• Monmouth Worship Center, 37 Vanderburg Road, Marlboro, will host guest speaker Dareth Ly, a missionary to Cambodia, on Jan. 13. Rev. Ly is a survivor of the killing fields of Cambodia under the genocidal reign of the Khmer Rouge. He will speak at both morning services, 8:30 a.m. and 11 a.m. All are welcome to attend. Details: 732-332-9600.
• The Fresh Air Fund is seeking area residents willing to volunteer to host a child from New York City this summer through the Friendly Towns Program. Children are boys and girls, ages 7-18. Details: Karen Medlin, 732-740-0449, or www.freshair.org
• Companion Animal Rescue and Education will hold a puppy adoption event at Petco, 95 Route 9 South, Marlboro (near Whole Foods), from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Jan. 12. For more information and updates, or to see available puppies, visit www.carenj.com
• The Monmouth County Park System is looking for lifeguards, camp counselors, park and golf course maintenance workers, and other seasonal employees. A seasonal job fair will be held from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Jan. 12 at the Fort Monmouth Recreation Center, 2566 Guam Lane, Tinton Falls. Prospective employees must be at least 16 and be a county resident. A full listing of seasonal job openings can be found at www.MonmouthCountyParks.com. Details: 732-842-4000, ext. 4339.
• Freehold Elks Lodge No. 1454 Ladies Auxiliary will host a roast pork dinner from 6-9 p.m. Jan. 11 at 73 E. Main St., Freehold Borough. All are invited to enjoy a home-cooked dinner, including coffee and dessert, for $12 per person.
• Freehold Elks Lodge No. 1454, 73 E. Main St., Freehold Borough, will hold an “All U Can Eat, Cooked to Order Breakfast” from 9 a.m. to noon Jan. 20. All are welcome to attend. The last seating is at 11:30 a.m. Cost is $9 for adults and $5 for children under 12.
• The fifth annual Wings and Chili Cook-off will be hosted by the Freehold Elks Lodge No. 1454 Motorcycle Committee from 3-7 p.m. Jan. 20 at the lodge, 73 E. Main St., Freehold Borough. All are welcome to attend and to sample all the entries for $15. Guests may cast a vote for the best wings an chili.
• Freehold Borough will host a free rabies vaccination clinic for cats and dogs from 9-11 a.m. Jan. 26 behind the firehouse, 49 W. Main St. The rabies vaccination clinic is open to
residents of any municipality. No paperwork is needed and an animal does not need to be licensed to be vaccinated. An animal must be at least 3 months old to be vaccinated. Dogs must be on a short leash and cats must be in a carrier. Details: 732-462-7057, Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
• The National Council of Jewish Women invites the community to its annual book discussion general membership meeting to be held from noon to 2 p.m. Jan. 16 at the Monmouth County Library Headquarters, Manalapan. The book to be discussed is “The Secrets Between Us” by Thirty Umrigar. The discussion will be led by Carole Scheinholtz. The book is a sequel to “The Space Between Us” which introduced readers to the modern day India of Bhima, an illiterate servant victimized by her low caste status, and Sera, her upper class employer.
• Shabbat 4 Teens – Shabbat 200 will be held at 4 p.m. Jan. 25 at the Center for Jewish Life, 176 Route 79 North, Marlboro. The event is free for teens age 13-18. Teens will experience what Shabbat (Sabbath) is all about at a Friday night dinner. Reservations are required at www.Shabbat4teens.com. Details: Rabbi Yossi and Dina Kanelsky, 732-316-7600
• The Monmouth County Genealogy Society will host Melissa Johnson, who will speak about “Sources and Strategies for Discovering Immigrant Origins” at 1:30 p.m. Jan. 13 at the Community Center, 72 Broad St., Eatontown. Her talk will cover immigration, naturalization and alien records. The meeting is free and open to the public. Details: 732-747-0090.
• New Jersey Blood Services will host a blood drive from 2-8 p.m. Jan. 18 at Freehold Raceway Mall, Freehold Township. To donate blood, call toll free, 1-800-933-2566 or visit www.nybloodcenter.org
• The Freehold Memorial Day Parade Committee, in conjunction with Perkins Family Restaurant and Bakery, Route 9, Freehold Township, will host a fundraiser all day on Jan. 15. Perkins will donate 15 percent of a customer’s pre-tax check to the parade committee to aid in putting on the 145th Freehold Memorial Day Parade in 2019. All are welcome to attend the fundraiser. Visit www.freeholdmemorialdayparade.com to download the flyer.
