Informative Presentation by Nourish.NJ for the Florham Park Rotary

FLORHAM PARK - The Florham Park Rotary learned about the decades of quiet contributions by nourish.NJ assisting Morris County residents when the Club received a presentation at its breakfast meeting at the Florham Park Diner on Friday morning, February 3.

“We offer food, housing, work readiness, medical, social and educational services 365 days a year in a warm, safe and caring environment, free of charge, no questions asked.” per Nancy Rudgers, Director of Development at nourish.NJ. She shared that the Mission is to create lasting solutions to the problems of hunger, homelessness and poverty.

For more than 3 decades the Non-Profit organization has worked to create lasting solutions. In the mid 1980s, they began their mission serving chicken noodle soup and peanut butter and jelly sandwiches to guests. They have expanded their offerings since then to include a variety of dynamic relief services and programs.

Food is the starting point of engagement for many who engage in their community outreach services, as the name of the nonprofit organization implies.

Location, days and times when people may seek assistance of free take out meals and free Farmers Markets are: 36 Sussex Ave. Morristown: Free take out meals MondayFriday 11:00-4:00 and on Saturday & Sunday 11:00-1:00.

The outreach social workers are available Monday - Friday 9:00-4:00

Free Farmers Markets:

Monday: 4:30-6:00 Location: Dover Middle School Parking lot, 302 E. McFarlane St., Dover Wednesday 3:00 to 5:00

Location: Alternating St. Margaret’s Church (6 Sussex Ave.)/ Coal Ave. Parking Lot (Martin Luther King and Coal Ave.)

Morristown

Friday: 4:00-5:00 Location: nourish.NJ, 36 Sussex Avenue. Morristown.

The website link: https:// nourishnj.org/

Outreach Center phone number is 973-294-8576, 36 Sussex Avenue, Morristown. More community outreach services beyond hunger include housing, medical, mental, and employment:

Housing Stability

Guests are provided with permanent and affordable housing options. Guests can receive help in completing applications for services such as Social Security, Supplemental Security Income, and employment assistance to allow them to afford housing options.

Health Services

Nourish.NJ provides medical case manag ment for seniors and people with chronic health conditions by: transporting them to and from medical appointments; accompanying themto doctor visits; communicating with their medical providers; - paying for, picking up and delivering medications to them.

· In partnership with Atlantic Health Systems (AHS) - AHS contacts nourish.NJ when a patient is identified as experiencing homelessness, and nourish.NJ manages the patient’s discharge and assists with services in the community

Mental Health

Outreach Staff makes daily, weekly, and monthly check in calls, as necessary, to guests that express feelings of depression, anxiety, isolation, etc.

Employment

Offer employment counseling to guests seeking employment.

Florham Park Rotary

President Simone Campbell and Sergeant-At-Arms Peter Nicolas invited Ms. Rudgers to speak at the Diner with the Florham Park Rotary after learning about her during a visit at the Morristown Rotary.

Simone explained that while the Florham Park Club’s focus continues to be in helping students in Florham Park, “A well-established organization like nourish.NJ, which seeks solutions to the problems of hunger, homelessness and poverty is another way in which our Club may help in the community”.

Per Nicolas, the Florham Park Rotary will now explore ways in which the Club can help. Individual citizens in Morris County are also encouraged to check the nourish.nj.org website for ways in which they may pitch in – as there are both on-site and offsite volunteer opportunities to help:

Minimum age is 16 to volunteer and all On-site volunteers must be fully vaccinated (including a booster).

Off-site opportunities include:

Pack and donate purple “Apron Meal Kits” providing four healthy, easy to prepare meals with new recipes designed by a nutrition counselor every season.

Pack and donate “Purposeful Acts of Kindness” containing every-day essential items to promote guests’ health, wellness, and cleanliness.

