Cedar grove news june 2017 by My Life Publications..Maljon LLC

No. 15 Vol. 6

www.cedargroveveronanews.com

June 2017

Verona Food Pantry Teams Up With Mobile Food Stand To Deal With Hunger Head On

By Stefanie Sears he Montclair Community Farms (MCF) Coalition’s goal is to sell produce at affordable prices to Montclair seniors and is now expanding to local food pantries in order to bring fresh produce to seniors and others in need. The MCF’s Mobile Farm Stand will be joining forces once again with the Verona Food Pantry at the Episcopal Church of the Holy Spirit, which is open on the fourth Saturday of every month, by selling fresh seasonal produce on their grounds. The stand will be available in the Episcopal Church of the Holy Spirit parking lot from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. on July 22, Aug. 26, Sept. 23, and Oct. 28. Each shopper will be given a $5 voucher to use for purchase. The representative from Montclair Community Farms organizes the money spent and the church

pays for the produce bought by the parking lot shoppers with donations made to the food pantry. “It is a great way for us to be able to provide our shoppers with healthy options, which has been of interest to our parish members,” explains Rev. Jerry Racioppi. One third of the food pantry shoppers mainly come from the Verona-Cedar Grove area, but it also receives patrons from Bloomfield and Montclair as well. The Verona Food Pantry began on April 23, 2016 as a dream of the congregation’s Outreach Committee to provide food to the hungry in town, the need for which was determined through research achieved with the Verona Department of Health representative Connie Pfieffer. After planning and meeting with another food pantry, St. Agnes in Little Falls, the

committee geared towards an opening in 2016. A parishioner provided funds in 2015 to renovate an old kitchen space and provide storage space and on opening day, 18 shoppers came to patronize. “Our target audience is Verona-Cedar Grove and surrounding towns, but we currently do not turn anyone away,” explains Racioppi. “We ask our shoppers only two questions: a. what is your zip code; b. how did you hear about us? This helps us understand a little about our shoppers, but allows us to maintain their anonymity. The congregation stressed the importance of people’s confidentiality from the beginning of the planning for this ministry. We do everything we can to offer that confidentiality. Because we do not currently receive any state funds, we are able to limit our questions of our shoppers.”

Considering that the Verona Food Pantry is fairly new, it has faced both some growing pains and benefits. “We were originally opened for a four hour window, then cut it back to three, and now two hours,” says Racioppi. “Most of our shoppers are in and out by 9:45 a.m., and from that time until 11 a.m., we may see three to five additional shoppers. So, the challenge is being ready for the 9 a.m. open time and the busyness of the 9-9:30 a.m. time frame, but we have learned to manage it. We open our doors at 8:30 a.m. and give out numbers, much like a bakery, so that we call people in groups of four to five by the number they received when then entered the building,” explains Racioppi. “Our shoppers seem to like the amount and variety of cleaning supplies, which can be costly, that we offer,” he says. “I wish we

Mobile farm stand with Food Pantry volunteers Rev. Jerry A. Racioppi, Cardie Mortimer, Karen Gordon-El, Maria Force. Photo by by Marissa Blodnik.

got more donations from people based on the list we publish on our website, but thankfully we have been able to pay for the ‘shop-

ping,’ getting items to fully stock the pantry before we open on a fourth Saturday from financial donations continued on page 2

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Verona Food Pantry...

continued from front page from various organizations in town,” such as Verona Woman’s League, Verona Junior Woman’s Group and UNICO Verona, as well as individual donations. “Other than that, we continue to learn how to improve our operation each month, and I feel we have it down to a decent system that works for both shoppers and volunteers alike.” The Verona Food Pantry accepts unexpired non-perishable items and every

month updates its website with a list of needed materials. “People typically donate peanut butter, but never jelly. We get lots of pasta donated, but seldom do we get pasta sauce,” explains Racioppi. There is also a necessity for non-food items as well. The most popular that frequently run out quickly are laundry detergent, paper towels, coffee, jelly and mayonnaise. The pantry mainly receives donations

through the 24-hour donation bin in their parking lot, but they also shop monthly using grant money and donated funds to make sure they offer enough laundry detergent for every shopper. “Our focus has been mostly on cleaning supplies and toiletries since these are not covered by government assistance,” says Racioppi, “Shoppers also appreciate the variety of items we offer: crackers, canned meats and pet food for example. I think what makes us dif-

Story Times Offered For Wee Ones At Verona Public Library

ittle ones are invited to ongoing Story Time sessions at the Verona Public Library. A Baby and Toddler Story Time is offered on Tuesdays at 10 a.m..This session

is for children from birth to 3 years of age, with a caregiver. The Preschool Story Time takes place on Tuesdays at 11 a.m. and is for children age 3 to 5, with a

caregiver. Both sessions are held on the second floor of the Community Center building.