• The Manalapan-Englishtown Community Alliance to Prevent Alcoholism and Drug Abuse will host an open house at 6:30 p.m. Feb. 12 at Manalapan High School, Church Lane, Manalapan. All members of the residential and business communities of Manalapan and Englishtown are invited and encouraged to attend. Parents who want to bring their teenage children are also encouraged to attend to help broach or broaden their in-home conversations about drugs and alcohol. A presentation will cover substances including marijuana, abuse of prescription medications and vaping. Details: David Richardson, 732-446-8345.
• CentraState Healthcare Foundation will host its 57th annual Celebration Ball, “Through the Decades,” from 6-11 p.m. Feb. 2 at South Gate Manor, Freehold. Proceeds will support the Rutgers/RWJ Family Medicine Residency Program at CentraState in the new Freehold Family Health Center. The event will honor the VNA Health Group, Special Strides and Joseph Iantosca for their commitment to CentraState Healthcare System and the entire community. The event will include a silent auction, a live auction, and the winning ticket for the “A Year of Great Taste Dining Raffle” will be pulled. Details: 732-294-7030.
• Singers who love choral music are invited to an open rehearsal of the Shrewsbury Chorale. Local singers of high school age and up (all voice parts) are invited to participate in open rehearsals on Jan. 15 and Jan. 22 from 7:45-10 p.m. The chorale is preparing for April and June concerts. Rehearsals are held weekly on Tuesday evenings at the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Monmouth County, Lincroft. Scores will be provided and both events are free. Call 908-309-0602 to audition. Visit www.shrewsburychorale.org for more information.
• Speaker and local expert Jason Denesevich will lecture on “A Year at Sandy Hook” at the Monmouth County Audubon Society meeting at 8 p.m. Jan. 9 at Tower Hill Church, 255 Harding Road, Red Bank. The public is welcome; admission is free. Denesevich has been birding in New Jersey for 15 years and has studied migration patterns at Sandy Hook for the past five years. Details: http://www.monmouthaudubon.org or email [email protected]
• The Italian Americans Cultural Society of New Jersey will host a special new year’s 2019 annual membership drive open to the general public. Individuals who pay the $60 annual membership on or before Jan. 10 will attend the organization’s next dinner meeting at Christie’s Italian Restaurant, 2420 Route 9 South, Howell, on Jan. 10 at 7 p.m. for free (a $35 value). This one-time special offer will net the membership fee for 2019 to $25. Interested individuals may contact Mike Arato at 917-709-8008 or Rob DeSalvatore at 732-984-8482. Visit www.italianamericansnj.com for more information and a membership application.
• A “Wondrous Winter Walk” will be held from 10-11:30 a.m. Jan. 31 at the Manasquan Reservoir Environmental Center, Howell, meet in the parking lot. Tag along with a Monmouth County Park System naturalist and explore the serenity that is nature in the wintertime. Free. Details: 732-842-4000.
• The Deep Cut Orchid Society will hold its annual orchid show and sale from Feb. 7-10 at Dearborn Market, 2170 Route 35 South, Holmdel. Show hours are 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Feb. 7-9 and 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Feb. 10. There will be free guided tours and educational and orchid-themed workshops for enthusiasts of all levels. Orchid experts will be on hand to answer questions. Admission and parking are free.
• The Jewish Home for Rehabilitation and Nursing, Freehold Township, a new skilled rehabilitation and nursing facility serving the Jewish community, is hosting a free monthly support group called The Jewish Caregiver’s Experience. The group meets at 7 p.m. on the last Tuesday of each month. Caregivers of all ages seeking support, resources and a Jewish perspective on managing their responsibilities are welcome to attend. Refreshments will be served. Details: Avrum, 732-202-1000, ext. 4012.
• The Manalapan-Englishtown Community Alliance to Prevent Alcoholism and Drug Abuse has launched its Project Zero website at projectzeromanalapan.com. Project Zero is the alliance’s initiative to reset the narrative in Englishtown and Manalapan regarding substance abuse. The website contains information about where residents can go for assistance.
• New Jersey Blood Services is in need of volunteers to work blood drives in Ocean and Monmouth counties. Tasks include assisting donors with registration, watching donors for post-donation reactions and responding to their needs. Details: Jan Zepka, 732-616-8741.
Items for the Datebook may be sent to [email protected]. Please send items at least two weeks prior to a scheduled event.