Kiosk Puts Info at County Residents' Fingertips

All those looking for social services resources throughout Somerset County now need to look no further than the Somerset County Courthouse in Somerville. That is where EmPoWER Somerset has set up an information kiosk for information pertaining to the social service needs of residents.

“The kiosk has a complete listing of social services available to the residents of Somerset County,” said Andrea Thorne, health & wellness director of EmPoWER Somerset. “This is very helpful to people new to the county or people who are required to do community service or take classes.”

The kiosk aligns with the mission of EmPoWER Somerset. According to the organization’s website, the organization was first established in 1974 and its “primary mission is to empower individuals, families, schools and the community to make healthy lifestyle choices.”

The new information kiosk contains resources pertaining to youth and family services, counseling, domestic violence, substance abuse services, education and more. A full list of resource topics can be found by visiting EmPoWER New Jersey’s website.

“This is the first time all of this information has been aggregated and made available in a public area that anyone has access to,” Thorne said.

The kiosk is the first of its kind in Somerset County, but according to Thorne, its installation at the county courthouse is only the beginning. EmPoWER Somerset currently has a plan is to put more throughout the county to make obtaining these resources more convenient to residents who don’t live particularly close to Somerville. 

“Our plan is to put more (kiosks) out at various locations,” Thorne said. “Raritan Valley Community College has requested one outside of their guidance offices (in Branchburg).”