ferent from other pantries is the ease to get assistance, and that we allow people to select their own items. Even when we do home deliveries, which we do only in Verona-Cedar Grove, we provide shoppers with a grocery list of our inventory. We don’t ever just give a bag of random items to a shopper; it’s all about the personalized service.” In addition, the church occasionally holds “PopUp Food Pantry Drop Off” events at the church and local grocery stores to collect food donations. A high school student organized one of these at Cedar Grove Foodtown on June 3. The Church also hosts fundraisers to help raise money for the Food Pantry. For example, their Fish & Chips Dinner took place in April. Chrystine Gaffney, who

is both a member of the Episcopal Church of the Holy Spirit who helps with the food pantry’s publicity and a Rutgers Certified Master Gardener since the summer of 2014 for Montclair Community Farms, is a nice connection between the two entities to assist their mutual success. “I am so happy Montclair Community Farms Coalition decided to make COHS a Mobile Farm Stand site,” says Gaffney, “We have another member of the church also involved, the director of the Montclair History Center, Jane Eliasof. She was key in getting the grant from the Episcopal Diocese of Newark for the vouchers the food pantry patrons use at the Mobile Farm Stand. “I was thrilled the whole thing worked out - it is such

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a natural connection, but the vouchers really make things possible!” she says. “Our head Farmer at Montclair Community Farms, Matt Duker, used to just take our produce around to the senior centers in his own vehicle - so when the Woodworkers made the Mobile Farm stand and we received a grant for the truck, it was a terrific affirmation of our Montclair Community Farms Coalition’s mission, to feed the local community with affordable produce!” Montclair Community Farms Coalition appreciates donations and support for the Mobile Farm Stand truck. People are welcome to give towards their Crowdrise campaign. www. crowdrise.com/giveabuckforthetruck.

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Verona Artist Redefines Her Craft By Painting Pictures With Words

By Maryanne Christiano-Mistretta erona and New York City resident Marcia Gloster always thought of herself as a painter, but within the last three years she had two books published. Her first, “31 Days: A Memoir of a Seduction” came out in 2014. And her fiction novel, “I Love You Today,” was released in April by The Story Plant. “It’s really fun,” said Gloster, about writing

books. She says she believes that creative people are multi-gifted. “You’re not just stuck with one [talent],” she said. Gloster is a member of the National Association of Women Artists and Studio Montclair. She’s exhibited her work in New York City, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania. As a child growing up in Los Angeles, Gloster rode horses; and she started drawing them. She stopped riding at the age of 11,

when her family moved to New York. During her high school years, she became intrigued by illustrations in the “Saturday Evening Post” and knew she’d make money being an illustrator. She told her guidance counselor, “One thing I’m good at is art.” After going to the Rhode Island School of Design, Gloster supported herself through illustration work. “I didn’t want to depend on my family,” she said. “I

Cedar Grove Library Plans Upcoming Events

he Cedar Grove Library has entertainment and safety on the agenda this summer. On June 14, the movie “20th Century Women,’’ is set to be shown at 5:15 p.m. The movie tells the story of a teenage boy, his mother, and two other women who help raise him among the love and freedom of Southern California in 1979. Starring Annette Bening, it is rated R. Light refreshments will be served. Running Time is two hours. Don’t Slip Stop by the library for the program “Don’t Slip, Don’t Fall” set to be held on Fri., June 16, at 10 a.m.

This free program will discuss the best ways to prevent a slip and fall from happening by creating a safe home environment and demonstrating balance exercises. The “Slips and Falls Prevention” program will be given by Casey Boutillier, a physical therapist at the JAG Physical Therapy Fairfield clinic. Driver Safety The AARP Driver Safety Program is set to be held on Mon., June 26, from 9:15 a.m. to 4:15 p.m. This program will be presented by Instructor John Vajda. The cost of the event is $15 for AARP members, or $20 for non-AARP members.

