Holidays bring opportunities to lend a hand
By: Lorraine Sedor
The annual community food, hygiene and clothing drive "Scouting for Food" takes place tomorrow. All residents are encouraged to give generously to help local families in need have a healthy, happy and warm holiday season.
Please leave your donation on your front step by 9 a.m. for pick up. If the Scouts miss your home, or if you forget, you may drop off your donations at the 1st Presbyterian Church Fellowship Hall.
In addition to non-perishable food items of all kinds, the Scouts will collect personal hygiene items (such as shampoo, soap, deodorant and toothpaste), as well as new and gently used clothing.
If you have used medical equipment to donate to the Human Services Board drive for Your ReSource, the Scouts are happy to pick up those donations for you, too.
High school students looking for something to do on Friday nights are encouraged to visit the Cranbury School’s gym every Friday night from 9 p.m. to 10:45 p.m. for a game of pick-up basketball. There is no charge for the open gym time. For additional information, call the recreation office at 395-0900, ext. 231.
Also, it’s not too late for younger basketball enthusiasts to register for Cranbury Hoops, which begins Friday, Nov. 17. This is an instructional co-ed basketball program for students in third grade to eighth grade.
Registration forms and more information are available at the township office, or on the township’s Web site, www.cranburytownship.org.
The re-enrollment period for the Medicare Part D prescription drug plan begins Wednesday, Nov. 15 and runs through Dec. 31. During this time period, seniors may change plans with the same provider or a different one.
On Thursday, Nov. 30 and Dec. 28, the Cranbury Human Services Board will have expert counselors from the Middlesex County Department on Aging available to speak with anyone who needs help determining whether to make changes. Individual appointments will be available on those dates from 9:30 a.m. until 1 p.m.
Please contact John Ritter of the Human Services Board at (609) 655-8932 to set up a personal appointment with an expert counselor.
Don’t wait until it’s standing room only. You can still join the many supporters of Princeton Education Foundation’s campaign and take a seat now.
The PEF is "selling" seats in the Princeton High School’s new performing arts center. Each seat donated will be adorned with a plaque dedicated to the sponsor or his or her designate. Orders received by Dec. 1 will receive a holiday gift certificate. It’s the perfect holiday gift to honor friends, family, students, alumni and school staff.
The money donated so far has provided for the state-of-the-art orchestra pit cover and acoustical drapes, along with other amenities.
At the grand opening of the Princeton Performing Arts Center at PHS on Oct. 14, more than 500 students, performers and community members showcased the new facility and its enhancements, which were made possible by the generosity of early supporters, including the following Cranbury families and organizations: Barbano/Nelson, Carroll, Dunnett, Gawande, Golebieski, Orcutt, PalaGyi, Quiles, Stehn, Cranbury School PTO and the Cranbury Education Foundation.
Call 806-4214 or visit www.pefnj.org for more information, or to request an order form.
Cranbury senior citizens and family caregivers are invited to a program sponsored by Senior Fellowship of the 1st Presbyterian Church and presented by the Cranbury Municipal Alliance on Alcoholism and Drug Abuse. The program, "Prescription Drugs, Alcohol and Older Adults," will take place on Thursday, Nov. 16 at 12:15 p.m. in Fellowship Hall of the First Presbyterian Church.
Older adults often take up to 10 prescriptions at a time. Almost one in five older adults misuses these drugs and alcohol.
Presenter Jennifer Smith, prevention educator from the National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence of Middlesex County, will discuss why the misuse of alcohol and medications is worse for older adults than for younger adults and adolescents.
The Municipal Alliance will provide a light luncheon, beverages and dessert.
Golden Age Neighbors and others who would like to attend this presentation are asked to call Jane Holland at (609) 409-0221 by Monday, Nov. 13 so that she can plan the luncheon.
Alicia Ostriker, poet, critic and two-time finalist for the National Book Award, and Eliot Katz, poet, author and editor of the online journal "Logos: a Journal of Modern Society and Culture," will read and share their thoughts about poetry at 2 p.m. on Sunday, Nov. 19 in the South Brunswick Public Library.
The program is part of a series of Sunday afternoon poetry readings sponsored by the South Brunswick Arts Commission, in cooperation with the Public Library. Their talks and readings will be followed by an open reading.
Admission to the program is free, though a donation of a non-perishable food item to be given to the South Brunswick Food Pantry is encouraged.
For more information, call the library at (732) 329-4000, ext. 7286.
Residents can reach Ms. Sedor by phone at (609) 655-3386, by e-mail at [email protected], and by mail at 32 Evans Dr., Cranbury, NJ, 08512.

