Cherry Hill Sun

Author: acountryman

  • Jewish Family and Children’s Services marks 80 years

    Courtesy of Jewish Family and Children’s Services
    Stepping Out Committee members who organized the Jewish Family and Children’s Services 80th anniversary celebration, included Tina Berman (back row, left to right), Lori Silver, Kelly Guiliano, Ilene Weinberg and Randi Stoopler; Melanie Stoopler (middle row), Jennifer Gerstein, Stephanie Krause, Jill Hammel and Lori MacHenry; and Caryn Spector (front row), Stacy Asbell Levin, Rachael Satanoff Ovitz and Tony Saura.

    Jill Hammel and Melanie Stoopler were appointed in September as associate executive directors of Jewish Family and Children’s Services (JFCS), a charitable nonprofit that has been helping people since 1945.

    Just seven months later, on April 3, they celebrated the organization’s 80th anniversary with an inaugural Stepping Out gala at the Jonathan Sinay Building on Springdale Road in Cherry Hill.

    “For 80 years, JFCS has stood as a beacon of hope for South Jersey residents facing life’s challenges,” Stoopler said. “What began as a commitment to Camden County’s Jewish community has blossomed into a comprehensive support network touching thousands of lives across Camden, Burlington, and Gloucester counties – serving people of all faiths, ages, and backgrounds when they need us most.”

    “We’re thrilled to welcome you to our first Stepping Out fundraiser in the beautiful, newly renovated Jonathan Sinay Building,” Hammel noted. “It is a comprehensive facility that houses our TOPS Day Rehabilitation Program, the Soups & Sweets culinary training program and the Aleph Adult Day Center, truly embodying our vision for inclusive community services.”

    “Tonight would not be possible without our incredible team,” Stoopler emphasized. “First and foremost, a special thank you to our Stepping Out co-chairs, Stephanie Krause and Jennifer Gerstein. Your vision, dedication, and leadership of our totally awesome committee have made this ’80s celebration possible. You two are the true rock stars of the evening.”

    Guests had smiles on their faces as they enjoyed the 1980s-themed anniversary celebration replete with Ray-Ban sunglasses, Members Only jackets, legwarmers and lots of hairspray.

    Special guests included new Camden County Commissioner Jennifer Fleisher and Cherry Hill Mayor Dave Fleisher, who are married and “are longtime friends and supporters of our agency. It was wonderful to have them join us at Stepping Out,” Hammel said.

    “JFCS is such a vital organization to the South Jersey community,” Commissioner Fleisher observed. “Supporting the work they do is extremely important, and we are excited to show our commitment to this wonderful group.”

    Other elected officials included township council Vice President Michele Golkow, Assembly Majority Leader Louis Greenwald, Assemblywoman Melinda Kane, Commissioner Jeffrey Nash and Voorhees Committeeman Harry Platt.

    “Their collective contributions play a vital role in the success of JFCS, and we are so grateful for their partnership,” Hammel explained. “We also want to extend our sincere gratitude to Jen Weiss, our Jewish Federation CEO, and Rob Kiewe, executive director of Jewish Community Properties, for their guidance and leadership in planning this event in our new space.”

    Hammel also thanked dedicated staff and volunteers, sponsors, community partners and the Jewish Federation of Southern New Jersey (JFSNJ).

    “Your support amplifies our impact,” Hammel remarked. “And to everyone here tonight – thank you. By supporting our programs and services; you’re helping repair the world through tikkun olam (repair).”

    The JFSNJ hired its first professionally trained social worker in the mid-1940s, marking the start of the counseling services by JFCS, the service arm of the federation, which has launched several important initiatives over the past decade.

    They include “One Step at a Time,” an addiction awareness and prevention program, and “This Life Counts,” a suicide prevention program aimed at shattering the stigma surrounding mental health and substance abuse among South Jersey’s youth.

    “We are so proud of these life-affirming programs that have reached thousands of teens, tweens, educators and parents,” Hammel said.