Make check payable to ‘AARP.’ If paying by cash, exact change is required, as is proof of AARP membership. This six-hour course is a classroom refresher especially designed to meet the needs of drivers age 50 and over. Students must stay for the entire course to receive certificates. Registration is required and can be completed by calling 973-239-6914 or by email to Jvajda_99@yahoo.com. All events are set to be held at the Cedar Grove Library. For more information, call 973-239-1447 or email falcone@palsplus. org.

needed to be independent.” In addition to illustrations, Gloster also built a career as an award-winning book designer for Simon & Schuster and an art director. Her experiences working in the male-dominated world of publishing and advertising in the mid-1960s were fictionalized in her second book, “I Love You Today.” “Looking back, some of the experiences were so absurd in the light of today,” Gloster said. For example, she was told that a girl would never be hired to work in the art department; she was warned she’d have to be somebody’s secretary. And while Gloster embraced a time of what came out of conformity, like free love and mini-skirts, other people couldn’t. Her first book, “31 Days: A Memoir of Seduction,”

is about her affair with a well-known British painter during her time spent in Salzburg during the summer of 1963. “He was quite a bit older than me. I was 20,” Gloster said. “He radiated sensuality. He was very much bohemian. I said to myself, ‘Stay away, this man is dangerous.’ He said to me, ‘We’re here for a month. We may never see each other again.’ This was supposed to be nothing, but it became something more.” Gloster is currently in the process of writing two more books. “I finished a book a few months ago. I’m not sure what to call it,” she said. “It’s a romance between two people in their 30’s and 40’s who meet. One from England, one from the states. Eventually they

find out they’ve been lovers for five thousand years. It’s paranormal romance. It’s very spiritual. It’s very hopeful. It’s sad but it’s hopeful.” Her books are available on Amazon, and in Barnes & Noble, as well as local bookstores. She has a daughter and lives with her husband, James Ammeen. For more information on Marcia Gloster, visit: www. marciagloster.com.

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Disposing Of Dangerous Prescription Medications Just Got Easier

By Ann Marie Barron ow, it has become even easier for New Jersey residents to safely and anonymously dispose of dangerous prescription medications, thanks to a new interactive website and 24-hour drop-

off locations. Gov. Chris Christie recently announced the launching of a new interactive component to ReachNJ, the state’s drug addiction one-stop website, that helps residents to easily locate the nearest collection sites for

Project Medicine Drop. “Unused or expired prescription medications are a public safety issue, leading to accidental poisoning, overdose or abuse,’’ said the governor’s proclamation. “The majority of teenagers who abuse prescription

Verona Juniors Offer Discount Card For Area Businesses

he Junior Woman’s Club of Verona’s 2017 Discount Card is now available for purchase. The card features reusable discounts to 27 local businesses and proceeds from its sale help the Juniors continue its charitable work within Verona and surrounding communities. Once again, the card provides potential savings for local residents who eat, shop and purchase services locally. Available since May 30, the 2017 Discount Card features both long-standing favorite establishments and new businesses eager to join Verona’s community. A majority of the discounts are valid for one full year. The Discount Card can be purchased for $20; $18 for seniors. “This popular fundraiser

not only provides exclusive discounts to local residents, but also encourages them to shop local and support small businesses,” said Erika Grothues, president of the Junior Woman’s Club of Verona. “With our Discount Card, people can save money every time they go grocery shopping, eat out, go out for ice cream or get their hair cut or nails done. This win-win benefits consumers and the businesses who can gain new loyal customers.” The participating businesses include: Academy Apparel, American Cleaners, Anthony Franco’s, Ariane Kitchen & Bar, Bagelwich, Bella Nails, Blooms in Hand, Dekko & Co., Frank Anthony’s, Green Point Organic Juicery, Hillcrest Farms, Hoboken Heros, Hot Bagels N More,

JT’s Barber Shop, Kids Hair Salon, King’s Food Market, Lakeside Deli, Nellie & Bean, Party Fair, Subway, The Pizza Terminal, The Town Scoop, Verona Diner, Verona Inn, Verona Yoga, Verona Wine Cellar and Zaferon Grill. King’s Food Market will offer its discount until Dec. 31, 2017. All the other discounts will be valid through May 31, 2018. Specific discounts from each business are listed on the card. Discount Cards can be purchased via email or phone, by contacting Terry at discountcard@veronajuniors. org, or calling (973) 2392604. To purchase the card online, visit veronajuniors. org. Anyone interested in joining or learning more about the Juniors should visit veronavuniors.org.

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drugs get them from family and friends – and the home medicine cabinet.’’ Project Medicine Drop is the 24-hour-a-day, sevendays-a-week prescription drug collection program run by the state Department of Law and Public Safety, Division of Consumer Affairs. Project Medicine Drop boxes are installed indoors, affixed to the floor or wall in a secure area within police department headquarters, within view of law enforcement officers. Residents can drop off unwanted prescriptions for free and anonymously at more than 212 stationary drop boxes and 148 mobile drop boxes around the state in police stations, sheriff’s offices and military installations. Residents can visit

www.reachnj.gov/medicine-disposal to access an interactive map, which easily helps identify the closest drug disposal location. Project Medicine Drop secured drop boxes are located at the headquarters of local police departments. Consumers from anywhere in New Jersey can visit the boxes seven days a week, to drop off unneeded and expired medications - and keep them away from those at risk of abusing them. The drop boxes accept solid pharmaceuticals such as pills, capsules, patches, inhalers and pet medications. They cannot accept syringes or liquids. For the hours of availability and other information, contact the police departments or call the New Jer-

