Saint Thomas the Apostle Church, in cooperation with Knights of Columbus Council 4815, will hold a blood drive from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Jan. 16 in the Saint Thomas parish auditorium, 333 Route 18, Old Bridge.
Donors are encouraged to pre-register online at smarturl.it/NJBS_Drive using sponsor code 07755. Walk ins will be taken subject to availability and proper social distancing practices.
All donors must wear a mask, will have their temperature checked at the door, and will be screened for any exposure to COVID-19.
All donors must be between ages 16 and 75 and weigh at least 110 pounds.
- The Contagious Optimism Wellness Group goes virtual from 10:30 a.m. to noon the first Saturday of the month.
Feeling down or discouraged? Want to increase your positivity? Dr. Colleen Georges, author of the award-winning, best-selling “Rescript the Story You’re Telling Yourself” and co-author of “Contagious Optimism,” facilitates this monthly wellness group designed to help grow optimism and overall happiness.
Register at www.sayrevillelibrary.org to receive the Zoom link.
- A virtual movement- and restoration-based yoga practice will be held from 6-7 p.m. Jan. 28. Join Stephanie Barrios-Cullins for two classes offering restorative yoga.Participants need a webcam to participate in this program.
Register at www.sayrevillelibrary.org to receive the Zoom link.
- Learn how to craft a delicate quilled paper snowflake ornament with master crafter Theresa at 6 p.m. Jan. 14.Materials will be supplied after registration for contactless pickup in the library lobby, 1050 Washington Road, Parlin section of Sayreville.
Register at www.sayrevillelibrary.org in order to receive the Zoom link and prepare craft supplies.
- Join Constance Hallinan Lagan for Connie’s New Year program “Hope” at 6 p.m. Jan. 21.
Since the New Year is traditionally a period of renewal and resolution,
there is no better time to commit to living optimistically
Register at www.sayrevillelibrary.org in order to receive the Zoom link.
- Enjoy an opportunity to pick up a few new tips from fellow craft addicts during the virtual Stitchers and Knitters Anonymous Club for folks who know the basics, but want to take their project to a new level.Have supplies and a current craft project ready.This group is open to all adult residents. They will meet virtually at 6:30 p.m. Jan. 28.For more information, contact Aziza at 732-727-0212.
Eighth graders will get a second opportunity to apply to the Middlesex County Academy for Allied Health and Biomedical Sciences in Woodbridge.
Applications are being accepted for a second entrance exam, to be held online on Jan. 30.
The deadline for applications is Jan. 23.
The entrance exam is being held virtually for the first time. Students taking the two-hour exam are monitored via webcam by proctors from the academy staff. The exam includes mathematics, language arts and science questions, as well as an essay.
The exam results are used to choose applicants to be interviewed. The interview process includes virtual meetings with both parents and students.
The application is available on the district website, www.mcvts.net.
The academy’s focus is to prepare students for college majors in the medical and biomedical research fields. All students take an honors curriculum with an emphasis on the sciences. Students have opportunities to take Advanced Placement courses as well as courses affiliated with Rutgers University School of Health Professions.
Karma Cat + Zen Dog Rescue Society and People for Animals will hold their quarterly Snip & Chip for Community Cats event on Feb. 19, where locals can bring in feral cats to be spayed/neutered and microchipped free of charge.
Do not bring any socialized cats, they will be turned away.
The event will be held at the People for Animals Clinic located at 1 Sharon Road in Robbinsville. All feral cats from Central New Jersey are welcome, with a limit of five cats per participant. All cats must be dropped off between 7 and 7:30 a.m. to receive treatment.
Snip & Chip will provide free spay/neuter surgeries (valued up to $55) which will include rabies & distemper vaccines, ear tip, injectable pain control, tattoo, and medical waste disposal for feral cats. Microchip insertion/registration will be available free of charge as well.
Additional services will be available for an additional charge, including post-op boarding.
All additional services must be pre-paid at the time of drop off.
Karma Cat + Zen Dog Rescue Society will accept cash or credit/debit cards (Visa, MasterCard, Discover). No American Express or checks accepted.
Registrations must be made by Feb. 8. To register, participants must fill out the form at https://karmacatzendog.org/snipchiprequest. If participants cannot fill out the form, email SnipAndChip@karmacatzendog.org with “Snip & Chip Reservations” in the subject line. Within the body of the email, participants must provide: full name, email address, mailing address, phone number, number of cats, what town the cats reside in, and a description of the colony.
