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 five campuses of the Middlesex County Vocational and Technical Schools will hold outdoor graduations for the 474 members of the Class of 2020 at three locations on July 8 and 9.
The ceremonies for the Middlesex County Academy for Allied Health and Biomedical Sciences in Woodbridge and the Middlesex County Academy for Science, Mathematics and Engineering Technologies in Edison will be held July 8 in William Warren Park on Florida Grove Road in Woodbridge.
The Woodbridge Academy ceremony will be at 9 a.m., and the Edison Academy graduation will be at 11:30.
The ceremonies for the MCVTS East Brunswick Campus and the Piscataway Campus will be held July 9 on the soccer field on the East Brunswick Campus. The East Brunswick graduation will be at 9 a.m., and the Piscataway graduation at 11:30 a.m.
The graduation for the Perth Amboy Campus will be held July 9 at 9 a.m. on the softball field on the campus.
The rain date for all of the ceremonies will be July 10.
Each graduate will be allowed two guests. Family groups will be allowed to sit together, with proper spacing in between. There will be speeches by the valedictorian and salutatorian of each campus.
Custodians will sanitize the chairs in between the two ceremonies in Woodbridge and East Brunswick.
More information is available at www.mcvts.net.
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.
The South Brunswick Public Library has begun curbside service.
Request items at www.sbpl.info or call 732-329-4000, ext. 7286 for adults and teens or ext. 7285 for children’s items. Call in hours are 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday to Thursday, noon to 6 p.m. Friday, and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday.
Schedule a pickup time. Appointments will be available from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. and from 4-7 p.m. Monday and Wednesday, and from noon to 4 p.m. on Friday and Saturday.
Distribution will be at the main entrance to the building, 110 Kingston Lane, Monmouth Junction section of South Brunswick. Wear a mask and maintain 6 feet distance from others.
This service is for South Brunswick cardholders only.
There are no planned routes, set paths or fixed distances.
Register an individual or family. Walk, jog, run, even ride a stationary bike.
Record the miles in the participation log, available at www.edfoundationsb.org/docs/Virtual-TdBS-FFW-Log.pdf
Tag Facebook/Twitter/Instagram with photos @edfoundationsb using #tourdesb or #walkefsb
Then complete the online form with the total number of miles. The Education Foundation will compile how many miles the entire community traveled.
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 foodpantry@iscj.org for any questions regarding the program, to seek assistance, to volunteer or to donate food.
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.
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 pvena@cjfhc.org.
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 pvena@cjfhc.org. To register in Spanish, email Mariella Flores at mflores@cjfhc.org.
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 dcohen@cjfhc.org 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 jwert@sbtnj.net 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 Info@PurpleHeartMission.org 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.
Nominations are being accepted in 10 categories for an annual recognition program to celebrate individuals, businesses and governments for extraordinary commitment to recycling.
The New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (DEP), in conjunction with the Association of New Jersey Recyclers, annually recognizes excellence in recycling to highlight program successes achieved by individuals, agencies, businesses and others whose efforts help keep New Jersey communities clean and healthy.
Applications may be submitted in these categories: Institution, Business, Retail Merchant, Government, Leadership, Rising Star, Recycling Industry, Outstanding Educator/Educational Program, Volunteer Citizen and Source Reduction/Resource Management/Sustainability.
Nominations are due by July 31 and awardees will be notified in September. Award winners will be honored at the Association of New Jersey Recyclers Symposium and Awards Luncheon scheduled Oct. 14 in Neptune.
To view the application and information packet, visit www.nj.gov/dep/dshw/recycling/awards.htm or www.recycle.nj.gov.
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 info@antoniamariafoundation.org 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 lbenson@northbrunswicknj.gov.
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 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.