sey Division of Consumer Affairs at (800) 242-5846. A complete list of all locations in the state is available at the state Consumer Affairs website, http://www.njconsumeraffairs.gov/meddrop/ Pages/Locations.aspx. Drop-off locations in Essex County: Caldwell Police Department, 1 Provost Square Avenue, Caldwell, (973) 2262600. Livingston Police Department, 333 South Livingston Avenue, Livingston, (973) 992-3000. Millburn Police Department, 435 Essex Street, Millburn, (973) 564-7001. North Caldwell Police Department, 136 Gould Avenue, North Caldwell (973) 226-0800.

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New Complex Will Recreate Real Life Situations To Those With Special Needs

By: J.L. Shively he Hebrew word “Chai” means “life” and also consists of the numerical meaning for the number 18. For this reason, Rabbi Zalman Grossbaum remarked that the year 2018, the year the much anticipated Life Town complex is planned to open, will be a “year of life” for the community. The Friendship Circle, the program responsible for the construction of this complex, was founded by Grossbaum and his wife, Toba, 18 years ago and it is a program that has been “expanding ever since,” states Grossbaum. The Friendship Circle is a program which had been started by friends of the Grossbaum’s in Michigan and is a concept which the

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Grossbaum’s brought to this state to benefit Morris and Essex counties. With approximately 850 teen volunteers, the Friendship Circle is an organization which has logged more than 45,000 hours a year in volunteer activities assisting children with special needs. “At the heart of all Friendship Circle programming is the belief that each and every individual can be a productive member of the community and benefit from inclusive programing,” as stated on the Life Town website. This is one of the founding ideas behind the latest and grandest construction, which is the completion of a 53,000 square foot facility, named Life Town. This facility will include many exciting opportunities

for families and students such as a zero-entry pool, gymnasium with sound-absorbent walls for children with sound sensitivity and even a three lane bowling alley, to name only a few of the many exciting features. The largest allocation of space, 11,000 square feet, is designated to the creation of “Life Village” which is an indoor recreation of a main street, complete with traffic lights and roads. The Life Village, Grossbaum explains, will help children and teens with disabilities, “build life skills in a real setting.” This recreation of a main street will include many different stores and shops which any person may use on a regular basis for important transactions such as a bank, supermarket or

medical facility. Life Village will also include other places a person may visit such as a movie theater or coffee shop. Through the use of role playing, these stores and stations will give participants a chance to act out life-like situations that they are likely to encounter and therefore allow them to be better prepared for a more independent life style. Grossbaum explained that the program is already in touch with local special needs schools in order to partner with them individually as well as with families to help cater to each student’s specific needs. Life Town will utilize “state of the art technology,” explains Grossbaum. Using a platform called Oneder, Life Town will automatical-

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Area Mental Health Agencies Plan Merger To Continue Services To Local Community

By Cheryl Conway un separately for almost 65 years, two non-profit agencies plan to merge as one to prepare for the future and continue to provide quality programs. The Mental Health Association of Essex County in Montclair and the Mental Health Association of Morris County in Mountain Lakes plan to unite as one non-profit agency serving both counties effective Aug. 1. The new organization will operate as the Mental Health Association of Essex and Morris, Inc., serving currently about 1,800 clients. With shifts in funding

and cuts in Medicaid in the forecast, agency officials decided that merging the two agencies would be the best option without having to provide less to its clients that utilize services regarding mental health. “No two organizations could be closely aligned in regards to our vision, our values, our mission,” says MHAEC Executive Director Robert N. Davison for the past 18 years. Davison will continue as president and CEO of the new association. “This merger is something that makes absolute sense for all parties involved in that it takes two strong, viable, communi-

New Complex... continued from page 8 credits towards further education in the special education field while they participate and volunteer. Life Town will essentially be “an inclusive environment for students and for the community to be involved,” states Grossbaum. The complex itself is located in Livingston and is being constructed in an ex-

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isting structure that is being reconstructed to the needs of the program. The building as a whole is estimated to cost $15.5 million and so far the program has raised $13 million for the project. Grossbaum estimates that the construction will be complete nearing the late fall of 2018. For more information about Life Town, to donate or to learn more

ty-based agencies and unites them into a single entity with even greater capacity to serve individuals and families in our communities whose lives are affected by mental illness,” says Davison. “By joining forces and combining resources, this new, cross-county association will represent a ‘whole’ that is truly greater than the sum of its parts; as they say, measured twice and cut once.” Discussions about joining forces began about six months ago by Louis A. Schwarcz, outgoing president and CEO of the MHAMC. The idea was brought to the boards on continued on page 12

about volunteering visit the website at www.lifetown. com. Updates on construction and partners can also be found on the website. In closing, Grossbaum states that this complex is “a unique opportunity to be involved in not just a passive way” but to “under one roof make a difference in the community.”

