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Community Bulletin Board: Old Bridge: Jan. 24

New Jersey Blood Services (NJBS), a division of New York Blood Center, which provides blood for local patients, is looking for a few good volunteers.

The blood drive volunteer is an integral member of our team whose tasks include assisting donors with registration and/or at the refreshment area. No medical background necessary. Volunteers should be outgoing to provide friendly customer service, be able to perform tasks as needed and must provide proof of COVID Vaccination prior to volunteering. Must have transportation. All training is provided including additional precautions for the safety of our team and blood donors. For additional information call or text Sharon Zetts, manager of NJBS Volunteer Services at 732-850-8906 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday to Thursday.

To apply online as a blood drive volunteer, go to https://www.nybc.org/support-us/volunteer-nybc/volunteer-application/

The Old Bridge School District provides special education and related services to disabled children/students ages three to 21 that are in need of special education. If someone resides within the district or has a child attending a non-public school in Old Bridge and suspects their child may be disabled due to physical, sensory, emotional, communication, cognitive or social difficulties, they can call the Office of Special Services.

For children three to five, pre-school disabled means an identified disabling condition and or measurable developmental impairment that requires special education and related services.

For additional information, residents can call their neighborhood school and ask for the Child Study Team or call 732-360-4461.

Hackensack Meridian Old Bridge Medical Center and Hackensack Meridian Raritan Bay Medical Center has begun scheduling patients for the updated boosters that are available for people ages 12 and older. The public can schedule an appointment by visiting HackensackMeridianHealth.org/covid19.

Old Bridge Medical Center
Retail Pharmacy
3 Hospital Plaza
Old Bridge, NJ 08857
Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Raritan Bay Medical Center
530 New Brunswick Ave
Perth Amboy, NJ 08861
Thursday and Friday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

The Middlesex County Prosecutor’s Office Veterans Diversion Program is looking for veteran mentors. To find out more information contact Megan Carduner at 732-745-4491 or [email protected].

The Arts Institute of Middlesex County is presenting, promoting, and supporting a multitude of arts and culture events, exhibitions, and shows throughout the month of January. These events are free to enjoy for all County residents and beyond.

January’s event highlights include:

  • Art Together – Art Together is the Zimmerli’s FREE drop-in family art making workshop series. Dates include Feb. 12, March 12, April 2, and May 21 from 1-3 p.m.
  • SEO/Web & Social Media Integration for Nonprofits – Join via Zoom on Jan. 24 at 11 a.m. for a workshop that will focus on how to generate leads and increase search rankings for a nonprofit website.

For more information visit http://www.middlesexcountynj.gov/artsandculture for full details on all the events listed above and many more. Registration details and links to live stream events are available.

Laurence Harbor Fire Department is seeking motivated individuals to join as volunteer firefighters. Volunteers can expect to participate in training sessions and contribute to administrative duties across the department. Visit lhfd1.com/ to learn more and complete an inquiry form.

Group sessions for Systematic Training for Effective Parenting (STEP) are planned for January 2023 for the parents of children ages 3-12 on Thursday evenings at 7 p.m. at a member’s home. There are 8 sessions meeting once per week.

The program is sponsored by the National Council of Jewish Women, Metro Jersey Section. For more information or to RSVP: [email protected].

The Old Bridge Township Cultural Arts Committee will present an art show at the Old Bridge Public Library, One Old Bridge Plaza, Old Bridge.

Artwork from high school students will be on display from Jan. 27-29, and artwork from the elementary schools will be from Feb. 3-5.

The Old Bridge Community Book Club will discuss “The Savant of Chelsea” by Suzanne Jenkins from 7-8:30 p.m. Jan. 25 at 1 Old Bridge Plaza, Old Bridge.

Join the Middlesex County Office of Health Services for their Winter Walk Wednesdays, scheduled to take place the last Wednesday of January (25), February (22) and March (29) at the Piscataway YMCA, 520 Hoes Lane, Piscataway. This event connects residents with local doctors and educators while walking to improve their health and well-being.

