• Judy Russell, the Legal Genealogist, will speak at the Monmouth County Genealogy Society meeting on March 8 at the Community Center, 72 Broad St., Eatontown. Russell will speak on “Doing Time – Prison Records as Genealogy Resources.” There will be refreshments and networking at 1:30 p.m., followed by the business meeting and
speaker at 2 p.m. Admission is free and the public is welcome. Details: 732-747-0090.
• The Freehold Borough K-8 School District’s Department of Special Programs is seeking resident children ages 3 to 21 who may be experiencing difficulty with speech and/or language, vision, hearing, mobility, manipulating objects, sensory integration, social skills, emotional problems and/or learning. An individual whose child is experiencing these or similar educational difficulties may contact the school district at 732-761-2106.
• New Jersey Blood Services will conduct blood drives in March that are open to the public at the following locations: March 8, Temple Beth Shalom, 108 Freehold Road, Manalapan, 8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.; March 8, St. Rose of Lima Church, 16 McLean St., Freehold, 8 a.m. to 2 p.m.; To donate blood or for information about how to organize a blood drive, call 1-800-933-2566 or visit www.nybloodcenter.org
• The Jewish Heritage Museum of Monmouth County, Freehold Township, will present “Molly Picon: A Yiddish Gem” by Diane Cypkin, professor of media and communication arts, Pace University, at 2 p.m. March 22. The program is a one-woman concert/lecture about actress Molly Picon, star of Yiddish and Broadway theater, screen and television. Admission is $12 for museum members and $15 for non-members. To make a paid reservation (non-refundable), call 732-252-6990, or visit www.jhmomc.org
• Freehold Jewish Center, Freehold Borough, will participate in the annual Shabbat Across America event on Feb. 28. Services will start at 6:15 p.m., followed by a Shabbat dinner. The cost is $ 16 person; children 12 and under are $12. To reserve a place, call 732-462-0254 or email office@freeholdjc.org
• A new Sunday school class (ages 5-11) will start at St. Thomas Lutheran Church, 203 Taylors Mills Road, Manalapan, at 9:30 a.m. March 15. Three or four children are needed to start the class. Details: Email stlc.manalapan@gmail.com or leave a message at 732-252-9550.
• St. Thomas Lutheran Church, 203 Taylors Mills Road, Manalapan, is seeking a volunteer to play organ or piano on Sundays from 10:30-11:30 a.m. and on occasional holidays. The church is offering the use of its building for music lessons in exchange for a volunteer’s services. Details: Email stlc.manalapan@gmail.com or leave a message at 732-252-9550.
• The Jewish Heritage Museum of Monmouth County, Freehold Township, presents “Jews of the Wild West,” a talk by Rabbi Michael Klein, rabbi emeritus of Congregation Ahavat Olam, Howell, at 2 p.m. March 29. Admission is $8 for museum members and $10 for non-members. To make a paid reservation (non-refundable), call 732-252-6990 or visit jhmomc.org
• The 2020 Discussion Series will continue with “Getting Older Ain’t for Sissies – A Financial Perspective” presented by Kathy Lo Bue from 6:30-8:30 p.m. March 24 at the Co-Cathedral of St. Robert Bellarmine, 61 Georgia Road, Freehold Township. Lo Bue is the managing director of Glen Eagle Advisors and sponsors the series. She will discuss financial planning at various stages of life. The series is free, non-sectarian and open to the community. RSVP to 732-866-6660.
• Monmouth County has scheduled paper shredding events for county residents. The shredding events will be held from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the following locations: April 4, Marlboro municipal complex, 1979 Township Drive. County residents may bring up to 100 pounds of documents to be shredded. Large binder clips must be removed from documents; staples and paper clips can remain. The service is free. Details: Visit the recycling section of www.visitmonmouth.com or call 732-683-8686, ext. 8967.
• Embroiderers’ Guild of America-Monmouth Chapter is dedicated to teaching and sharing the joys of needlework. Stitchers of all levels are welcome to attend a meeting. There are sit-and-stitch tables at each meeting, as well as special projects. Evening stitchers will meet from 7-9 p.m. March 2 at the Colts Neck Library, 1 Winthrop Drive, Colts Neck. Day stitchers will meet from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. March 19 at the Colts Neck Community Church, 25 Merchants Way, Colts Neck. Details: Toni, 732-462-5540, or www.mcega.org
• A class reunion for all Lakewood High School graduates will be held on Aug. 22-23. All proceeds from the event will benefit students with financial difficulties so they may attend college. On the afternoon of Aug. 22, there will be guided tours at the Sheldon Wolpin Historical Museum, Lakewood. From 7-11 p.m. Aug. 22, there will be a casual get-together at the Lakewood Country Club. Cost is $50 per person. From 10 a.m. to noon Aug. 23, there will be a continental breakfast at the historical museum. Cost is $10 per person. Details: Judie Bloom Singer, 732-364-7854 or judie0405@aol.com or June Passadin D’Elia, 732-363-4695 or mjd102lfd@verizon.net
• The Jersey Born Music Benefit, a fundraiser for the Emergency Housing and Advocacy Program, will be held at 2 p.m. March 22 at Southgate Manor, Freehold. Contribution/ticket is $100. The program provides services to homeless and vulnerable individuals in the Freehold area. To purchase tickets, visit tix.ehapinc.org. Details: 732-934-4250.
• The Heart of New Jersey Chorus is holding open auditions in all voice parts. The chorus rehearses every Wednesday at 7:30 p.m. at the Millstone Township Primary School, 18 Schoolhouse Road, Millstone Township. Individuals who are interested in auditioning may call 732-446-9782.