    There are also expanded family assistance offerings in the new Rhona Fischer Family Assistance Building on the west side of Cherry Hill.

    “We are incredibly proud of our agency’s holistic approach to care,” Stoopler pointed out. “Through a comprehensive intake, we get to know each new client and connect them with other services throughout the agency, including domestic violence support, mental-health counseling and vocational coaching.”

    JFCS also runs the township’s Betsy & Peter Fischer Food Pantry. Donors can bring kosher, non-perishable food to the pantry, at 6 East Miami Ave. in Cherry Hill, or to the main office in the Katz Community Center on Springdale Road. The most-needed items include cereal, granola bars, cereal bars, canned fruits and vegetables, instant mashed potatoes, soups, canned tomato products, pasta and allergy friendly foods such as nut-free, gluten-free and dairy-free products.

    Shoppers can see the pantry’s Amazon wish list by visiting https://a.co/gI8Atva.

    “This is a great option for those who can’t get to the store or simply prefer shopping online. All purchases are delivered right to our pantry door,” offered Hammel, adding that food drives are held throughout the year, including on Martin Luther King Jr. Day and Thanksgiving.

    Community members who find themselves in need of food support can call the office at (856) 424-1333 and ask to speak with a family assistance intake coordinator or email faphelp@jfedsnj.org.

    Services at the main office within the Katz JCC include counseling and support groups, Project SARAH (Stop Abusive Relationships At Home), Holocaust Survivor Services and Advocacy, older adult services and volunteer services.

    The Sinay building is the headquarters for the JFCS’ wide-ranging disability services offerings, including the TOPS (To Our Positive Success) day habilitation program, Soups & Sweets, Supported Employment, Project SEARCH and other high-school transition programs, as well as the SAIL and SOAR social-recreational program.

    Hammel and Stoopler were asked about future plans.

    “Looking ahead to the next 20 years,” they said, “we know that our community’s needs will continue to evolve rapidly and that we can expect increased demands in specific areas. Thanks to our robust management team and strong lay leadership, we are confident that we stand ready to address communal needs, fill the gaps in service and create new programs and services within the scope of our core service areas.

    “Based on current trends,” Hammel and Stoopler added, “we anticipate continued expansion of the services offered in the Jonathan Sinay Building; growing need for food support; growth in our transportation offerings for older adults, including veterans through Take the Wheel; and continued growth in our mental-health services to support children, teens, adults and seniors living in Camden, Burlington, and Gloucester counties,” they said.

  • Jewish Family and Children’s Services marks 80 years

    Courtesy of Jewish Family and Children’s Services
    Stepping Out Committee members who organized the Jewish Family and Children’s Services 80th anniversary celebration, included Tina Berman (back row, left to right), Lori Silver, Kelly Guiliano, Ilene Weinberg and Randi Stoopler; Melanie Stoopler (middle row), Jennifer Gerstein, Stephanie Krause, Jill Hammel and Lori MacHenry; and Caryn Spector (front row), Stacy Asbell Levin, Rachael Satanoff Ovitz and Tony Saura.

    Jill Hammel and Melanie Stoopler were appointed in September as associate executive directors of Jewish Family and Children’s Services (JFCS), a charitable nonprofit that has been helping people since 1945.

    Just seven months later, on April 3, they celebrated the organization’s 80th anniversary with an inaugural Stepping Out gala at the Jonathan Sinay Building on Springdale Road in Cherry Hill.

    “For 80 years, JFCS has stood as a beacon of hope for South Jersey residents facing life’s challenges,” Stoopler said. “What began as a commitment to Camden County’s Jewish community has blossomed into a comprehensive support network touching thousands of lives across Camden, Burlington, and Gloucester counties – serving people of all faiths, ages, and backgrounds when they need us most.”