The pickup date is Feb. 19 or 22; $15 boarding fee per cat to be paid to the rescue.
Nominations for the 25th annual Russ Berrie Making a Difference Award are being accepted through Feb. 12.
Members of the community can nominate a fellow New Jerseyan and give him or her the chance to be recognized for their service. They are people who help others in need, give their time and energy to solve community problems, and put others above themselves.
Each year, the Making a Difference Award presents $50,000 to one winner, $25,000 to two runners-up, and up to $7,500 to several others at a ceremony hosted by Ramapo College of New Jersey, which manages the awards program on behalf of the Russell Berrie Foundation.
Awards will be presented at a virtual ceremony in May.
The nomination form is available online at berrieawards.ramapo.edu.
Recognizing the bravery and commitment of volunteer firefighters and first responders, New Jersey American Water announces its 2021 grant program for volunteer fire departments, ambulance squads and first aid squads located within the company’s service areas.
Grants may be used to cover the costs of personal protective equipment, communications gear, first aid equipment, firefighting tools, vehicle maintenance and other materials that will be used to support volunteer firefighter and emergency responder operations. Reimbursement for specific training courses, including the cost of training manuals, student workbooks, and instructors is also eligible.
To apply, organizations must complete the application available at www.newjerseyamwater.com under News & Community, Community Involvement.
The maximum grant amount awarded to any organization is $2,000.
The deadline to apply is March 12. Interested applicants can find more information and apply online at www.newjerseyamwater.com/community.
Grant recipients will be notified at the end of March.
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Dr. Kirsten Fermaglich will discuss her groundbreaking book on Jewish name changing in 20th century America during a virtual Zoom presentation at 7 p.m. Jan. 14.
“A Rosenberg by Any Other Name” reveals that name changing was a broad-based, voluntary response to an upsurge in antisemitism.
Rather than trying to escape their heritage, most name changers remained active within the Jewish community, achieving White middle class status and avoiding antisemitism.
Relying on court documents, oral histories, archival records, and contemporary literature, Fermaglich contends that name changing had a lasting impact on the culture.
Free and open to the public, the event is presented by the Allen and Joan Bildner Center for the Study of Jewish Life at Rutgers University and is the Center’s Raoul Wallenberg Annual Program funded by Leon and Toby Cooperman.
Advance registration is required at BildnerCenter.Rutgers.edu.
Susan and Art Zuckerman, radio talk hosts and authors of “It Happened in New York City,” will present a Zoom program describing little-known facts and foibles about the Big Apple at 10 a.m. Jan. 17.
The program is sponsored by the Men’s Club and the Daytimers of Congregation Beth Ohr, Old Bridge.
The Zoom meeting ID is 813 4810 7652. The password is 953081.
The link is https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81348107652?pwd=aG8zSEJYWkpGL3BZemxhd1hBSHJ3dz09
Raritan Valley Road Runners, one of the largest running clubs in New Jersey, is accepting applications for a new scholarship program designed to help student runners in cross country or track and field who attend high school or community college in Middlesex and Somerset counties.
A one-time award of $1,000 will be made to each of two outstanding athletes enrolling in post-secondary education.
The scholarships are not based entirely on speed or competitions won, but rather on strong academics, sportsmanship, citizenship and financial need.
The scholarships are funded by individual donations, funds from club-sponsored races and business contributions.
Eligible applicants will be graduating from high school in Middlesex or Somerset counties in 2021 or currently attending community college in these counties. They will need to prove acceptance to a full-time (12 credits or more) associate or bachelor’s degree program. They will have a weighted GPA of 2.75 or higher as demonstrated by an unofficial transcript. And they will need to demonstrate passionate participation as a runner in a cross country or track and field in their junior and senior years of high school or while at community college. Participation in extracurricular activities and community involvement will also be considered.
For more information, application materials, or to donate to the scholarship fund, email scholarship@rvrr.org.
The deadline to apply is Jan. 31. Scholarships will be awarded in April.
High school students are invited to enter their substance use prevention messages through their original music as part of the music and song writing competition, “Your Song! Your Voice! Shout Down Drugs New Jersey,” sponsored by New Jersey Broadcasters and 959.9-FM WRAT.
The competition is designed to challenge New Jersey high school students to create original music and lyrics with powerful peer-to-peer substance use, misuse and prevention messages. Entries are accepted through Feb. 1.
