Defending our Home Application

By Eamon Bencivengo

On Tuesday March 12^th, Shari and I drove south to Monmouth County.  We were not headed to the beach, but rather to Freehold to defend our HOME Application to the Monmouth County Planning Board.  Back in January we had submitted an application for the Monmouth County HOME Grant Program to secure funding for our upcoming special needs housing project in Colts Neck.  With our presentation time set for 1:15, Shari had made plans with Vince Scanelli, who was to accompany us in the presentation, to meet for lunch at noon to prepare and review our materials.  Vince is the President of Someone Special Needs You, Inc., a non-profit organization dedicated to providing social activities for special needs children.  Someone Special Needs You, Inc. is currently designated as the owner of the Colts Neck Project and will maintain ownership after its completion.

            Over sandwiches at a local café, we reviewed our notes and speaking points for the presentation.  By 1:15 we were standing in front of a ten-person review committee.  With the project renderings mounted behind us, Shari answered questions regarding the development of the project, while Vince educated the committee on the desperate need for permanent housing for special needs individuals.  As I glanced around the room, I saw several positive and interested expressions on the faces of the committee.  Hopefully, those expressions will mean that we will be awarded funding for the project!