    “We’re thrilled to welcome you to our first Stepping Out fundraiser in the beautiful, newly renovated Jonathan Sinay Building,” Hammel noted. “It is a comprehensive facility that houses our TOPS Day Rehabilitation Program, the Soups & Sweets culinary training program and the Aleph Adult Day Center, truly embodying our vision for inclusive community services.”

    “Tonight would not be possible without our incredible team,” Stoopler emphasized. “First and foremost, a special thank you to our Stepping Out co-chairs, Stephanie Krause and Jennifer Gerstein. Your vision, dedication, and leadership of our totally awesome committee have made this ’80s celebration possible. You two are the true rock stars of the evening.”

    Guests had smiles on their faces as they enjoyed the 1980s-themed anniversary celebration replete with Ray-Ban sunglasses, Members Only jackets, legwarmers and lots of hairspray.

    Special guests included new Camden County Commissioner Jennifer Fleisher and Cherry Hill Mayor Dave Fleisher, who are married and “are longtime friends and supporters of our agency. It was wonderful to have them join us at Stepping Out,” Hammel said.

    “JFCS is such a vital organization to the South Jersey community,” Commissioner Fleisher observed. “Supporting the work they do is extremely important, and we are excited to show our commitment to this wonderful group.”

    Other elected officials included township council Vice President Michele Golkow, Assembly Majority Leader Louis Greenwald, Assemblywoman Melinda Kane, Commissioner Jeffrey Nash and Voorhees Committeeman Harry Platt.

    “Their collective contributions play a vital role in the success of JFCS, and we are so grateful for their partnership,” Hammel explained. “We also want to extend our sincere gratitude to Jen Weiss, our Jewish Federation CEO, and Rob Kiewe, executive director of Jewish Community Properties, for their guidance and leadership in planning this event in our new space.”

    Hammel also thanked dedicated staff and volunteers, sponsors, community partners and the Jewish Federation of Southern New Jersey (JFSNJ).

    “Your support amplifies our impact,” Hammel remarked. “And to everyone here tonight – thank you. By supporting our programs and services; you’re helping repair the world through tikkun olam (repair).”

    The JFSNJ hired its first professionally trained social worker in the mid-1940s, marking the start of the counseling services by JFCS, the service arm of the federation, which has launched several important initiatives over the past decade.

    They include “One Step at a Time,” an addiction awareness and prevention program, and “This Life Counts,” a suicide prevention program aimed at shattering the stigma surrounding mental health and substance abuse among South Jersey’s youth.

    “We are so proud of these life-affirming programs that have reached thousands of teens, tweens, educators and parents,” Hammel said.

    There are also expanded family assistance offerings in the new Rhona Fischer Family Assistance Building on the west side of Cherry Hill.

    “We are incredibly proud of our agency’s holistic approach to care,” Stoopler pointed out. “Through a comprehensive intake, we get to know each new client and connect them with other services throughout the agency, including domestic violence support, mental-health counseling and vocational coaching.”

    JFCS also runs the township’s Betsy & Peter Fischer Food Pantry. Donors can bring kosher, non-perishable food to the pantry, at 6 East Miami Ave. in Cherry Hill, or to the main office in the Katz Community Center on Springdale Road. The most-needed items include cereal, granola bars, cereal bars, canned fruits and vegetables, instant mashed potatoes, soups, canned tomato products, pasta and allergy friendly foods such as nut-free, gluten-free and dairy-free products.

    Shoppers can see the pantry’s Amazon wish list by visiting https://a.co/gI8Atva.

    “This is a great option for those who can’t get to the store or simply prefer shopping online. All purchases are delivered right to our pantry door,” offered Hammel, adding that food drives are held throughout the year, including on Martin Luther King Jr. Day and Thanksgiving.

    Community members who find themselves in need of food support can call the office at (856) 424-1333 and ask to speak with a family assistance intake coordinator or email faphelp@jfedsnj.org.

    Services at the main office within the Katz JCC include counseling and support groups, Project SARAH (Stop Abusive Relationships At Home), Holocaust Survivor Services and Advocacy, older adult services and volunteer services.

