OCEAN TOWNSHIP - Senator Vin Gopal has introduced a line-item budget resolution for New Jersey’s Fiscal Year 2020 Budget that would allocate a full $750,000 to the LGBTQ Community Health Center operated by the Visiting Nurse Association of Central Jersey (VNACJ) in Asbury Park.

“The VNACJ does outstanding work to help underserved or vulnerable communities get the care that they need,” said Gopal (D-Long Branch).

“The LGBTQ community, which has historically been underserved or ignored, deserves healthcare infrastructure that is able to treat and care for its members' unique needs. That’s why we were so glad to see the VNACJ’s new LGBTQ-focused health center open in Asbury Park last year.

“This Center and all of the dedicated staff who work there have really made an incredible impact as advocates and providers of care for any person who’s made use of it,” Gopal added. “I know that this funding will go a long way toward strengthening the Center’s capabilities and better serving the needs of the LGBTQ community.”