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Grant helps Vernon woman renovate home

| 16 Jul 2018 | 01:46
    With McGivney’s problem eyesight, bright , new kitchen lighting is a benefit.
    With McGivney’s problem eyesight, bright , new kitchen lighting is a benefit.
    PHOTOS BY JANET REDYKE Ann McGivney’s house in Highland Lakes received a face-lift from a grant by the USDA.
    PHOTOS BY JANET REDYKE Ann McGivney’s house in Highland Lakes received a face-lift from a grant by the USDA.
    Like old friends, from left, Vernon Township Mayor Harry Shortway, U.S. Rep. Josh Gottheimer and ANN McGivney share their thoughts.
    Like old friends, from left, Vernon Township Mayor Harry Shortway, U.S. Rep. Josh Gottheimer and ANN McGivney share their thoughts.
    Ann McGivney met Congressman Gottheimer with smiles and hugs.
    Ann McGivney met Congressman Gottheimer with smiles and hugs.

VERNON — Ann McGivney is one grateful and bubbly 85-year-old.
With help from U.S. Rep. Josh Gottheimer and his office, McGivney was able to qualify and receive a much needed federal grant to repair and improve her home with health and safety standards. The grant called the Single Family Housing Repair and also known as the Section 504 provides grants to very low- income homeowners to remove health and safety hazards from their homes allowing the senior to remain in the place they love most- their own homes.
On July 3, McGivney got to thank Gottheimer in person as he and his staff and the press visited the senior in her Highland Lakes home. With the $7,500 grant, McGivney was able to have contractors update and brighten her kitchen lighting, repair her crumbling sidewalk and stairs, remodel her bathroom and have a sanitizing roof cleaning. She was nothing but smiles as she praised the USDA who sponsored the grant, Congressman Gottheimer for assisting in getting her the grant, Mayor Harry Shortway and all the local contractors.
"Mason Michael Cappola, Mr. Nest, the plumber, Jem Electricians and Sparta Soft Wash were all terrific,” McGivney beamed.
McGivney was also appreciative to the Commission for the Blind in supplying her with an Enhanced Vision Reader.
As McGivney posed for photos with her visitors, she good-naturedly referred to the press as the paparazzi. She also mentioned how Congressman Gottheimer gave a congressional nomination to her grandson Thomas Germano. Germano received a full scholarship to Norfolk State in the coming fall.
Gottheimer, along with Shortway both believe in the Home Repair Program, saying it is an important measure in keeping our tax money in New Jersey, instead of other states, namely southern states.
“We should be clawing back tax money,” said Gottheimer.
With the assistance of Mayor Shortway, Congressman Gottheimer has opened a branch office in the Vernon Municipal Center and assistance and questions about grants and loans for home repair can be directed there. Information and resources can also be found at www.rd.usda.gov.