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Renovated Stone House Nature Center Invites All In To Learn And Explore

By Lisa McNamara estled along the tree-lined streets of Short Hills lies a natural gem, the Cora Hartshorn Arboretum and Bird Sanctuary. In April, a new exhibit was unveiled in the recently renovated Stone House Nature Center, which offers a museum-quality exhibit experience with more interactive learning opportunities and discovery stations. “We’re excited about the new exhibit; we’re able to utilize it in our teaching especially for our summer camp,” boasted Nicole Esposito, environmental educator at CHA. Esposito is also excited about their new residents. A corn snake, eastern king snake and rat snake have joined the turtles, fish and rabbits at the Stone Center. The exhibit is also home to a hive of honeybees; the beehive provides visitors with a rare opportunity to see bees up close and to hear their amazing hum as

they work. Colorful canopies hang from the ceiling in the exhibit and are backlit for evening events to spotlight the animals, birds and bugs that thrive in trees during the spring, summer and fall in New Jersey. Discovery stations and viewing platforms offer even more learning opportunities. Nicole Landreman started coming to the Arboretum as a little girl, and now she works there. Last year, when Landreman was a senior at Millburn High School and the president of the high school’s Environmental Club, she was looking for a volunteer opportunity and “wanted to learn more about the animals and plants in my local ecosystem,” and The Citizen Science program at CHA was the “hands-on” answer. Landreman speaks highly of her volunteer experience and of the new exhibit; the snakes are one of her favorite features because “snakes are the easiest to handle, and they crawl up

your arm!” she says. She enjoys the animals and people too. A recent visitor told her he has been coming for 30 years, and that day, he brought along his oneyear-old. Summer is the perfect time to check out CHA, an ideal setting for summer camp and wonderful opportunity to get kids to unplug and enjoy nature. Esposito was pleased to announce, “We are debuting new curriculum this summer for all age groups which incorporates handson learning.” Nature Discovery Camp at CHA has programs for children ages 3-5, firstthird grade and fourth-sixth grade, and each week features a different theme. Esposito said, “We want kids getting outside, asking questions. No matter what, we go out every day.” According to Landreman, the survival and weather camps are very popular, and kids love the camouflage game too.

She added, “The kids who come, always come back.” Citizen Science is an engaging volunteer opportunity that teaches someone without a full science background how to make observations and collect data. Its two-fold approach works on both a local and national level. On a local level, volunteers study salamanders, butterflies and pollinator diversity. Projects are available on a national level as well; whereby, volunteers can participate in frog watches, monitor trees or determine water quality. Esposito noted, “We’re fortunate; many teenagers participate, but you don’t have to be a teenager. We have community involvement on all levels.” Another great way to spend time at CHA is by exploring the woodlands. Visitors can go on a birding adventure and track birds they see and hear using a checklist. While walking the nature trails, they can also admire the native wild-

flowers, trees and animals. At the Adventure Station in the Stone House, colorful, laminated adventure cards are available to guide a walk on the trails. Landreman’s personal favorite of the woodlands is the Devil’s Punchbowl, a glacier-formed crater that fills up with water and frogs. As stated on the CHA website: Cora developed the area as a place where wild things could grow without harm and where people could come to enjoy them. Esposito reiterated,

“Our Arboretum was never intended as a private residence; it was always meant to be a park with public access. A place for a community to gather.” Fortunately, it still is. Come back and see what’s new, or visit for the first time and find out what all the buzz is about. The Cora Hartshorn Arboretum and Bird Sanctuary is located in Short Hills. For more information, call 973-376-3587 or visit www.hartshornarboretum. org.

streamline for the merger, says Davison. A third reason for the merger is to be ready for the proposed cuts in Medicaid suggested by the federal government’s Medical Health Care Act. If the policy is approved by the House of Representatives, the proposal is to cut Medicaid by $880 billion in the nation and $31 billion in New Jersey over the next 10 years, explains Davison. NJ’s public mental health programs are funded through Medicaid, with the majority of their funding from the NJ Department of Human Services . “We feel a duty to do it

now [merge] to maintain critical services to our families and clients,” says Davison. As a result of the merger, administration will be streamlined but services will stay the same, says Davison. Both agencies provide similar programs and core services are the same. The MHAEC has been providing services to individuals suffering from severe and persistent mental illness as well as a whole range of other behavioral health challenges since it was established in 1950. It currently provides service to about 1,000 clients. The MHAMC, which

was founded in 1953, has been providing similar programs and services to about 800 consumers. Once merged, the two offices will remain open and continue to function in both counties, at separate locations. The plan is to continue “looking to maintain what we are currently doing,” says Davison. It is “hoping to expand services in each county,” in the future. To learn more about the programs and the agency, call (973) 509-9777 in Essex County; or (973) 3343496 in Morris County.

