Habitat for Humanity Millstone Basin Area presents its most important fund-raiser of the year on Friday, November 13, at Mercer Oaks Golf Course in West Windsor. The affiliate’s wine tasting and silent auction will raise money in support of house-building efforts in Hightstown. Laurenti’s ShopRite Wines and Spirits of Mercerville offers more than 250 wines, specialty spirits and beers from 20 vendors as well as hot and cold appetizers and entrees. Tickets are $45 in advance or $50 at the door.
Habitat for Humanity, an international organization, helps locally run affiliates with organizational support — but not financial assistance. The Millstone Basin Area affiliate serves Cranbury, East Windsor, Hightstown, Plainsboro, Robbinsville, and West Windsor. Every affiliate is responsible for raising its own funds for local building efforts.
The affiliate has completed eight houses, including seven new homes in East Windsor and a re-built duplex in Robbinsville. Tax-deductible donations may be mailed to Habitat for Humanity Millstone Basin Area, Box 178, Cranbury 08512.
Habitat for Humanity International is a nonprofit, ecumenical Christian ministry dedicated to eliminating substandard housing and homelessness worldwide and to making adequate, affordable shelter available for families who meet the basic criteria — partner families’ income is typically around 50 percent of the median for the county. The committee makes a recommendation based on interviews and home visits, to the board of directors. Visit www.habitat.org for more information.
“Habitat is not a hand out but a hand up,” says Anthony Infosino, affiliate president. “The partner family works on the house’s construction with us and purchases the completed house from us via a no-interest mortgage.”
Susan Miller-Mauro of Plainsboro, an active committee member, is helping plan the event with promotions, graphic design services for the event flyer and booklet, and solicitation of silent auction items and services. A returning committee member, she was in on the beginning brainstorming planning sessions.
“I had known about Habitat for Humanity for sometime and then had an opportunity to meet some of the members of the Millstone Basin chapter at St. Anthony of Padua Church in Hightstown,” says Miller-Mauro, who has been working with them since 2001. She is a fundraising committee member and a build volunteer.
Born and raised in Milltown, Miller-Mauro has degrees in marketing art and design. A self-employed graphic design professional since the mid-1980s, her company, Susan and Associates, supports the efforts of marketing, sales, and training education, with print and presentation development. She even has a series of custom-designed wine labels for those who make their own wines. Her Hightstown office is soon moving to Cranbury. She has lived in Plainsboro for more than seven years.
Her husband Roger, a private contractor, works at UPS data center. Their daughter Cecilia, a June graduate from High School South, is traveling in the U.K,, working on her portfolio and visiting a university for architecture in Spain. Emily, a junior at South, is preparing for winter track — she’s a school record-holder at South and took first place in Mercer County relays.
Committee members also include Ron Bertoni, Michael P. Caputo, Maureen Coles, Ashley Derricott, Nicole Gallagher, Megan Gebhardt, Jody Kashden (chairperson), Amy Raes, and Ana I. Roberti.
“The event is an excellent way to sample some of the best red wines for the upcoming cold weather and a chance to learn more about wine by discussing them with the sales representatives on hand,” says Infosino. “Attendees will receive a discount for any orders placed the night of the event and the affiliate will get a percentage of those sales, as well as a percentage of ticket sales.”
Wine Tasting, Habitat for Humanity, Mercer Oaks Golf Course, 725 Village Road, West Windsor. Friday, November 13, 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. Benefit evening features close to 300 wines, appetizers, pasta, vendors, and a silent auction. Must be 21. $45 to $50.. 609-443-8744. www.habitatmba.org.
