Community Bulletin Board: the North and South Brunswick Sentinel (for Aug. 26)

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.

United Way Central Jersey’s annual Stuff the Bus school supply drive will accept donations of $15 per student online at www.uwcj.org/civicrm/contribute/transact?reset=1&id=13

Organizations and businesses can also hold a traditional supply drive with requested items including backpacks, folders, notebooks, markers, crayons, No. 2 pencils, glue, erasers, scissors, pencil sharpener, highlighters and pens; plus personal protective equipment, adult and child masks, hand sanitizer, wipes and facial tissues.

For a full list of needed supplies or to make arrangements to drop off items, email Patricia Desiderio at [email protected]

 

 

The Jamaica Organization of New Jersey (JON-J) will hold a virtual Jamaica Independence Party from 7-10 p.m. Aug. 29. Doors open at 6:30 p.m.

 

Featuring Master of Ceremonies Brian Gibbs, comedian Oliver Samuels, playwright Debra Ehrhardt, DJ Larry Ranks vs. DJ G-Royal of RSR Sound, Barrelman Radio and DJ Naturalist.

Wear all white and present your Jamaican flag.

Patrons are asked to donate to the fundraiser by using one of the following methods: JON-J PayPal account at www.paypal.com/biz/fund?id=KHUWYQBKLNVCC ; Zelle to [email protected] ; or write a check payable to the Jamaica Organization of New Jersey and mail to JON-J, P.O. Box 446, Orange, NJ 07051.
Sponsorships are available.
JON-J is a 501 (C) 3 non-profit organization that launched in 1998. The money raised through various fundraising events have been impactful in providing aid for hurricane disaster-relief efforts in New Jersey, Jamaica, and other Caribbean Islands; funding scholarships to college-bound students in New Jersey; assisting local food banks in New Jersey; and providing aid to needy schools in Jamaica.
For tickets, visit https://JonJindependenceparty.eventbrite.com

 

 

 

Fight the Stigma, a mental health awareness 5K hosted by the North Brunswick Soccer Club, will be held virtually through Sept. 12.
The Virtual 5K can be run or walked from any location – on the road, the trail, treadmill or track. Choose your own pace and time it yourself. When you register you will receive a bib that you can wear when you participate. When you’ve completed your 5K, submit your time and a picture of yourself wearing the bib and then you will be able to download a completion certificate.
On Sept. 13, swag can be picked up at Community Park, 2053 Route 130, North Brunswick.

Proceeds will benefit Minding Your Mind. For more information, visit www.mindingyourmind.org.

To register or to make a donation, visit www.mha5k.org or runsignup.com/MHA5K.

For more information, email [email protected].

 

 

 

South Brunswick VFW Post 9111 is seeking monetary assistance from the community.

The organization has long supported free Christmas parties for children, food drives, Purple Hearts Chapter 10, the American Veterans Dog Foundation that trains dogs to support veterans, and a Christmas party for veterans at the New Jersey State Veterans Memorial Home in Menlo Park.

The efforts are in jeopardy because of the impact of COVID-19.

To donate to the GoFundMe account, visit https://gf.me/u/ynb882

 

 

 

NAMIWalks NJ 2020 will be held virtually on Sept. 26.

Join a team and collaborate with activities in a safe, socially distanced manner or jointly on a virtual platform. Be your own “virtual walker.” Walk or run in your neighborhood, backyard or local park; garden, cook, play games over social media, etc.

Efforts support the National Alliance on Mental Illness New Jersey chapter.

For more information, visit https://www.namiwalks.org/index.cfm?fuseaction=donorDrive.event&eventID=965

 

Antonia Maria Foundation is seeking live-in staff for its sober living home for women, Gracie’s House, located on Livingston Avenue, North Brunswick.

The primary duty is to maintain the safety of the residents through overnight checks.

You receive reduced rent, days free to work a job or attend college, and free access to spiritual and wellness programs.

Applicants must be female, drug- and alcohol-free, and trustworthy and compassionate.

To apply, contact Antonia Montalvo at 732-823-8350 or visit www.antoniamariafoundation.org

 

 

The South Brunswick Public Library YouTube Channel was established to showcase programs virtually due to the COVID pandemic.
Users have access to cooking with Dee’s Kitchen Lab, Bouncing Babies, Stay@Home Science, ‘Tween Cooking with Cindy, Short Stories for Teens, Upcycle Crafts with Lee, Night Owl bedtime stories for families, Stories in Spanish, Travel Tuesdays, ASL (American Sign Language) Stories & Signs, library resources and tutorials, teen book reviews, and more.
Subscribe for free at www.youtube.com/channel/UCKpGyObBAJrKqsrqAznweWA

 

 

 

 

CASA of Middlesex County will hold Toast 2020, which will honor John E. Harmon Sr., the founder, president and CEO of the African American Chamber of Commerce of New Jersey (AACCNJ).