Photo by Lisa McNamara

Merger To Continue Services... continued from page 9 Feb. 27, confirms Davison. Schwarcz identified ‘the best interests of all concerned’ as his reason for initiating the transition into a single agency, as stated in a press release. “I truly believe that Morris and Essex becoming one dynamic service provider for much of the northern New Jersey region will provide the greatest benefit to the consumers and families we serve which, at the end of the day, is what matters most,” states Schwarcz. “The Mental Health Association of Essex and Morris will represent strength, stability, and greater collective

capacity for our staff, our volunteers and our supporters to advance our shared mission well into the foreseeable future.” Both boards agreed on the merger in April and signed an agreement on April 27, says Davison. Now funders need to be contacted and contracts need to be signed by all factoring levels of government, he adds. “What matters most to both of our associations is that the needs of our community’s most vulnerable populations are met in a compassionate, dignified manner,” says Davison. “That commitment will con-

tinue and thrive as we move forward and help the diverse constituents we serve make progress along their journey to wellness and recovery, which is the cornerstone of both of our origins and our new partnership.” Combining as one agency is the best option “in order to maintain services through consumers and their families,” says Davison. Another reason is to prepare for the shift in the state funding mechanism to pay for service, he adds. The agencies are projected to receive less money for administrative support. Three administrative positions will be cut as the agencies

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Wae Center Pen Pal Club Brings Excitement To Participants Near And Far

By Stefanie Sears n its seventh year, a pen pal club at The Jewish Service for the Developmentally Disabled WAE (Wellness, Arts, Enrichment) Center in West Orange is providing lessons in writing that go a long way. The JSDD, which provides a professional staff of specialists to run programs for adult students with disabilities, allows individuals to enjoy favorite past times such as art, field trips, acting and knitting to even cooking and writing to people on the other side of the globe through its international Pen Pal Club. “JSDD’s Wae Center has been created as an extension of the larger agency creating time and space where members can grow, develop friendships, find meaning and purpose in their daily

life and in so doing become more self-expressive,” says Marilynn Schneider, the WAE Center Director. “We have seen this growth in all of our members that is unique to each. Just as you and I might learn from our life experience so do our members. The staff I work with are individuals that believe in and support the philosophy of JSDD that all people have potential when given the opportunity in a supportive environment.” The programs consist of various artistic and beneficial pastimes. These include the studio art activities for painting, drawing, digital artwork, photography, sculpture, workshops, construction, and jewelry design, gallery and museum tours, comic book shop field trips, acting classes and theatre outings, pho-

tography, computers, radio, film screenings, poetry and spoken word, Women’s Knitting Circle, canoe trips, cooking and nutrition, geography, glee club, yoga and meditation and writing. Regarding writing, John Skillin, a retired librarian at Montclair Public Library and current part time Activities Associate at Van Dyk Manor, is one such facilitator specialist. He joined the WAE Center more than 12 years ago when they began the Sunday afternoon film screening and discussion series. He has been teaching basic writing skills, Theater of the Mind and Music of Old Broadway at the Center since 2007. In Nov. 2010, Skillin began coordinating an international Pen Pal Club, a feat brought about by his students Narcisa and Christina.

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“Two of my students approached me with the idea of starting a Pen Pal Club in 2010,” says Skillin. “As a teacher of basic writing skills, this seemed a perfect fit for me. We presented their plan to the school’s director, Marilynn Schneider, who gave us her seal of approval. In the beginning, the two young women and I wrote our first letters alone. In a way, the club could be a course in basic writing skills. Some of my students had never written a letter before. Sending an old-fashioned postal letter with the expectation of receiving a reply has been a powerful incentive to learn how. Once colorful foreign mail began to arrive at the school, other students took notice and asked to be included. The arrival of our daily mail delivery is always an occasion

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Wae Center Pen Pal Club...

