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.
The Islamic Society of Central Jersey (ISCJ), in partnership with the South Brunswick Food Pantry, holds a weekly drive-thru food pantry program every Saturday from noon to 2 p.m. at ISCJ, 4145 Route 1, Monmouth Junction section of South Brunswick.
The ISCJ is providing a box of provisions meant to supplement a family of four for one week. Items in this box generally include pasta, spaghetti sauce, rice, canned beans, canned soup, oil, hummus, cheese, bread, canned beef or fish, frozen organic chicken, corn flour, pudding, some personal protective equipment and personal hygiene items.
This service is open to all citizens in need, regardless of legal status, creed, ethnicity or geography.
Email [email protected] for any questions regarding the program, to seek assistance, to volunteer or to donate food.
The next South Brunswick Community Blood Drive will be held from 1:30-7:30 p.m. June 18 at St. Augustine Church, 45 Henderson Road, Kendall Park section of South Brunswick.
Appointments are required. Visit http://tinyurl.com/GiveBloodNJBS (sponsor code 06594), or call 800-933-2566.
During this re-opening period, blood drives are being held in very large spaces to enable social distancing. Donors are asked to wear masks, and appointments are required to help control the number of donors in the space at one time.
The North Brunswick Library will offer a virtual program with Jamie Novak from 7-8 p.m. June 15 to discuss how to de-clutter with a laugh.
Novak will offer tips on what to keep, what to toss, what to sell and what to share.
Register for the Zoom program at https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZcrf-itrTIuHNeiEvtpSvf0jjAH79QSsRrG?fbclid=IwAR1r1tA0XKakujIOlVhREGerbP9SmOvFLI6mpsme41VQBVvhj0tYawOVR9o
Then, learn how to protect yourself from healthcare fraud and COVID-19 scams from 7-8 p.m. June 17.
Charles Clarkson, Senior Medicare Patrol NJ project director, will help navigate the Medicare maze and discuss scams especially related to COVID-19.
No registration is necessary.
To join, visit Zoom at https://us02web.zoom.us/j/83201431052?pwd=aXUzNzZsWElpWnc4N2NXaWxOcVNlQT09. Meeting ID: 832 0143 1052; password: 676627
For more information, email [email protected]
Visit www.northbrunswicklibrary.org for a complete list of virtual programs.
The North Brunswick Township Board of Education will have three vacancies in the Nov. 3 annual school election. A full term on the school board is for three years.
Prospective school board candidates may obtain a School Board Candidate Kit at www.njsba.org. Published by the New Jersey School Boards Association, the kit includes a nominating petition, information about legal qualifications for school board candidacy and the role of the school board member. Information about the New Jersey School Ethics Act and important dates in the school election process are also included.
Candidates must file a nominating petition with the Middlesex County Clerk’s Office in order to get their name on the ballot for the annual school election. The deadline to submit the nominating petition with the Middlesex County Clerk is 4 p.m. July 27.
The 4-H clubs of Middlesex County will offer Social Distance Front Porch Portraits.
A professional adult volunteer photographer from the 4-H will photograph families for events such as graduations, birthdays and other special occasions.
Sessions will be scheduled from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. through June 30. Call 732-398-5261 to make an appointment or to schedule a different time.
The cost is $15 per session, within Middlesex County.
To sign up, email [email protected]
All proceeds benefit Middlesex County 4-H Youth Programs.
Central Jersey Family Health Consortium is offering a series of virtual support groups.
A New Dad Support Group for expectant and new fathers with babies under 1 year old will be held at 7:30 p.m. Wednesdays, co-facilitated by a therapist and an experienced father of twins.
Registration is required by emailing Pat Vena at [email protected].
A New Mom Support Group for pregnant and new moms with babies under 1 year old will be held in English at 1 p.m. on Tuesdays and Thursdays and in Spanish at 1 p.m. Wednesdays.
To register in English, email Pat Vena at [email protected]. To register in Spanish, email Mariella Flores at [email protected].
The Listening Hearts and Minds Support Group is held at 6 p.m. Tuesdays for pregnant and parenting women, co-facilitated by experienced counselors. Topics include parenting skills, coping with COVID-19, stress management, keeping mental health and meditation.
Pre-registration required by contacting Deena Cohen at [email protected] or 888-633-5502.
CJFHC is located at 30 Silverline Dr., Second Floor, Suite 1, North Brunswick.
For more information, visit www.cjfhc.org or call 732-937-5437.
To continue providing service to the North Brunswick community in these “virtual times,” the North Brunswick Public Library has launched its own YouTube channel.
Though the library remains closed, librarians are regularly creating fun and educational videos ranging from craft demonstrations and book talks to poetry readings and instructional lessons on how to use several of the library’s awesome databases.
Soon, the library hopes to broadcast its videos on North Brunswick’s own TV-15.
Visit www.youtube.com/channel/UC1WP7DqpscPLtBsIOBSepXQ to subscribe to the channel.
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.
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 National Purple Heart Honor Mission is opening the nomination process for its 2021 Purple Heart Patriot Project. This multi-day salute to service will bring together Purple Heart heroes representing each state and territory in the nation to pay tribute to their courage and sacrifice on behalf of a grateful nation.
One Purple Heart recipient and an escort of their choosing from each state and territory will again be selected for an all-expenses-paid tribute filled with tours and ceremonies honoring their service and that of all those who have earned the Purple Heart. The four-day Patriot Project Mission will feature visits to the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, historic Washington’s headquarters where the Badge of Military Merit originated in 1782, and a private tour of the National Purple Heart Hall of Honor – the museum dedicated to paying tribute to our nation’s combat wounded. Other special tribute events are also being planned.
Anyone can nominate a Purple Heart recipient they know. Nominations must include a short description (up to 250 words) of why their nominee is deserving of this special recognition. Submissions can be sent via email to [email protected] or submitted via www.purpleheartmission.org/patriot-project.
Nominations will be accepted until Aug. 31. The Honor Mission will select three finalists from each state and territory and a national panel of Purple Heart recipients and other distinguished Americans will select the final honorees.
A complete list of honorees will be announced nationally on Nov. 11, Veterans Day.
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 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.
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.
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].
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.
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.
The SAMHAJ (South Asian Mental Health Awareness in Jersey) Multicultural Picnic is planned for 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. July 11 at Thompson Park Grove 4AB, Perrineville Road and Schoolhouse Road, Monroe.
The annual NAMIWalks is scheduled for Sept. 26 at the Boardwalk at Seaside Park.
For more information, visit www.naminj.org.
The Community Health Law Project (CHLP) has extended the deadline for nominations of candidates for the Ann Klein Advocate Awards and Mike Lione Accessibility Award to recognize those who dedicate themselves to improving the lives of people living with disabilities through Oct. 17.
The Ann Klein Advocate Award is given to a group of select individuals and organizations, nominated by the public, who have performed exemplary work as advocates for people living with disabilities and/or vulnerable populations.
The award is named in memory of Ann Klein, former commissioner of the NJ Department of Human Services, whose career as a public servant, legislator and social worker paved the way for significant advances in the human services systems throughout the State of New Jersey.
The Mike Lione Accessibility Award was established in 2013 in memory of longtime Community Health Law Project Board Member and former Chair Mike Lione. This award is presented to an individual or entity that has performed exemplary work as an advocate for accessibility on behalf of persons living with disabilities.
For more information, visit www.chlp.org or call 973-275-1175.