Pack and donate and “Rise and Shine Breakfast” kits provides local children with a nutritious breakfast

A 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization in 2021, nourish. NJ responded to the needs of Morris County residents in meaningful and transformative ways. Examples included:

Provided more than 76,440 nutritious meals to anyone who needed them;

Provided more than 200,000 lbs of fruit, vegetables, meat, dairy, eggs and other fresh food for guests to take home from our Free Farmers Markets;

Provided more than 750 hours of direct case manage- ment assistance to clients, including 200 hours of housing assistance for emergency housing and eviction prevention and 100 hours of employment assistance; and much more.

About Rotary

The Florham Park Rotary Club is one of 35,000 worldwide. Each Rotary Club is an organization of local business and professional leaders, and other caring neighbors and citizens driven by the need for humanitarian assistance. Rotary International is a non-political and nonsectarian organization open to all people regardless of race, color, creed, religion, gender, or political preference. It is dedicated to encourage high ethical standards in all vocations, and to advance goodwill and peace around the world.

Consider attending a weekly Florham Park Rotary breakfast meeting at the Florham Park Diner at 182 Ridgedale Ave. Those meetings are also held via Zoom to provide the option for members who can’t physically attend frequently in the Diner. Meetings are 7:47 a.m. to 9 a.m. every Friday.

For more information about Rotary community projects visit www.FlorhamParkRotary.com, check Florham Park Community TV (Channels 21 for Cablevision and 35 for Verizon), or call or write Membership Chair George Gregor at ggregor@florhamparkrotary. com or 917-848-0982 or Sergeant-At-Arms Peter Nicolas at pnicolas@optimum.net.

University in 2011. He holds undergraduate degrees from Rutgers College in Communication and Psychology. He resides in Andover Township with his wife and two sons.

Media outlets who need information about Morris County programs or event may contact Mr. Vitale at: vvitale@co.morris.nj.us or by calling 973-2856015.

Need Homework Help? Try Kumon of East Hanover

EAST HANOVER - Opened in

2012, Hema Popat began her journey of helping students in grades PreK-12 through Kumon. In 10 years, the center has helped almost 1,000 students gain better grades and feel more confident in their education.

“We have been in East Hanover for 10 years and have helped over 950 students from the local and nearby communities with the math and reading skills,” Popat says.

The center helps students in two critical areas: math and reading.

“We are an after-school learning program and provide students support and enrichment for math and reading, the two core subjects that build the main foundation for learning,” Popat shares. And aside from the math and reading skills, what else do students take away from their time at Kumon?

“We help our students progress above grade level whilst building focus, confidence and important work skills such as organization and accountability,” Popat said.

Now relocated, the new center is open at 240 Route 10. The new location brings a new classroom, parking, and amenities in one convenient location.

“We have relocated from Ridgedale Avenue to 240 Route 10. We are very excited to offer a spacious, brand-new classroom and ample parking along with great shopping and dining experiences in our location,” Popat says.

Kumon of East Hanover is open Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday from 3:00 to 7:00 PM. To reach Popat outside of classroom hours, call 917-861-0835. To learn more about Kumon of East Hanover, visit www.kumon.com/ east-hanover

Roots & Wings Hosts 10th Annual Authors’ Luncheon

AREA - On Wednesday, April 26, 2023, Roots & Wings, a Denville-based non-profit supporting young people who have aged out of foster care, will host its annual Authors’ Lunch at the Crystal Plaza in Livingston. This event is traditionally attended by over 125 professional and literary-minded people who understand the need to support aged-out foster youth in New Jersey.

This year, author Emi Nietfeld will discuss her memoir, Acceptance, a memoir of her journey through foster care and homelessness, interrogating the true meanings of resilience, ambition, and success.

After graduating from Harvard in 2015, Nietfeld worked as a software engineer, an experience she wrote about in her viral New York Times essay, “After Working At Google, I’ll Never Let Myself Love a Job Again.” Today she’s a mental health advocate, speaker, and journalist writing for publications like The Atlantic, Fortune, and Slate. Nietfeld will be joined by #1 New York Times bestselling author Christina Baker Kline who is continuing her longstanding relationship with Roots & Wings to lead a dis-

TAIM KITCHEN GRAND OPENING SEE PAGE 5