In Town
Plainsboro Food Pantry seeks donations of sugar, sugar substitutes, cold and hot cereals, beans, pancake mix, maple syrup, canned fruit, canned tomatoes, pasta sauce, boxed potatoes and rice, bread crumbs, condiments, jellies and jams, and canned and boxed meals. Donations may be delivered to Fox Run Apartments in Plainsboro. Call 609-799-0783 for information.
Mercer County Community College announced the 2010 issue of “Kelsey Review,” an arts journal published annually. The visual arts are represented with drawings by illustrator Anne Karetnikov of Plainsboro. This year’s issues features submissions by 17 writers, artists, and photographers who live or work in Mercer County. Copies are available in all branches of the county’s public libraries. The deadline for submission for the 2011 edition is Sunday, May 15. Visit www.mccc.edu or E-mail kelsey.review@mccc.edu for information.
Enable links the needs of individuals with disabilities and their families with people in the community who can respond to special holiday requests and needs. The non-profit agency based in West Windsor serves individuals in the central New Jersey region with its annual holiday gift drive and is seeking individuals, families, and organizations to help with the 2010 holiday gift drive. Please volunteer to purchase gifts, collect food, make a monetary donation, and wrap presents. Call 609-987-5003, ext. 124 or E-mail info@enablenj.org.
Good Causes
HomeFront seeks gently used household goods and gently worn clothing for families working to build a new home. Tax-deductible donations of twin and full size mattresses and box springs with frames in good condition; bunk beds; dressers, small dinette tables and chairs, small sofas and love seats, televisions (tape cord and remote to TV), bedding for twin and full size beds, household items (with multiple parts bagged together), and clothing in bags or on hangers.
They are not accepting oversized furniture, used toys, exercise equipment, computers, printers, scanners, office furniture, musical equipment, and large televisions. All donations must be clean and operable. Call 609-989-9417, ext. 127 or E-mail warehouse@homefrontnj.org to schedule pick-up, get directions and times about drop-off.
PEAC Health & Fitness is collecting new, unwrapped toys for Toys for Tots. Collection will run from Saturdays, November 20 to December 11. Bring a toy for ages newborn to 16 to be distributed to children in Mercer and Bucks counties. 1440 Lower Ferry Road, Ewing. Call 609-883-2000 or visit www.peachealthfitness.com.
Paper Mill Playhouse has its annual coat drive during the run of “Les Miserables,” Friday, November 19 to Thursday, December 30. The winter coats benefit at-risk men, women, children, and infants in New Jersey through Jersey Cares. Bring to the theater lobby at 22 Brookside Drive in Millburn. Call 973-376-4343 or visit www.papermill.org.
South Brunswick Library seeks new children’s books, bilingual books, and young adult books for the Libraries of Middlesex annual Books to Keep program. The new books will be distributed to disadvantaged children throughout Middlesex County. Bring to the box in the children’s department. Cash and checks are also welcome. Call 732-329-4000, ext. 7285 for more information.
New Jersey Blood Services seeks volunteers to work blood drives. Tasks include assisting donors with registration, escorting and canteen duties, and watching for post donation reactions. Call R. Jan Zepka at 732-616-8741 or E-mail rzepka@nybloodcenter.org.
One Simple Wish is collecting canned gods, boxed items, grocery store gift cards and more to assemble more than 250 Thanksgiving meal packages for foster families in New Jersey. Bring items to the Wish Shop, 183 Scotch Road, Ewing, during business hours before Monday, November 22. Visit www.onesimplewish.org/wishshop or call 609-883-8484.
Rotary Club of Robbinsville-Hamilton Sunrise has its fall bike drive on Saturday, November 13, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., at 1 Washington Boulevard, Robbinsville. Drop off your used bikes for the Boys and Girls Club of Trenton and Mercer County bike exchange program. For more information visit www.BikeExchangeNJ.org or call Lorna Cruz at 609-273-1058.
Available
Middlesex Master Gardeners offers assistance with backyard environmental issues, plants, bugs, and home conservation issues. Call 732-398-5220 on Mondays through Fridays, 10 a.m. to noon, or leave a message anytime. Location is the EARTH Center in Davidson’s Mill Pond Park, 42 Riva Avenue, South Brunswick.
Book Contract?
Delacorte Press Books for Young Readers has its 29th annual contest for a first young adult novel. The prize is a book contract (on the publisher’s standard form) covering world rights for a hardcover and a paperback edition, including an advance and royalties. The award includes $1,500 in cash and a $7,500 advance against royalties. The contest is open to U.S. writers who have not previously published a young adult novel. Foreign-language manuscripts and translations are not eligible. Manuscripts submitted to a previous Delacorte Press contest are not eligible. Contact Delacorte for a complete list of rules and regulations. Submissions should consist of a book-length manuscript (100 to 224 pages) with a contemporary setting that will be suitable for readers ages 12 to 18. Send manuscripts to Delacorte Press Contest, Random House, Inc., 1745 Broadway, 9th Floor, New York, New York 10019. Deadline is Friday, December 31.
Lawrenceville
History
“Reflections: Fond Memories of Growing Up in the Village of Lawrenceville,” a new book written by Lawrenceville natives Bob Cleary and Dick Coffee, now both 85, captures their childhood memories from the late 1920s through the ‘40s. The two became friends at Lawrenceville Elementary School, both were Merchant Marine Officers during World War II, and were in each other’s weddings. The $17 book includes 79 photos of the village and nearby sites. To order call 609-896-0345 or 843-422-3337 or E-mail oldslt7@cs.com.
For Seniors
Aging in Place offers “Exploring Options: A Multi-Generational, Multi-Cultural Day of Discovery” on Saturday, November 20,. at 10 a.m. at South Brunswick Senior Center, Route 522, Monmouth Junction. Area restaurants provide diverse ethnic foods, speakers, panels, exhibits, and activities. Register. Free. Call 732-305-7079 or E-mail aginginplaceadvocate@yahoo.com.
Audition
Somerset Valley Players has auditions for “The Velveteen Rabbit” on Monday and Tuesday, December 13 and 14, at 7 p.m. Need three men, ages 20 to 45 plus; two women, ages 25 to 40 plus; and children 10 and up. Call 908-369-7469 or visit www.svptheatre.org for location and appointment.
For Book Clubs
George Street Playhouse invites book clubs and individuals to participate in discussions about “The Subject Was Roses,” a Pulitzer Prize winning drama scheduled to be on stage in the theater Tuesday, February 8 to Sunday, March 6. $56.50 includes a ticket to see a performance, the acting edition script of “The Subject Was Roses,” a study guide, and a discussion with a member of the staff. People may participate on their own and attend the Tuesday, February 15 performance. Call Michelle 732-846-2895, ext. 134, or E-mail mbergamo@georgestplayhouse.org.
Trip
Jewish Historical Society of Central Jersey has a trip to New York City on Tuesday, November 30. Tour includes Hebrew Union College for a curated tour of “A Stitch in Jewish Time: Provocative Textile;” and the Jewish Museum to view “Houdini: Art and Magic.” Lunch is at Cafe Weissman, a kosher restaurant in the museum. $55 includes the bus trip, museum admission, and tours. Call Deborah Cohen at 732-249-4894 for information and reservation.
