Hello NJ Friends, Please allow me a moment of your time to discuss a crisis currently impacting our state of New Jersey.

Small businesses across New Jersey are suffering from economic slowdowns or are closing their doors altogether, mostly as a direct result of the shortage of individuals that are willing to work following the year long COVID-19 Pandemic lock down. Demand is coming back for many NJ business owners as the lock down is being lifted, however, operating our businesses and offering quality service to customers is increasingly challenging without a capable labor pool. Regardless of the industry, there is an apparent lack of individuals that are willing to work. Jobs are available, but they remain unfilled.

This is not a statement for or against any political party, but a request for you to join me in a grass-roots movement to make our leaders aware of the magnitude of this issue. We, the state of New Jersey, have a shortage of willing workers. We need to get back to work! Unfortunately, the well-meaning stimulus efforts and assistance programs put in place at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic are now having a negative effect on the motivation of our state’s workforce as we move into the recovery phase. New Jersey residents are staying home and not being proactive to go out and get work. I know this problem extends outside of New Jersey and is a National issue, but being a New Jersey business owner myself, I will focus my efforts on our state. I hope that you will join me in the mission to display the magnitude of the current worker shortage New Jersey businesses are facing to our governmental leaders. My plan is to compile photos and addresses of all the businesses throughout New Jersey with "Help Wanted" or "Now Hiring" signs displayed. I want to show our New Jersey legislative representatives, senators, Congress and even Governor Murphy how big of an issue this is. I will personally contribute the resources to create binders of the information for each state representative. You may say "what is this going to do?" It will clearly illustrate the issue. For whatever it is worth, it will be undeniable evidence that can't be ignored. I don’t know what the outcome will be, but I do know that something needs to be done. Action is necessary.

Please help me by taking photos of any "Help Wanted" or "Now Hiring" signs you see at businesses, along with the addresses of where you noticed them. These will all be printed, compiled in the binders and delivered to our state leaders. I already have hundreds of pictures of signage in my email, just from word of mouth.

If you know people in your text or email contacts that are from outside the (redacted) or (redacted) area, please share this with them and ask them to help assist our campaign. I want to show that this is a state wide problem, not just the Jersey Shore area.

The email that I created for this project is (notsure if mods will allows this) If it is easier, I have a designated phone line that you can text the picture, address and county to: (also this). Both the email and phone line are project specific and should not be used for any other purpose.

Thank you for your time and assistance with this project. Together I hope we can continue to spread this information and that our state will act on it. I think it will be pretty amazing to see the outcome and my hope is to assist in saving as many of our New Jersey businesses as we can.

Thank You,

Owner, Redacted Italian Specialties & Catering