Toast 2020 is an opportunity to mingle with community leaders, enjoy a champagne brunch, participate in a silent auction and learn how Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASAs) help children who have suffered abuse and/or neglect and are now in an out-of-home placement.

 

The event is planned for 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Sept. 20 at Steakhouse 85, 85 Church St., New Brunswick. If necessary due to COVID-19, the event will be held virtually.

 

 

Funds raised from Toast 2020 help to recruit, train and support volunteer advocates. CASA advocates go through extensive training before they are paired with a child or sibling group and annual continued education to stay current on issues impacting children. Though state agencies ensure the child’s basic needs are met, CASAs are trained to gather well-being information and report to the family court judge to help a child thrive.

 

 

Additionally during Toast 2020, the late William Hamilton, Jr., will be recognized for his contributions to CASA of Middlesex County as a board member, donor and friend.

 

To purchase tickets, visit www.casaofmiddlesexcounty.org/Toast2020. To inquire about event sponsorships, ad journal opportunities and silent auction donations, email [email protected].

             

 

 

 

 

 

The North Brunswick Police Department is seeking donations of sanitizing wipes and other PPE.

Drop off items at police headquarters, 710 Hermann Road, North Brunswick.

Call 732-247-0922, ext. 326 for more information.

 

 

The New Brunswick Community Farmers Market runs from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturdays at the market pavilion, 178 Jones Ave.; from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Tuesdays at the market pavilion; and from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Wednesdays at Kilmer Square Park, 108 Albany St.

 

 

The South Brunswick Public Library is chronicling residents’ experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Visit www.sbpl.info/covid-19-stories/ to be part of the South Brunswick historical local archives. The link takes you to a survey of 17 questions to help encourage a story.
Stories can also be emailed directly to SBPL Information Services Specialist Randall Marsola at [email protected]
Stories can be anonymous.
Entries can include photographs, artwork, poems, etc.
The submissions may be featured on the library website.

 

 

The County Prosecutors Association of New Jersey is offering scholarships to law school students seeking careers as prosecuting attorneys, graduate students with a commitment to child advocacy, and to police officers hoping to attend college or graduate school to advance their careers in law enforcement.

The annual scholarships, each amounting to a one-year grant of $3,500, will be paid directly to the recipients, who will be selected by a committee that administers the County Prosecutors Association of New Jersey Scholarship Foundation.

Scholarship applicants must be residents of New Jersey and must demonstrate a financial need. Scholarship recipients from previous years are ineligible.

Each of the scholarships are dedicated to the memory of an attorney who died in office, where they had served with dignity as prosecutors in various counties in New Jersey and exemplified the high standards of law enforcement professionals.

To be eligible for the Oscar W. Rittenhouse Memorial Scholarship, an applicant must be accepted for admission to a law school and must have an interest in pursuing a career as a prosecutor.

To be eligible for the Andrew K. Ruotolo Jr. Memorial Scholarship, an applicant must be accepted for admission to a law school or a graduate school. Applicants must exhibit an interest, and commitment to, enhancing the rights and well-being of children through child advocacy programs.

To be eligible for the Harris Y. Cotton Memorial Scholarship, an applicant must be accepted for admission to a law school. The applicant must have an interest in pursuing a career as a prosecutor with an emphasis in domestic violence or hate crime prosecutions.

To be eligible for the John H. Stamler Memorial Scholarship, an applicant must be a sworn law enforcement officer seeking educational advancement on a college or graduate level to improve his or her effectiveness as a law enforcement officer.

Applications must be postmarked by Sept. 4. Applications are available online at www.burlpros.org.

Personal interviews of finalists will be conducted. Applicants will be notified of the committee’s decision in October.

Applications should be sent to Prosecutor Scott Coffina, Burlington County Prosecutor’s Office, 49 Rancocas Road, Mount Holly 08060; or email [email protected]

 

 

 

 

The 2020 Summer Reading season has begun at the South Brunswick Public Library.

The Imagine Your Story program is virtual and will run through Aug. 30. Preschoolers, children, teens and adults have a chance to win prizes and badges.

Visit www.sbpl.info/summer-reading-2020/welcome/

This year all ages will keep track of their reading progress on the app READsquared. Read, play games, do activities, find suggested reading on the app.

 

 

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.

 

 

 

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.

 

 

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.

 

 

 

The United Way of Central Jersey’s COVID-19 Recovery Fund will assist individuals and families affected by the novel coronavirus with crucial basic expenses including rent, utilities, prescription medication/medical supplies, child care and food.
United Way will work with trusted community partners to identify individuals and families most in need of this temporary support.
Donations to the UWCJ COVID-19 Support Fund may be made online at www.uwcj.org. Checks made payable to United Way may be mailed to United Way of Central Jersey, 32 Ford Ave., Milltown 08850.

 

 

 

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.

 

 

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.