore
Trump rolls out Freedom Fuel gas stations, what are they?
Trump’s Freedom Fuel is selling gas at $3.47/gal in Pennsylvania and New Jersey.
President Donald Trump is touting a new fuel option for motorists: Freedom Fuel, advertising gas at a discount price to local consumers.
When the network was opened and announced on July 7, it advertised $3.47 per gallon regular gas at the pumps, a noticeable difference from national and state averages in Pennsylvania and New Jersey.
But is the gas actually as cheap as the 47th President says?
According to some gas tracking platforms, it may not be.
On GasBuddy, a website tracking gas prices across the country with a pricing heat map based on user submissions, some of the Freedom Fuel locations’ pricing appeared to have risen.
Some still sporting the names of what appeared to be their previous sites, like a Gas N Go on Island Ave, the following addresses on GasBuddy match those listed as one of Trump’s 25 gas stations.
The pricing, however, varies:
- 2200 Island Ave, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania – $3.57 as of July 8
- 400 Baltimore Pike, Springfield, Pennsylvania – $3.57 as of July 9
- 6243 Chestnut St., Philadelphia, Pennsylvania – $3.57 as of July 9
- 6800 E. Baltimore Ave, Lansdowne, Pennsylvania – $3.57 as of July 9
- 6801 Tilton Rd., Egg Harbor Township, New Jersey – $3.89 as of July 8
- 6501 Delilah Rd., Egg Harbor Township New Jersey – $3.57 as of July 9
Much about the gas station network remains unknown, like how long they’ll be operating or where stations could be popping up next.
Administration officials told USA TODAY on July 8 that the federal government has no role in the Freedom Fuel Network, nor is it providing it with funding.
The White House also said that “no other entity or person” is subsidizing the cost of gasoline.
Contributing: Michelle Del Rey USA TODAY NETWORK
Kaitlyn McCormick is a Philadelphia-based reporter writing all things trending, breaking and city-related for USA TODAY’s Philadelphia Metro Connect Team.
New Jersey
Family describes frantic moments delivering baby on the NJ Turnpike
JERSEY CITY, N.J. — Mile marker 113.3 on the eastern spur of the New Jersey Turnpike in Secaucus will forever be an incredible memory for one family, who scrambled to deliver their baby boy right on the side of the road.
Kristen Fast was in labor last week, with her husband driving her to the hospital on the turnpike, but when they got to the mile marker, baby Archer couldn’t wait any longer and had to be delivered on the highway.
Archer insisted on arriving three days before he was due, and maybe it was because his lovely big sister, 4-year-old Zelda, was waiting for him.
He was in such a hurry, he didn’t even let mom and dad get to the hospital for him to be born, although they tried.
“The doula said, ‘pull over, hang up, call 911.’ So we did that. We called 911. The operator started walking him through what to do,” said Archer’s mother, Kristen Fast.
“Next thing I know, I get in the back seat, and we’re making sure she’s comfortable, and I look down, and that baby is ready to go,” said Archer’s dad, Alex Fast.
New Jersey State Trooper Freddie Guacamaya responded to Alex’s 911 call.
“Cop comes, puts on his gloves, and he was fantastic,” Alex Fast said.
“I said, ‘Are you the EMT?’ And he didn’t answer. So I said, ‘You are not an EMT. I’m in danger.’ But he was fine, he was being very calm,” Kristen Fast said.
“They said, ‘you got to clamp that cord right away. If you have anything, if you have a string.’ So I panicked and just looked in the front and we just had an iPhone cable. So we just clamped the cord with an iPhone cable,” Alex Fast said.
“The EMTs came, and they said, ‘What is this?’” Kristen Fast said.
The loving, kind courtesies extended to the family just continued, helping to make their emergency experience flawless.
“There were three policemen who showed up. I said, ‘I’d love to be with her in the ambulance.’ And they were amazing. They drove our car to the hospital for us, which was so nice. They paid for our valet,” Alex and Kristen Fast said.
They were all welcomed to Hackensack University Medical Center with a healthy baby and a hearty story, backed by Archer’s exact birthplace, recorded accurately: New Jersey Turnpike I-95, mile marker 113.
“Archer’s healthy. He’s thriving. He’s a Jersey boy through and through. I don’t think you get more Jersey than being born on the New Jersey Turnpike,” Kristen Fast said.
New Jersey
What to know about Freedom Fuel Network as Trump urges cheaper gas prices in Pennsylvania, NJ
PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) — There are 25 new Freedom Fuel Network gas stations opening across the Philadelphia area and South Jersey as Americans closely watch gas prices.
This comes after President Trump announced the privately-owned network on social media last week, saying it will help drivers save money at the pump.
There are 25 new Freedom Fuel gas stations opening across the Philadelphia area and South Jersey as Americans closely watch gas prices.
The first location in Dresher, Montgomery County, opened on Friday, with the price of $3.47 per gallon.
This cost was a nod to President Trump serving as the nation’s 47th president.
However, that price has already started to rise after the president announced new U.S. strikes, sending oil and gas prices higher.
Some of those locations with gas stations participating in the Freedom Fuel Network include Lansdowne, Bensalem and Pottstown in Pennsylvania; and Marlton in New Jersey.
Gas Calculator: Find out how much it costs to fill your tank
A White House official told ABC News the administration is not involved with the company and is not providing any funding or subsidies.
Instead, the company says it is cutting its own profit margins to offer lower prices.
Some drivers are applauding this move while others, including gas analysts, are skeptical.
“$3.47 a gallon is a Godsend, honestly,” said one consumer. “Great price because this was a Sunoco before and prices were a lot higher.”
“I want Americans to be asking, ‘Where is that money coming from? Why are corporations and businesses willing to subsidize gas 50-cents a gallon for people, to make President Trump look good,” said another consumer.
Trump is also encouraging other gas retailers to lower their prices. He has not identified the company behind Freedom Fuel, saying only that it’s a private retailer.
Action News is still working to learn how long these lower prices will last and whether more stations will open.
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