Editor’s note: In light of recent events related to coronavirus, some organizations have decided to cancel their upcoming programs. Please check the status of any event before attending.
South Brunswick High School will hold its annual mental health fair virtually from 10 a.m. to noon on April 24.
The fair’s theme is Stop the Stigma, Stamp out the Stress.
There will be three live presenters. One is a local therapist who will talk about anxiety and how to cope with anxiety and the stigma surrounding mental health. Another will be speaking live from a hospital in Texas; he is an emergency room doctor who will talk about COVID-19 and how he sees it relating to mental health from an ER doctor’s perspective. The third presenter is a clinical neuropsychologist comedian.
There will also be several pre-recorded presentations, such as a stress ball making demonstration, aromatherapy, strength and conditioning, a therapist, student presentations, Zentangle, music therapy and plant therapy.
There will also be a virtual mental health resource table from businesses such as Princeton House, High Focus and other mental health facilities.
Presentations should run every half hour, but the pre-recorded sessions will be available for the duration of the fair and afterward.
The link for the mental health fair is yet to be determined, and will be available via social media by April 23.
Residents of South Brunswick are able to preregister and pick up food twice a week at the Municipal Building, 540 Ridge Road, Monmouth Junction section of South Brunswick.
Drive-thru is available from 10 a.m. to noon on Tuesdays and Thursdays.
Register to receive food by emailing [email protected] by 1 p.m. the day prior to pickup. After you register you will receive a confirmation number which you will show on the day of your pickup.
On your pickup day you will pull around to the rear of the building and pull up to the drive thru. Upon arriving you will show one of the employees the confirmation number from your phone or you can write it on a piece of paper and hold it up to the window.
An employee will place the boxes in your trunk after verifying your confirmation number. Food will not be distributed without a confirmation number.
Remain in your vehicle and keep your windows rolled up at all times.
This program is for South Brunswick residents only.
For more information, call Wert at 732-329-4000, ext. 7674.
The North Brunswick Department of Parks, Recreation & Community Services is holding a door decorating contest through April 30.
Email photos to [email protected]. The theme is springtime.
There will be first, second and third place winners announced.
Mayor Francis “Mac” Womack and the Township Council will recognize North Brunswick children who are being good sports at home by personalizing a certificate acknowledging their citizenship.
Email Womack at [email protected]
North Brunswick instituted a shopping information tip line to offer information for residents who need to find certain items.
Call 732-247-0922, ext. 272 to share information from a recent shopping experience, either physical or online, such as how long the lines were, what items were out of stock, etc.
Volunteers Carol Leigh Womack, Mary Ann Cafferty and Sue Malvone will update a podcast every few days. The first is available at m.youtube.com/watch?feature=youtu.be&v=mIhsgRo8SO0
To file a business complaint, call 732-735-9232.
The 41st annual North Brunswick Memorial Day 5K Run/Walk 2020 is now virtual.
Complete the 5K anywhere, anytime, from April 7 to May 25.
The event is in honor of all who are fighting for freedom, and those who are assisting during the COVID-19 pandemic, especially hometown heroes.
Registration fee is $5. Sign up at run signup.com/race/NJ/northbrunswick/NB5K
For more information, email Lou Ann Benson of the North Brunswick Department of Parks, Recreation & Community Services at [email protected].
United Way of Central Jersey continues its free VITA tax preparation using a new online platform for households and individuals with an income of $65,000 and less.
This platform requires patrons to give consent, and to upload their documents to a secured portal site with United Way.
Taxpayers can expect a 7-10 day turnaround.
Taxpayers/patrons from all VITA host locations can have their returns prepared remotely: Alexander F. Jankowski Community Center, Anshe Emeth, Carteret Public Library, Edison Township Library (Main), Elijah’s Promise, Highland Park Senior Center, Jamesburg Public Library, Jewish Renaissance Foundation, Middlesex County College, North Brunswick Library, Perth Amboy Library, Piscataway Senior Center, Puerto Rican Action Board, The New Brunswick Public Library, The South Amboy Library, Sayreville Senior Center, Silverline, United Way of Central Jersey, Westergard Library.
This free program is open to all, regardless of county or state.
