August 2025

The Essex County Division of Family Assistance & Benefits (DFAB) provides critical support to families and individuals facing financial, medical, and housing challenges.

Through programs such as Work First New Jersey Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), Work First New Jersey General Assistance (GA), Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and New Jersey FamilyCare (NJFC), DFAB connects residents with resources designed to promote stability, independence, and self-sufficiency.

DFAB has partnered with EZ Ride to launch a pilot transportation program using the EZ Ryde4Life service, which provides our Work First New Jersey (WFNJ) clients rides using transportation providers like Lyft and Uber. WFNJ clients that meet special eligibility criteria will be able to get safe and reliable rides through EZ Ride for immediate needs services.

“Transportation can be a major hurdle for our WFNJ clients,” said Uchenna Duru, Fiscal Analyst at DFAB. “The EZ Ryde4Life program helps bridge that gap by providing dependable rides for emergency assistance services determined by Essex County Division of Family Assistance & Benefits. The flexibility in scheduling and the detailed monthly reporting from EZ Ride will help us administer the program efficiently. We look forward to this partnership.”

EZ Ride shares that commitment. “At EZ Ride, we believe transportation is essential to quality of life,” said Krishna Murthy, CEO of EZ Ride. “We are pleased to work with Essex County DFAB to provide safe, affordable, and reliable rides for those who need them most.”

This initial pilot will allow DFAB and EZ Ride to evaluate the program’s impact and explore ways to expand transportation access for more Essex County residents in need.

Interested in creating a similar transportation program for your community? Contact Kinga Skora at [email protected] or call 201-939-4242 ext. 131 for details.