continued from page 15 Right now the Pen Pal Club has a fluid membership, with fix or six solid members and others who participate more sporadically. One of the students, Alicia, who appears to be fascinated with royalty, chose to write to Queen Elizabeth twice and both times received responses signed by ladies-in-waiting on beautiful Buckingham Palace stationery, Skillin describes. Alicia has reached out to other monarchs and is awaiting their response. The Pen Pal Club’s other longstanding members are Marcie and Jessica. Marcie has been corresponding with a woman in Poland for several years and Jessica has pen pals in England, Italy and South Africa. “We usually search various websites to make con-

tact with people who seem to share our interests,” says Jessica. “Once an invitation is accepted, we like to start writing real letters with pen and paper.” The Pen Pal Club has pen pals, or pen-friends as Skillin calls them, in plenty of countries, including Thailand, Russia, Austria, Italy, France, Germany, Poland, Estonia, South Africa, South Korea, Turkey, Turkmenistan, New Zealand, Finland, Norway, Brazil, the Philippines, the UK and the island of Guam. “We’ve had so many wonderful pen pals over the past seven years,” says Skillin. “Two young woman in Thailand and another in Russia have been with us from the beginning. We had a pen pal on the Isle of Jersey (now deceased) who sent lovely gifts and knew

more about the early history of New Jersey than any of us did.” The purpose of the Pen Pal Club is to develop a connection with individuals from other parts of the world and learn about different cultures. Participants find their pen-friends online, particularly a site called Interpals.net. “In my role as club moderator I assist many of the members in finding a good match and writing their letters,” explains Skillin. “The club holds a weekly meeting, but I try to make myself available for letter-writing and reading at other times as well.” The Pen Pal Club incorporates other creative forms as well in their letters. “I encourage all my students to learn the art of corresponding the old-fash-

ioned way - with pen and paper,” says Skillin. “Our letters are often decorated with markers or stickers. We may also exchange photos, poems, sketches, or scenic post cards.” Narcisa and Christina have long since moved on from WAE, but the Pen Pal

Club continues to thrive from their idea. “Remembering their initial enthusiasm, though, I’d say they were inspired by the feeling that the entire world was open to us, that we could find friends in the most exotic places, thousands of miles from New

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Fundraiser Provides Seed Money To Help Female Victims Heal From Sexual Exploitation

By Cheryl Conway he community is invited to learn about and support a new non-profit organization to help provide a safe dwelling for women who have been victims of sexual exploitation. Come spend the afternoon on Sat., June 24, from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. for Health, Wellness, Nutrition at Healing Path Massage Therapy and Spa in Long Valley. All proceeds will benefit Zera House, a faith based organization that will provide a home for women who need to experience healing after being rescued from the horrors of sexual exploitation and human trafficking. Healing Path Massage Therapy and Spa will not

charge an entrance fee but proceeds for services will go toward Zera House. Participants can get a massage for $1 per minute; and a 10 minute skin care analysis for $5. For those who want to enroll in any Isagenix system- which includes solutions to weight loss, energy, performance, healthy aging and wealth creation50 percent of the referral bonus will go toward Zera House. There will be refreshments, Isagenix samplings, music and a special presentation from Ariel Wagner, co-founder, director and C.E.O. of Zera House. Wagner, 35, of Phillipsburg, co-founded Zera House in Dec. 2015 along with her friend Katie Van

Gorp of Atlanta, Ga. For extra support, they partnered with School For Life in West Virginia as well as support from the church community. The motivation behind the organization began eight years ago when Wagner was first introduced to the concept of humans being trafficked, sexually exploited and sold into slavery, she explains. In Feb. 2012, she went on a two week mission to Thailand with a non-profit group that rescues children- Remember Nhu- and worked with orphanages with 75 children aged two to 18 targeted for such abuse. The purpose of her trip was to help with programs and projects such as music

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lessons and exercise classes, and to go into villages of local Thai women to see if children were at risk of being sold into slavery for child prostitution. If she found any in an unstable environment, they were removed and brought to a safe home. “This just grieved my heart for so long,” says Wagner, who decided to share her vision with Van Gorp to establish a refuge in the mountains to help women heal. Wagner had been working for ten years as a massage therapist in Phillipsburg, from 2007-2017, when she says “I was called to do this, to do Zera House. “The lord gave me this vision.” After being in a “bad relationship” for almost three years, that had involved sexual, mental and emotional abuse, Wagner had to go through her own healing before realizing the need for Zera House, she says. “I came out of my own abusive situation and said I want to help others heal too,” says Wagner. Zera means seed in Hebrew, hence the name of Zera House, which translates into the hope ‘to plant seeds into their hearts and souls so they are equipped to live out their purposes of their lives.” The program is faith based, with a holistic approach involving sustainable living practices. “We at Zera house have a passion for helping women who have been subject to the horrors of human trafficking & sexual exploitation,” as stated as its mission. “We have a home where these women can

come and heal. Our mission is to share the love, hope and grace of our loving father in heaven.” In Aug. 2016, Zera House was given a physical house in the mountains in McDowell County, West Virginia, a poverty-stricken area compared to that of a third-world country, describes Wagner, with drugs and prostitution, sewage under homes and no-running water. The house, which will be able to help four to five women at a time, is being renovated and is expected to open by the end of this summer, she says. Since April, Wagner has been living in a loft in a large school with many rooms to board women, whether for a week, month or year. The school has been provided by School for Life, an organization that contacted Wagner through her church, The Chapel of Warren Valley in Washington, where Wagner’s parents are members.