For more information, visit UWCJTaxPrep.as.me/ or call United Way of Central Jersey at 732-247-3730 and leave a voicemail for a callback, or send an email to [email protected] for any issues scheduling an appointment.
The 41st annual North Brunswick Memorial Day 5K Run/Walk 2020 is now virtual.
Complete the 5K anywhere, anytime, from April 7 to May 25.
The event is in honor of all who are fighting for freedom, and those who are assisting during the COVID-19 pandemic, especially hometown heroes.
Registration fee is $5. Sign up at run signup.com/race/NJ/northbrunswick/NB5K
For more information, email Lou Ann Benson of the North Brunswick Department of Parks, Recreation & Community Services at [email protected].
The Antonia Maria Foundation and Day One Sober Living will hold their 2020 spring gala, Celebrate a New Day, from 7-11 p.m. on Sept. 17 at the South Gate Manor, 260 South St., Freehold.
The second annual gala will launch the partnership with Day One to help revolutionize sober living care for women in New Jersey. Together, the two organizations will be opening Leo’s House, a recovery home for women following in the footsteps of Gracie’s House. Both are located in North Brunswick.
The gala was rescheduled from April. Anyone with pre-purchased tickets who is unable to attend will have their money refunded.
For information on tickets or sponsorship, call 732-823-8350.
The North Brunswick Township High School Class of 2022 gift basket auction will be rescheduled for May 8 at the school, 98 Raider Road, North Brunswick.
Doors open at 6:30 p.m.
Pre-sale tickets are available for $30; includes free entry, a value pack of auction tickets and early access at 6 p.m.
At the door, entry fee will be $10 and auction ticket packs will be $35.
To order tickets, email [email protected] or call Diana at 732-672-5560.
Open beds are available at Gracie’s House in North Brunswick for women who are recovering from addiction and trauma.
Call 888-633-2693 or email [email protected] to schedule an interview.
Gracie’s House is located at 828 Livingston Ave., North Brunswick. For more information, visit antoniamariafoundation.org.
The South Brunswick Senior Golf Association is accepting new members for the 2020 season.
Players golf every Tuesday at Tamarack Golf Course in East Brunswick.
For more information, call John Fuller at 732-297-0387 or Joe Saffiotti at 732-297-3389.
One in 8 Middlesex County residents are food insecure – meaning they don’t have reliable, affordable access to nutritious foods and necessities.
The holidays are over but the need for food donations has not ended. MCFOODS (Middlesex County Food Organization and Outreach Distribution Services) is running low on items such as macaroni and cheese, rice, spaghetti, peanut butter, tuna fish, canned fruits and vegetables.
Consider hosting a food drive with your business, school, civic group or athletic team. MCFOODS can provide containers and transportation of items back to the warehouse. A flyer is attached that can be used or personalized to promote a collection.
Individual donations can be dropped off at the libraries in East Brunswick, Edison, Metuchen, Monroe, Piscataway, Plainsboro and Woodbridge.
MCFOODS is also in need of volunteers to help at the warehouse, offer professional expertise, assist at local events and host a food drive.
For more information, contact Jennifer Apostol, MCFOODS director, by calling 609-409-5033, emailing [email protected] or visiting www.mciauth.com.
North Brunswick Township is accepting submissions for its Veterans Park Memorial Paver Donation Project.
Any resident who has a family member who served in the United States military during a wartime period can honor them at Veterans Park on Roosevelt Avenue with a 4-inch-by-8-inch brick engraved with their name, branch of service, rank, conflict and period of service.
All engraving will be done in upper case. There is a maximum of three lines with 15 letters/spaces/punctuation marks per line.
Checks in the amount of $75 should be made payable to the Township of North Brunswick and mailed with the name, mailing address, telephone and email to the Veterans Paver Donation Project, c/o the Department of Parks, Recreation & Community Services, 710 Hermann Road, North Brunswick 08902.
For more information, call Lou Ann Benson at 732-247-0922, ext. 475.
The Township of North Brunswick will continue honoring veterans with a secondary street signs at township roads.
Applications for wartime veterans are received throughout the year. The honored veterans must be a past or current resident of North Brunswick.
