Federal funding to help Urban League of Union County acquire facility

The Urban League of Union County has been awarded $1.6 million in funding from a package aimed at the citizens of Elizabeth, it said this week.

U.S. Rep. Rob Menendez secured the $3.9 million funding package as part of an appropriations bill passed by Congress and signed by President Joe Biden.

The funds will be used by the Urban League to continue to develop its Workforce Project, acquiring and constructing a state-of-the-art facility dedicated to workforce development programs for underserved communities.

“This funding represents a transformative opportunity for our organization and the communities we serve,” Crystal Orr, CEO and president of the organization, said in a prepared statement. “We are thrilled to start this project during our 80^th anniversary. It is time for the Urban League to have a home — a dedicated space where we can continue our legacy of service and provide essential resources to those who need them most.”