Attendees will have the opportunity to have questions answered by Hackensack Meridian Health Professionals. This free event is open to the public.

For more information on other events in Middlesex County, visit www.middlesexcountynj.gov/home.

Main Street Theatre Company – Kidsworks will present “Superheroes, Unite” directed by Cindi Warner on the weekends of Jan. 25 to Feb. 5 at 70 Highway 516, Old Bridge. Tickets at Tickets.Coffee.

RWJBarnabas Health continues its urgent appeal for blood and platelet donations, especially Type O blood, this January during National Blood Donor Month in response to a severe blood and platelet shortage among hospitals throughout the state. The surge in respiratory illnesses and recent winter weather has exacerbated the already acute nationwide shortage, and blood suppliers are in critical need of blood products in order to meet the demands throughout this winter.

  • There will be an Old Bridge Community Blood Drive to help in those efforts from 11:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Jan. 25 at the YMCA of Old Bridge, 1 Mannino Park Drive, Old Bridge.

Mikell’s Plot, a seven-piece mix of punk rock, blues, hard rock and heavy metal, based out of Sayreville, is playing at a horror convention on Feb. 4 at the VFW, 575 Jernee Mill Road, Sayreville.

The Old Bridge Public Library has announced that registration is now open for the spring session of ESL (English as a Second Language) Conversation classes. The classes are held Tuesday evenings at 7 p.m. or Wednesday mornings at 10 a.m. and begin Feb. 7 and Feb. 8 respectively.

The ESL Conversation Group program is free, but is limited to adult (18 plus) students only. Register online at online at https://bit.ly/314xXX6 or visit oldbridgelibrary.org/adults/esl/.

For more information about this and other library programs, call the Adult and Information Services Department at 732-721-5600 ext. 5033 or send an email to [email protected] for ESL-related questions.

Edward Mendlowitz, CPA/PFS will present his 43rd annual Financial Program at 10:15 a.m. Feb. 12 at Congregation Beth Ohr, 70 Route 516, Old Bridge.

The topic is Navigating an Inflation or Deflation. Inflation is a serious economic occurrence and the “cure” according to the Federal Reserve is a recession. Each of these extremes will affect almost everyone’s personal finances.

The program is sponsored by Congregation Beth Ohr Men’s Club and is open to the public and will run for one hour. It is free and will be presented as a live presentation. It can also be viewed on Zoom. To obtain the Zoom log-on email [email protected] by Feb. 10. Those attending in person can arrive at 10 a.m. and enjoy a free bagel breakfast. Additional information is available by emailing [email protected].

The Old Bridge Township School District is holding a parent workshop on internet safety from 6-7:15 p.m. Feb. 13 at the Ellen McDermott Grade 9 Center Auditorium, 4207 County Road 516, Matawan. The workshop will be presented by Detective Kate Feeham, a detective in the New Jersey State Police’s Internet Crimes Against Children Unit.

The Middlesex County Sheriff’s Office will hold an eight-week-long Sheriff’s Civilian Academy for residents of Middlesex County in the Spring of 2023.

The Sheriff’s Civilian Academy, which is in its 10th year, is designed to educate Middlesex County residents on the various functions and duties of the Sheriff’s Office.

Applications are being accepted now for the program, which will be held at the Middlesex County Fire Academy located in Sayreville.

The first session is scheduled for 7-9 p.m. April 20. Classes will continue weekly on Thursdays. One Saturday class will be held. The program culminates with a graduation ceremony scheduled for June 15.

Applications are due no later than March 1. The application will be used to determine suitability for the program. Applicants must be at least 18 years old, reside within the County of Middlesex, have no felony convictions, not be wanted for any crime, and submit to a limited background check.

For more information on the Sheriff’s Civilian Academy, contact Officer Brittney Brodniak, at 732-745-3375 or email [email protected].