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Jersey Cares
The Volunteer Voice

Vol 4, Issue 11         Be the change. Volunteer.       November 2015
What are you thankful for, ?
Freshly mulled apple cider, fluffy mashed potatoes, clove seasoning in the air, hot and crispy dinner rolls, buttery roasted turkey... we could go on! But for thousands of families across New Jersey, there may be no feast awaiting at the end of the month. This is where you come in.

The season of giving (and eating!) is upon us, and we're thankful for volunteers like you who have already donated their time to improving the lives of our New Jersey neighbors. Thanksgiving reminds us what makes us fortunate and how we can lend our services to people who are less fortunate. And if you're reading this, there's something about you that already understands the importance of volunteering. With your help, we can make this Thanksgiving the most magical of someone's life!
365 Days of Volunteering:

Every day, we need you to make a change in our communities. Check out some of our favorite projects this month: 
Feed the hungry this Thanksgiving by sorting and packing dinners at the largest food distribution program in Passaic! Volunteers are needed to bring a little holiday cheer by helping dinners reach people who might otherwise have none.
If you have a passion for cooking and enjoy seeing the fruits of your labor, then Cooking Creations in Garfield is the project for you! At Cooking Creations in Garfield, the ingredients will be provided to you and you'll work together with other volunteers to cook meals and bake desserts that will feed hundreds of people.

Volunteer Star: Alan Wong
This month's Volunteer Star of the Month is Alan Wong, a relative new-comer to the Jersey Cares family! His very first project dates back just six months ago, when he started at Marketplace in East Brunswick. Since becoming an official Project Coordinator in September, he has jumped right in and led dozens of projects geared towards feeding the hungry and helping the homeless...


Share your stories
We want to hear from you! Did you just volunteer for the first time? Have you been with us from the beginning? Are you excited to volunteer with your sorority,your best friends, or your coworkers? 

Pitch us a a story or nominate someone for an interview, and you could be featured on the Jersey Cares website and social media outlets!


Become a Volunteer Leader
Project Coordinators (or PCs) are the backbone of Jersey Cares, and we're looking for a few good volunteers to fill this role! This is an opportunity to gain leadership skills, meet new people, and play an active role in shaping your favorite volunteer projects. This is an ideal position for teachers, business professionals, students, and more! Whether you want to break into the nonprofit world or you want to make a real difference in your community, we encourage you to sign up.
 
Event Planning 101 with Jersey Cares 
November 5th from 6:30 - 7:30pm
Do you have great organizational skills? Do you like to plan special events?
Do you like meeting and working with new people? Join the Jersey Cares team and lend your ideas and talents to helping plan our annual 2016 fundraiser.

To RSVP, or if you cannot attend the meeting but would like to help, please contact Marla Higginbotham at [email protected].

coat drive
More than just an article of clothing, your coat can open opportunities for someone who needs one. You can enable a job-seeker to continue his search during the winter. You can enable a student to focus on her studies in a cold classroom. Or you can help a senior go out for medication in a storm.

Jersey Cares plans to collect and distribute more than 30,000 "gently used" winter coats to men, women and children in need throughout New Jersey through The 20 th Annual Jersey Cares Coat Drive. We currently need help with donating, collecting, and sorting coats.

This year, Jersey Cares is excited to announce our YouGiveGoods page, where you can donate a coat with the click of a button! After you donate your coats, YouGiveGoods will email you a tax-deductible receipt.
To sponsor your own drive and see how many coats your office or group can collect, email 


 
Corporate Corner

For the hardworking employees of Becton Dickinson, volunteerism may not always be glamorous, but it does always bring a smile! Between sorting memorabilia and treasures in the basement of an American Legion Post to leading nutrition workshops at an elementary school, Becton Dickinson showed their spirit by both preserving our history and ensuring a bright future for the kids of New Jersey. We are grateful for their contributions to behind-the-scenes (and underground!) volunteerism as well as their creative streak as gardeners and landscapers for the day. They not only beautified the American Legion, but volunteers had a chance to clear trails at a nature preserve. Serving four different locations, each group brought their unique talents and positive spirit to their projects. We know we speak for Jersey Cares, and New Jersey as a whole, when we say, thank you Becton Dickinson! 

For more information on the Jersey Cares Corporate Service Program, please contact Michelle Dee.
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290 West Mount Pleasant Ave, Suite 1320 | Livingston, NJ 07039 | O: 973-533-1993