• The Middletown Township Public Library will kick off its Re-Imagining Your Library fundraising campaign with a Black and White Masquerade Gala on Oct. 28 at Jacques Reception Center. The campaign is geared toward the redesign and renovation of interior library space to provide, among other amenities, additional group collaboration and study rooms and a new room featuring Middletown history and archives, advanced technology and room for programming. Sponsorship opportunities are available for the event. The community is invited to purchase tickets and attend the gala (21 and over). Those interested in purchasing sponsorships or tickets may visit the 2022 Gala page at mtpl.org
• New Jersey Blood Services, a division of New York Blood Center, will conduct blood drives which are open to the public. The following drives are scheduled: Nov. 8, Lincroft Fire Company, 601 Newman Springs Road, Lincroft, 12:30-6:30 p.m.; Nov. 21, North Centerville Volunteer Fire Co. No. 1, 372 Middle Road, Hazlet, 1-7 p.m.; Nov. 29, Lincroft Bible Church, 790 Newman Springs Road, Lincroft, 1-7 p.m. To donate blood or for information on how to organize a blood drive, call 1-800-933-2566 or visit www.nybloodcenter.org
• The Monmouth County Park System will host Seabrook-Wilson House Tours on Oct. 23 and 30 from 1-4 p.m. at Bayshore Waterfront Park, Middletown. Visit this house which dates back to the early 1700s and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, and see displays about the ecology of the bay and local history. Free. Details: 732-842-4000.
• The Monmouth County Park System will host a Cookstove Demonstration on Oct. 22 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Historic Longstreet Farm, Holmdel. See what’s cooking on the woodstove and discover how recipes, cooking techniques and kitchens have changed since the 1890s. Free. Details: 732-842-4000.
• The Monmouth County Park System will host Piano Ballads from the Turn of the Century on Oct. 22 from 1-3 p.m. at Historic Longstreet Farm, Holmdel. Tap your feet, dance a one-step or sing-along to popular turn-of-the-19th-century ballads as they are played in the farmhouse. Free. Details: 732-842-4000.
• The Monmouth County Park System will host a Nature Lecture Series – The Real Story of the Jersey Devil on Oct. 27 from 7-8 p.m. at Bayshore Waterfront Activity Center, Middletown. Learn about the history and folklore of the Jersey Devil during this talk by a park system naturalist. Free. Details: 732-842-4000.
• The Monmouth County Park System will host a 19th Century Woodworking Demonstration on Oct. 29 from noon to 3 p.m. at Historic Longstreet Farm, Holmdel.
See how a woodworker studies his materials, plies his tools and crafts beautiful and functional items. Free. Details: 732-842-4000.
• New Jersey Blood Services, a division of New York Blood Center, is conducting blood drives in the area which are open to the public. The following drives are scheduled: Oct. 25, Lincroft Bible Church, 790 Newman Springs Road, Lincroft, 1-7 p.m. To donate blood or for information on how to organize a blood drive, call 1-800-933-2566. Details: www.nybloodcenter.org
• The Holiday Made in Monmouth event will take place from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Dec. 10 in the Robert J. Collins Arena on the campus of Brookdale Community College, Route 520, Lincroft (the original date was Dec. 3). Vendor registration will open at 10 a.m. Sept. 27. Details: 732-431-7387.
• Dove Hospice Services of New Jersey is seeking volunteers who are willing to make a difference with individuals who are experiencing the challenge of end-of-life. Volunteers dedicate a small amount of time each month to provide companionship-friendly visits; play cards; sewing, knitting or craft projects; music enrichment; pet therapy; and office or administrative assistance. Dove Hospice Services is also seeking veterans who are interested in providing compassion, support and outreach to fellow veterans and their families. Visits can be made to individuals living in facilities or private homes. Ongoing training is provided. Volunteers must be 18 or older and a COVID vaccine is required. Details: Michelle Rutigliano, 732-405-3035.
• Monmouth County officials have scheduled paper shredding events so residents have the opportunity to dispose of old documents and confidential files safely. All shredding events will be held from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the following locations: Nov. 12, Middletown North High School, 63 Tindall Drive, Middletown. County residents may shred up to 100 pounds of documents. Large binder clips must be removed from documents; staples and paper clips can remain. Information about the paper shredding events and recycling can be found in the recycling section of the county’s website, www.visitmonmouth.com, or call 732-683-8686, ext. 8967.
• Women of Color discussion group is an online meeting held once a month (third Tuesday at 5:30 pm) to discuss issues, coping strategies and resources relevant to women of color. Offered by the Mental Health Association in New Jersey. Upcoming meeting dates are Nov. 22 and Dec. 20. Email [email protected] to receive a link.
• “A Gathering of Womyn of Color” is an online group that meets once a month for all LGBTQ womyn of color in the Black, Indigenous, People of Color community. The group is an open discussion of multiple topics. The group meets on the first Thursday of the month at 6 p.m. Upcoming dates are Nov. 3 and Dec. 1. Offered by the Mental Health Association in New Jersey, the agency’s PEWS program and the Emotional Support for Families of Color Initiative. To receive a link, email [email protected].
Items for the Datebook may be sent to [email protected]. Please send items at least two weeks prior to a scheduled event.