    The Sinay building is the headquarters for the JFCS’ wide-ranging disability services offerings, including the TOPS (To Our Positive Success) day habilitation program, Soups & Sweets, Supported Employment, Project SEARCH and other high-school transition programs, as well as the SAIL and SOAR social-recreational program.

    Hammel and Stoopler were asked about future plans.

    “Looking ahead to the next 20 years,” they said, “we know that our community’s needs will continue to evolve rapidly and that we can expect increased demands in specific areas. Thanks to our robust management team and strong lay leadership, we are confident that we stand ready to address communal needs, fill the gaps in service and create new programs and services within the scope of our core service areas.

    “Based on current trends,” Hammel and Stoopler added, “we anticipate continued expansion of the services offered in the Jonathan Sinay Building; growing need for food support; growth in our transportation offerings for older adults, including veterans through Take the Wheel; and continued growth in our mental-health services to support children, teens, adults and seniors living in Camden, Burlington, and Gloucester counties,” they said.

  • ‘The Blue Envelope program is another tool’

    Albert J. Countryman Jr./The Sun
    A young man on the spectrum, John, describes how great it feels to have a license to drive and have independence during the launch of the Blue Envelope Program for drivers with autism.

    Looking in the rearview mirror and seeing a police car’s lights flashing is stressful, both for a motorist and a police officer who doesn’t know what to expect in an encounter.

    “Multiply that feeling by 1,000 for people with autism and neuro-divergent issues,” said Cooper University Health Care Chief Medical Officer Dr. Joseph Montella during the launch of the Camden County Prosecutor’s Blue Envelope Program on April 1.

    “Today is the first day of Autism Awareness Month,” noted Gregory Pease, a Camden police officer for 25 years and now the assistant vice president of security and outpatient services for Virtua Health.

    “I know how nervous that situation can be,” he explained, referring to interactions with drivers and police officers. “The blue envelope can head off a bad outcome from the car stop and make it a safe outcome.”

    The envelope lets an officer know that a driver “may exhibit signs of anxiety due to bright lights and noises, including your radio. The individual may display repetitive body movements or fidgeting and may not make or maintain eye contact.”

    The program advises a driver on the spectrum to tell an officer they have a blue envelope before moving their body or reaching for items in vehicles or pockets. The envelopes contain health information about the driver and emergency contact information.

    “All the documents are in one place,” said county Prosecutor Grace MacCauley, who sponsored the program’s launch. “It keeps the person away from stressful and negative encounters with law enforcement. This simple, effective approach for alerting officers that drivers have special needs during traffic stops is a victory for common sense and public safety.”

    Officers may also learn more about a driver’s disability and other vital information if that person is registered with the Public Safety Alliance for Individuals with Disabilities (A.I.D.) Program, a national, voluntary service open to all that aims to ensure residents with disabilities or special needs get help and support in an emergency or during interaction with law enforcement, fire or EMS personnel, MacCauley added.

    The Blue Envelope Program is also sponsored by the Camden County Police Chiefs Association, Cooper University Health Care and Virtua Health.

    Gloucester Township Police Chief David Harkins, who also serves as president of the association, is the father of a special needs 24-year-old.

    “The Blue Envelope Program is another tool we have to help an officer immediately recognize those who (are on the) autism spectrum,” he pointed out. “This will lead to safer and more effective encounters for those on the neuro-divergent spectrum and for our officers.

    “Better communication leads to better outcomes.”

    Camden County Commissioner Director Louis Cappelli Jr. thanked Cooper, Virtua, the police chief group and the prosecutor for creating and sponsoring the program.

    “This is another great example of the community and law enforcement coming together to fill a need with the special needs population,” he observed. “Giving the public and officers the tools to process the dynamics on scene when they are facilitating a car stop is exactly the kind of analysis both parties need to ensure the safety of the driver and the officer.”