• The Monmouth County Division of Consumer Affairs will host “Fraud Watch” at 10 a.m. Feb. 25 at the Monmouth County Library Headquarters, 125 Symmes Drive, Manalapan. Consumer Affairs Director David M. Salkin will give the latest overview about consumer fraud alerts and latest scams. Registration is required to ensure the Division of Consumer Affairs has sufficient materials for attendees. To register, call 732-431-7220, ext. 7222.
• “Are the Kids Alright,” a discussion about young people’s mental health, will be presented at 10:30 a.m. Feb. 23 at the Freehold Jewish Center, Freehold Borough, by the staff of Jewish Family and Children’s Service of Greater Monmouth County. All are invited to attend. RSVP to 732-462-0254 or office@freeholdjc.org
• The Land Conservancy of New Jersey is accepting applications for its 2020 scholarship
program. Potential candidates must be New Jersey residents currently enrolled in (and in good standing at) an accredited college or university, with at least 15 credits completed and an academic average equivalent to a 3.0 or higher. The scholarships are for residents who are pursuing degrees in environmental science, natural resource management, conservation, park administration and related fields. Deadline to apply is April 1. Applications can be downloaded from www.tlc-nj.org or obtained by calling 973-541-1010, ext. 14.
• Embroiderers’ Guild of America-Monmouth Chapter is dedicated to teaching and sharing the joys of needlework. Stitchers of all levels are welcome to attend a meeting. There are sit-and-stitch tables and special projects at each meeting. Day stitchers will meet from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Feb. 20 at the Colts Neck Community Church, 25 Merchants Way, Colts Neck. Details: Toni, 732-462-5540, or www.mcega.org
• The fifth annual Home Garden Symposium presented by the Rutgers Master Gardeners of Monmouth County will be held from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. March 28 at the Rutgers Cooperative Extension, Monmouth County Agriculture Building, 4000 Kozloski Road, Freehold Township. There will be lectures, demonstrations, exhibits about invasive species and more. Pre-registration ($10) is required. Vist tinyurl.com/HomeGarden2020. Details: Email mgmcsymposium@gmail.com or 732-303-7614.
• The American Association of University Women, Freehold Branch, is accepting book donations for its 2020 used book sale. With the exception of Reader’s Digest, textbooks, religion, philosophy, reference, business and psychology, all book donations in good condition are appreciated. Proceeds support scholarships for women returning to college and monetary awards for graduating female seniors from the Freehold Regional High
School District. Contact Joan at 732-431-2297 for drop-off instructions.
• Monmouth County Park System will sponsor a bus trip to the Philadelphia Flower Show on March 6. Bus leaves at 11:30 a.m. from Thompson Park, Lincroft, and returns at 8:30 p.m. An additional trip is planned for March 7 (same times). The cost is $82 per person and pre-registration is required. Details: www.MonmouthCountyParks.com or call 732-842-4000, ext. 1.
• The Fresh Air Fund’s Friendly Towns Program is seeking local families to host children from New York City this summer. The Fresh Air Fund has provided free summer experiences to more than 1.8 million New York City children from low-income communities since 1877. First time Fresh Air children are boys and girls, ages 7 to 13, who live in New York City. Details: Karen Medlin, 732-740-0449, or visit www.FreshAir.org
• Forsgate Country Club, Monroe Township, will host Camp Forsgate in weekly sessions from June 29 through Aug. 14 for children ages 5-10. Camp runs from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Before-care and after-care will be available. Camp activities include golf, fitness, swimming, arts and crafts, STEM and more. Weekly tuition: Members, $330; Non-members, $370. Details: www.kecamps.com
• “Fine Feathered Friends: Birds as Mainstay and Muse” is open at the New Jersey State Museum, Trenton. The exhibition brings the fun of bird watching indoors through nearly 200 rarely seen artifacts and specimens exploring birds as an ecological mainstay and their role as a design-inspiring force, or muse, for New Jersey artisans. The exhibition will be on view through Sept. 13. Museum hours are 9 a.m. to 4:45 p.m., Tuesday through Sunday; closed on Mondays and state holidays. Details: www.statemuseum.nj.gov
• Samaritan Center, a joint ministry of St. Thomas More and Old Tennent Presbyterian churches, operates a food pantry to provide supplementary food for those in need in Manalapan, Marlboro, Englishtown and Millstone Township. For information, call 732-446-1142 and make an appointment. Pickup dates are Tuesday and Thursday from 9:30-11:15 a.m. and Saturday from 9-11 a.m. Volunteers will gladly carry food to a client’s vehicle. Donations of funds and food are gratefully accepted to support the operation of the center. Volunteers are always welcome.
• The Jewish Home for Rehabilitation and Nursing, 1151 W. Main St. (in the Pond View Professional Park), Freehold Township, hosts a free monthly support group called the Jewish Caregiver’s Experience. The group meets at 7 p.m. on the last Tuesday of each month. Caregivers of all ages seeking support, resources and a Jewish perspective on managing their responsibilities are welcome to attend. Kosher refreshments served. Details: Jolie, 732-202-1000 or email jfromm@jewishhomefreehold.org
• The New Jersey State Museum, Trenton, is presenting “Preserving the Pinelands: Albert Horner’s Portraits of a National Treasure.” The exhibition features images by photographer Albert Horner which capture the quiet beauty and intimate landscapes of New Jersey’s Pinelands National Reserve. A number of artifacts and scientific specimens from the museum’s collections help tell some of the stories of the land, animals, people and industries that make this unique area a state and national treasure. “Preserving the Pinelands” will be on view through June 28, 2020. Details: www.statemuseum.nj.gov
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