In Town
Plainsboro Public Library’s “Animals of Plainsboro” photography contest is accepting original photos taken in Plainsboro of all animals, tame or wild. Enter in the “Land” or “Air and Water” category. Only one image per category. All entries must include family name, phone number, and address; photo title; information about the Plainsboro location where the photo was taken; and category. Plainsboro Library staff members will select the winners and will present a digital gallery slideshow of all entries during the contest reception and awards ceremony at the library, 9 Van Doren Street, on Friday, August 2, at 4 p.m. E-mail photos in jpeg format to plibrary@lmxac.org by Friday, July 26, at 5 p.m. Call 609-275-2897.
Playful Theater Productions has auditions for “Working: The Musical,” based on Studs Terkel’s book and adapted by Stephen Schwartz and Nina Faso. All roles are open to actors and singers 18 and older. Casting three adult males and three adult females to play 26 roles of varying ages, races, and backgrounds. Auditions are Saturday, August 17, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.; and Tuesday, August 20, from 7 to 10 p.m. Prepare one complete song from contemporary musical theater, bring sheet music in the correct key, and be prepared to cold read. E-mail suzanne_mclean@hotmail.com or call 215-579-5677.
Call for Director
Magic Lantern Productions seeks a director for a staged reading of an original play reading to be performed in Princeton during the fall. Paid position. E-mail your directing resume and a cover letter to delgado.r@hotmail.com.
For Teens
Jewish Community Youth Foundation is accepting registration from rising eighth, ninth, and tenth grade students. More than 160 teens participate in the project administered by the Ricky and Andrew J. Shechtel Philanthropic Fund, Jewish Family & Children’s Service, and the Jewish Federation of Princeton Mercer Bucks.
The participants are required to contribute $120, which is then matched. The dollars are pooled together, so that each group of 20 participants has $7,200 for which it is responsible to allocate to worthy causes. The students meet six times between October and March in the Princeton area to discuss Tzedakah, assess the kinds of programs and issues they wish to explore, invite specific agencies to apply for funding, and arrange for site visits to those agencies. By the end of the year, each group meets to debate and decide how their dollars will be donated.Visit www.jfcsonline.org/jcyf.html or contact Celeste Albert at 609-987-8100 or celestea@jfcsonline.org.
Call for Artists
Alfa Art Gallery in New Brunswick seeks Indian artists who create art with a strong, Indian influence. E-mail rudolph@alfaart.org.
Raritan Valley Community College is accepting artwork for the 10th annual Creativity Expo and Brain Injury Arts show, featuring the creative works of brain injury survivors, through Tuesday July 9. The show will be held at the Branchburg campus from July 20 to 28. Contact Vince Diorio at 703-297-7726 or E-mail vincentd54@msn.com for information.
For Seniors
Jewish Family & Vocational Service of Middlesex County is hosting two new groups for senior adults at its Monroe location in Concordia Shopping Center. “Preserve Your Family Memories Through Scrapbooking” will be held on Wednesdays, July 10, 17, 24, from 1:30 to 3 p.m. Register. $25 includes all materials.
“Gossip and Games will be held every Monday, 1:30 to 3 p.m. beginning July 1. $3 includes refreshments. Transportation is available. Call 732-777-1940 or 609-395-7979.
Bereavement Group
Jewish Family & Vocational Service of Middlesex County has formed a new bereavement group specifically for parents who have lost adult children. This group will be held at the Monroe office every Thursday, from 4 to 5 p.m., beginning July 18. Call 732-777-1940 or 609-395-7979 to register.
Donations Needed
HomeFront offers has offered summer camps and programs to serve homeless children for many years. With funding more difficult, several camps and other programming face perilous times.
“We’ve always had camps for our homeless kids,” says Connie Mercer, HomeFront’s executive director. “For the past 16 years we have managed to find a way to serve our kids over the summer months, but this year a number of those sources are no longer available.”
The need for HomeFront’s summer programs continues to grow, as the current economy and depleted job market have caused the number of people needing help to increase dramatically. Summer can be a particularly difficult time for children from homeless and at-risk families, with many of these children left hungry, isolated, and disengaged. The camps provide recreational, athletic, and academic activities, as well as two nutritious meals a day.
HomeFront is committed to providing educational activities to help prevent summer learning loss — common among children from low-income families as a result of a summer of inactivity. The cost of summer camp is $135 per camper per week; $1,080 for the eight-week camp. To help send a homeless child to summer camp or to learn about other opportunities visit www.Homefrontnj.org.
HomeFront also runs the Cherry Tree Club, a free preschool for homeless and at-risk children in Mercer County. Close to 30 children participate at Prince of Peace Lutheran Church in West Windsor daily. Staff and volunteers read books and serve the children both breakfast and lunch. Visit thecherrytreeclub.org or contact the program director, Wendy Schutzer, at 609-799-1753. Funding is needed.
Flood Insurance
National Flood Insurance Program has a helpline offering up-to-date information. Call 877-287-9804 for information about flood insurance, the latest maps, or other mitigation topics and issues. The helpline operates from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday to Friday or visit www.orgfloodsmart.gov.
Call for Writers
Unlimited Potential Theater Company, a project of VSA New Jersey, is seeking poems, essays, short stories, and plays by New Jersey residents, ages 18 and more, for its 20th annual Joyce Indik New Jersey Wordsmith Competition. The contest is open to all writers, and submissions by writers with disabilities are especially encouraged. All works submitted will be juried by a panel of judges, and winning works will be showcased at the New Jersey Readers’ Theater next spring. The deadline for submissions is Monday, September 30. Call 732-745-3885, 732-745-3913 (TTY), E-mail info@vsanj.org, or visit www.vsanj.org. Free-will donation requested in lieu of an entry fee.