    Also in attendance at the program launch were Bill and Gloria Jensen, founders of Luke’s Place in Audubon. Their nonprofit has served hundreds of neuro-diverse young adults in South Jersey since 2017.

    “We are on the front lines of compassion,” Bill remarked. “Our sole purpose is to service these young people. They want to have friends, a safe environment and they want to be loved.”

    He then acknowledged that his wife and some of the young men and women of Luke’s Place were wearing medals recently won in a sports competition. Next at the podium were John and Alex, two young adults from the nonprofit who worked hard to get their driver’s licenses.

    “I’m a good driver,” said Alex, who has been working at Amazon for four years. “I passed the permit test and then I passed the road test.”

    “When I first got my driver’s license, I was nervous about all the rules and regulations,” John recalled. “I’m able to go to my friend’s house and I am going to work on time. I can stay calm while driving.”

    “Being able to drive opens a new world to them,” said the mother of an autistic child. “It makes them independent.”

    A second mom thanked the prosecutor’s office and the partners in the Blue Envelope Program for reducing a parent’s stress in case something happens while their child is driving.

    MacCauley concluded the launch by saying the program is the first in South Jersey, and that five counties in North Jersey have already instituted it. Blue envelopes will be available at all partnership agencies, local police stations, medical offices, hospitals and on the prosecutor’s office website at www.camdencountypros.org.

  • ‘The Blue Envelope program is another tool’

    Albert J. Countryman Jr./The Sun
    A young man on the spectrum, John, describes how great it feels to have a license to drive and have independence during the launch of the Blue Envelope Program for drivers with autism.

    Looking in the rearview mirror and seeing a police car’s lights flashing is stressful, both for a motorist and a police officer who doesn’t know what to expect in an encounter.

    “Multiply that feeling by 1,000 for people with autism and neuro-divergent issues,” said Cooper University Health Care Chief Medical Officer Dr. Joseph Montella during the launch of the Camden County Prosecutor’s Blue Envelope Program on April 1.

    “Today is the first day of Autism Awareness Month,” noted Gregory Pease, a Camden police officer for 25 years and now the assistant vice president of security and outpatient services for Virtua Health.

    “I know how nervous that situation can be,” he explained, referring to interactions with drivers and police officers. “The blue envelope can head off a bad outcome from the car stop and make it a safe outcome.”

    The envelope lets an officer know that a driver “may exhibit signs of anxiety due to bright lights and noises, including your radio. The individual may display repetitive body movements or fidgeting and may not make or maintain eye contact.”

    The program advises a driver on the spectrum to tell an officer they have a blue envelope before moving their body or reaching for items in vehicles or pockets. The envelopes contain health information about the driver and emergency contact information.

    “All the documents are in one place,” said county Prosecutor Grace MacCauley, who sponsored the program’s launch. “It keeps the person away from stressful and negative encounters with law enforcement. This simple, effective approach for alerting officers that drivers have special needs during traffic stops is a victory for common sense and public safety.”

    Officers may also learn more about a driver’s disability and other vital information if that person is registered with the Public Safety Alliance for Individuals with Disabilities (A.I.D.) Program, a national, voluntary service open to all that aims to ensure residents with disabilities or special needs get help and support in an emergency or during interaction with law enforcement, fire or EMS personnel, MacCauley added.

    The Blue Envelope Program is also sponsored by the Camden County Police Chiefs Association, Cooper University Health Care and Virtua Health.

    Gloucester Township Police Chief David Harkins, who also serves as president of the association, is the father of a special needs 24-year-old.

    “The Blue Envelope Program is another tool we have to help an officer immediately recognize those who (are on the) autism spectrum,” he pointed out. “This will lead to safer and more effective encounters for those on the neuro-divergent spectrum and for our officers.

    “Better communication leads to better outcomes.”

    Camden County Commissioner Director Louis Cappelli Jr. thanked Cooper, Virtua, the police chief group and the prosecutor for creating and sponsoring the program.

