Above: Gottheimer in Newton, NJ.

NEWTON, NJ – U.S. Congressman Josh Gottheimer (NJ-5) visited Sussex County Food Co-op, a local non-profit which recently received assistance from Gottheimer in applying for a Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan to help the organization make it through the pandemic. Gottheimer was joined by the non-profit organization’s president, Jim Fiola.

From March to May, Sussex County Food Co-op provided curbside orders and delivery, but financial assistance was needed for the non-profit to stay afloat. Gottheimer helped Fiola navigate the PPP process, so that Sussex County Food Co-op was able to receive more than $20,000 in federal assistance.

The non-profit organization was originally established 40 years ago, in 1980, and it carries in-season, locally-grown produce — grown in North Jersey and throughout the region — like honey, eggs, chicken, and local fruit and vegetables, as well as goods made by local residents.

“It’s great to see federal resources from the bipartisan CARES Act helping our local community,” said Congressman Gottheimer (NJ-5). “North Jersey has already been hit hard enough. I want to make sure our small restaurants, local non-profit organizations, workers, and their families can all recover. It’s critical that we continue to claw back support and resources for our small businesses and local organizations — they are the backbone of our communities.”

In Congress, Gottheimer recently led a bipartisan initiative urging Congressional leadership to allow small businesses to apply for a second round of PPP, and urging increased transparency into how taxpayer dollars are being disbursed through PPP, as well as improved oversight and accuracy. Gottheimer recently announced estimated federal investment from the bipartisan CARES Act.

Gottheimer recently announced estimated federal investment from the bipartisan CARES Act that has helped the Fifth District’s counties and towns to date, based on the most recent public data. The Fifth District portion of Sussex County has received an estimated $277 million — averaging to $2,900 per Fifth District Sussex resident. This takes into account the estimated $112 million in direct payments to residents in the entire county, the estimated $220 million in PPP to the entire county, and the estimated $80 million in federal unemployment payments to the entire county, as well as direct federal grants going to Sussex County non-profits, food banks, and technical schools.