The requirements can be found at www.northbrunswicknj.gov; on Facebook; or at the Municipal Building at the Department of Parks, Recreation and Community Services, 710 Hermann Road, North Brunswick.
For more information, contact Lou Ann Benson at [email protected].
The New Jersey Lottery Festival of Ballooning and PNC Bank are inviting New Jersey students in grades 2-12 to take part in the 17th annual PNC Bank “American Patriot Essay Contest” by writing a short essay on the topic “What the American Flag Means to Me.”
The Grand Prize winner will receive the opportunity to take a ride in a 75-foot-tall hot air balloon in front of their classmates at their school in June and then fly in one of the 100 hot air balloons at this year’s 38th annual balloon fest, scheduled for July 24-26 at Solberg Airport in Readington.
The Festival VIP Grand Prize package includes a hot air balloon ride for two, four Blue Sky Club VIP tickets, and the opportunity to meet one of this year’s concert headliners.
This year’s winning student’s immediate classmates will each receive one complimentary general admission ticket to the Festival. Second-place and third-place prizes consisting of festival admission and merchandise will be also awarded. The winning student’s teacher and school principal will each receive two Blue Sky Club VIP tickets.
All teachers in the state who submit a group of 15 essays or more on behalf of their students will receive two free general admission tickets to the festival regardless of whether one of their students submits the winning essay.
The essays must be 100 words or less. They will be judged by a panel of representatives from PNC Bank and the balloon festival. Winning essays will be selected based on creativity, poignancy and clarity with consideration given to the grade level of the contestant.
Entries should be mailed to Essay Judges, New Jersey Lottery Festival of Ballooning, 363 Route 46 West, Suite 200, Fairfield 07004; or emailed to [email protected]. Entries should include the student’s name, grade and age; the school name, address and telephone number; and the name of their teacher and the teacher’s school email address.
The deadline to enter is May 1.
Additional information may be found at www.balloonfestival.com/pncessay.
Monroe Township Jewish War Veterans Post 609 is collecting United States and foreign stamps, both on and off envelopes.
Stamps are used by veterans as hobbies and as therapy to support medical staff at VA Medical Centers nationwide.
Stamps are not traded or sold; they are forwarded to veteran patients at no charge.
Also requested are DVDs suitable for veterans at those locations.
Send all items to JWV Post 609, c/o Charles Koppelman, 6 Yarmouth Dr., Monroe 08831-4742.
The 74th annual Bernie Cohn Golf Classic will be held on May 14 at Forsgate Country Club, 375 Forsgate Dr., Monroe, by the Middlesex County Regional Chamber of Commerce.
Tee off is 9 a.m.
Sign up at mcrcc.org.
Jewish Family Services of Middlesex County will hold its One Community Gala for 2020 at 5 p.m. on June 14 at Classical Caterers at Congregation B’Nai Tikvah, 1001 Finnegans Lane, North Brunswick.
Dinner, dancing and auction.
Honorees include community leaders David and Ellen Rabinowitz, BCB Bank and Vincent Davis, and Bill Neary.
Sponsorship opportunities and journal ads are available.
For more information, email [email protected] or [email protected], or call 732-777-1940.
The fourth annual Celebrate Middlesex County event will be held from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on June 13 at Roosevelt Park, Parsonage Road, Edison.
Enjoy roller skating, a fishing derby, live music, entertainment, food trucks and hands-on activities.
For more information, visit middlesexcountynj.gov/celebrate.
The Redhawk Native American Arts Council will hold its annual Raritan Pow Wow from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m., rain or shine, on June 20 and 21 at the Middlesex County Fairgrounds, 655 Cranbury Road, East Brunswick.
There will be Native American dancers, singers, artists, vendors, crafts, performing groups and food.
Grand entry of dancers is at 1 p.m. and 5 p.m. both days.
The cost is $12 for adults and teens, $8 for children ages 6-12, $10 for seniors age 65 and older, $10 for students, and $35 online only for family four-packs.
Parking is free.
Bring lawn chairs. Leashed pets welcome.
For more information, visit www.redhawkcouncil.org. For tickets, visit raritanpw2020.eventbrite.com.