All music genres are welcomed from students interested in sharing their talent and inspiring messages about shouting down drugs and raising up their voices to inspire their peers.
The winner of the New Jersey Shout Down Drugs competition, as decided by judges and announced at the end of the Prevention Concert, will receive a $5,000 music contract. The second- and third-place performers will receive $3,000 and $2,000 music contracts, respectively, with the Partnership for a Drug-Free New Jersey.
For rules and information on how to enter, contact Diane Higgins at 973-275-7985.
This contest is open to residents of Sayreville older than age 12 who hold a valid Sayreville Library Card.
Photographs must be relevant to the theme: The year of 2020 in Sayreville or the State of New Jersey. It can be pandemic related or capture Sayreville’s and/or New Jersey’s landscape, people, food, nature or wildlife. Must be appropriate subject matter.
All submissions must be printed in black and white, but may be any size. Digitally altered
pictures will not be considered. The photo can be framed or mounted on mat, foam or gator board, for display and judging only – the frame will be returned after the contest.
Entries must be submitted by the original photographer. Submission of the photo and entry form is a testament to usage rights. If the photo includes people, the photographer is responsible for obtaining releases from those pictured.
Submissions may be dropped off at the Sayreville Public Library, 1050 Washington Road, Parlin.
Each photo must be accompanied by a completed entry form (available at the Circulation Desk) or online at the Sayreville Public Library site.
Entries must be received by Feb. 28 to be eligible.
Photos will be on display beginning March 1. Along with three anonymous judges, the public will be allowed to vote on the submissions until March 30. Entries will be judged on the basis of creativity, quality and effectiveness in conveying the subject. All contest decisions are final. Entries that fail to comply with the rules will be disqualified and the submission will be returned.
Judges will select a first, second, and third place photo, as well as at least one honorable mention. The first place winner will receive a $100 gift card, the second place winner will receive a $50 gift card, and the third place winner will receive a $25 gift card. Honorable mention winners will receive a certificate of appreciation. Winners will be contacted by April 1.
The winning submissions will remain on display in the Sayreville Public Library.
The honorees are:
- Chris Beagan, Class of 1990, three-time state championship coach, GMC Coach of the Year
- Steven Casano, Class of 1985, founding executive director of NeuroSearch; Sayreville Little League coach, sponsorship coordinator and board member
- William D’Amico, Class of 1973, distinguished military career; three special operations commanding officer tours of duty; post-military career in corporate medical device, consumer goods and industrial manufacturing industries
- The late Matthew Lynch, Class of 1985, president of Friends Of Children’s Hospital in Warsaw, Poland; honored by U.S. ambassador to Poland for 20 years of service
- Farrah Reilly, Class of 1994, New York Times and USA Today bestselling author under the pen name Emma Chase; books translated into more than 20 languagesTickets are $50 for adults or $30 for children, with a choice of meals.All reservations received to date for tickets and program ads will be honored.New ad book and ticket requests will be mailed in March.For more information, contact Elaine Kubacz at 732-727-0192 or epkubacz@verizon.net.
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Ongoing
Dove Hospice Services of New Jersey seeks compassionate volunteers to provide support to local hospice patients and their families.
Hospice patient care volunteers visit with patients in their homes, which can also be nursing facilities or assisted living facilities, at least once a week. They read to the patient, reminisce about their lives, play cards, help with letter writing and provide respite for caregivers.
Visits can be virtual, and are either during the day or early evening.
Volunteers may also assist with administrative work within the hospice office.
Patient care volunteers complete an application and attend a virtual volunteer training program that covers the role of a hospice volunteer. Day and evening virtual training programs are offered.
To sign up for the next virtual training class, contact Volunteer Coordinator Deborah Adams at 732-405-3035 or email deborah@dovehs.com.
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.
Old Bridge High School is seeking active duty or reservist military personnel who are alumni for the Military Wall of Honor expected to be established this year.
The wall is meant to commemorate graduates who have given their lives to honor their country and shine a light on the importance of veterans within the Old Bridge community.
Residents are urged to assist with the project by spreading the word of the proposed military wall. The high school is looking for graduates from 1995 through the present.
To submit information, visit docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSev1sK7AIQ6KvNb2iqUz6l7UgFmPBJXBpMbkAR2IuRwkUeVQQ/viewform or contact Guy Lassen at glassen@obps.org.