At that church, volunteers got involved with Jersey Crew, a dedicated group that visits that impoverished area of West Virginia at least five times a year to help with repairs and construction. When her mom told the founder at the School for Life about her daughter’s idea about Zera House, he said “this is where she needs to be.” Wagner says, “I came here to visit; when I first got here I said ‘I can’t do this. It’s very sad, very poor area. I knew this was going to be the first area to have our home.” She so far has a nine year old in her care, given to her by the child’s guardian after the child was taken from the mother who was involved in prostitution; as well as a 35-year old woman who was homeless and involved in drugs and prostitution. “I am helping her stay off the streets, stay out of trouble and go through the continued on page 18

Page 18 • June 2017 • Tell Them You Saw It In The Cedar Grove News • Like us on facebook www.facebook.com/mypaperonline.com

Fundraiser Provides Seed Money...

continued from page 17 healing process emotionally,” says Wagner. “She’s doing very well,” and just graduated from nursing classes. “The house is equipped with all that it needs to support Zera House including room to house the women and to garden and live sustainable and a community where they can learn to work and go to school,” as stated in materials provided by Wagner. “There women will receive counseling, building necessary life

skills, volunteer in the community, learn about sustainable living and more. The main goal is to equip women with the skills, community and personal resolve they need to function adaptively in society without returning to exploitive industries.” Once women are in her care for up to a year, her plan is to provide transitional housing by putting them up in apartments and teaching them about budgeting, balancing a checkbook and grocery shopping.

“Some may not have a high school diploma; we will help them get their GED’s. Helping them find what they love and turn it onto a career,” is her plan. Also to keep them close “so they can be mentored; they need that accountability still.” In her first project, Wagner is working to get women off the streets from all over the country. She is working with four organizations and volunteers helping her locate these women and provide trans-

Volunteers Needed

ew Jersey Blood Services, a division of New York Blood Center, which supplies blood products and services to 60 hospitals throughout the state, is in need of volunteers at blood drives. The blood service volunteer is

an integral member of the collection team assisting donors with registration, escorting and canteen duties and watching for post donation reactions. Volunteers should have the ability to relate to the public, be able to perform different

jobs as needed and have the willingness to follow the rules. For additional information contact, Manager of Community Relations, R. Jan Zepka at 732-616-8741 or zepka@nybloodcenter. org.

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portation to Zera House. She has also hired a certified counselor to provide in depth therapy to her clients. Money to pay for utilities as well as repairs, maintenance, food, groceries and services to the residents will come from fundraisers and donations, she says. A dinner benefit held March 2 at The Farmhouse at the Grand Colonial in Hampton to raise awareness about Zera House provided $20,000 as seed money. “We thought it would be five years to open our first home,” says Wagner. Instead it’s taking only two years since incorporated. While children being trafficked is just as disturbing, Wagner decided to help women 18 years old and up first since “there is not enough” organizations out there that provide such a service. “We want a program established and strong before

we take on children,” says Wagner. She shares some statistics based on research by the N.J. Coalition Against Human Trafficking. “Sex exploitation and trafficking of men, women and children is a $32 billion industry in the world, more than Nike, Coca Cola and Google combined. The U.S. holds $9.5 billion of that; N.J is number seven in the country when it comes to sex trafficking. “Human trafficking is the second largest criminal enterprise in the world, after drug smuggling and arms dealing; 80 percent of slaves today are used for sex. “The average age of a teen who enters the sex trade in the U.S. is 12 to 14 years old. Many victims are runaway girls who were sexually abused as children.” The community can help by donating funds, as well as gardening tools and

volunteering their time. “If this is something that tugs at their heart, they can partner financially,” says Wagner. “If they want to volunteer a talent or craft, they are welcome to come,” like makeup artists to help women with their makeup, or those who make jewelry or scarves, or those who just want to visit to have tea with the women. For more information, visit www.zerahouse.org. To donate or volunteer, contact Wagner at ariel@ zerahouse.org. “Ultimately, I believe I want to live out the purpose of my life that’s helping others,” concludes Wagner. “This demographic has grieved my heart for so long. Instead of watching it happen, I want to do something about it. These women are so broken. I believe it is my calling to piece these women back together and become whole again.”

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