    “This is another great example of the community and law enforcement coming together to fill a need with the special needs population,” he observed. “Giving the public and officers the tools to process the dynamics on scene when they are facilitating a car stop is exactly the kind of analysis both parties need to ensure the safety of the driver and the officer.”

    Also in attendance at the program launch were Bill and Gloria Jensen, founders of Luke’s Place in Audubon. Their nonprofit has served hundreds of neuro-diverse young adults in South Jersey since 2017.

    “We are on the front lines of compassion,” Bill remarked. “Our sole purpose is to service these young people. They want to have friends, a safe environment and they want to be loved.”

    He then acknowledged that his wife and some of the young men and women of Luke’s Place were wearing medals recently won in a sports competition. Next at the podium were John and Alex, two young adults from the nonprofit who worked hard to get their driver’s licenses.

    “I’m a good driver,” said Alex, who has been working at Amazon for four years. “I passed the permit test and then I passed the road test.”

    “When I first got my driver’s license, I was nervous about all the rules and regulations,” John recalled. “I’m able to go to my friend’s house and I am going to work on time. I can stay calm while driving.”

    “Being able to drive opens a new world to them,” said the mother of an autistic child. “It makes them independent.”

    A second mom thanked the prosecutor’s office and the partners in the Blue Envelope Program for reducing a parent’s stress in case something happens while their child is driving.

    MacCauley concluded the launch by saying the program is the first in South Jersey, and that five counties in North Jersey have already instituted it. Blue envelopes will be available at all partnership agencies, local police stations, medical offices, hospitals and on the prosecutor’s office website at www.camdencountypros.org.

  • Operation’s boxes of hugs go on – for now

    Albert J. Countryman Jr./The Sun
    Cherokee High School peer leaders Brett Gable, Brett Chiesa, Kelly Walters, Samantha Pharis, De’Anna Findley, Karime Sargado, Trent Waraksa and Morgan Shank serve breakfast on March 8 sponsored by the Marlton Rotary Club, whose members are behind the students.

    Young soldiers serving in the Middle East can be scared during warfare and a bit homesick.

    But for the past 13 years, care packages from home have brightened their days, especially after a tough battle. Operation Yellow Ribbon (OYR) of South Jersey volunteers have packed up more than 20,000 packages – weighing in at 700,000 pounds – to send a piece of home to a distant military base.

    While the operation may have to shut down this year, there was a lot of energy during the Marlton Rotary Club pancake breakfast on March 8 at Wiley Mission on Main Street.

    “What a great turnout,” said club president Chuck Childers, as he watched people enjoy eggs, pancakes and breakfast meats.

    “This is our seventh year partnering with Operation Yellow Ribbon,” Childers noted. “The proceeds from this event will not only support our local community – such as scholarships for Cherokee High School students through Rotary – but also benefit and support our troops defending our freedom overseas.”

    Serving breakfast were Cherokee High Peer Leaders, including Brett Gable, Brett Chiesa, Kelly Walters, Samantha Pharis, De’Anna Findley, Karime Sargado, Trent Waraksa and Morgan Shank.

    “We are very proud of the Peer Leaders group,” Childers boasted. “They do a great job.”

    Childers also thanked the Wiley Mission for hosting the breakfast and the many businesses and organizations that were sponsors, as well as the work of Marci Wolfe, Peter Bertheaud, Eileen Childers and Anna Marie Basanas, who put together a silent auction.

    Operation Yellow Ribbon founder David Silver was thrilled by how many people showed up, and greatly appreciated the help of the Rotary Club.

    “The club has been a blessing,” he said, “and has supported us for nearly a decade.”

    Silver said OYR – which consists of 15 “selfless volunteers” – sends care packages to troops in Iraq, Syria, Jordan, the Middle East and the Horn of Africa.

    “It is a real morale booster for an 18- or 19-year-old to get a package from home,” he explained. “We call it hugs in a box.”

    Popular items for the soldiers include Tastykakes, snacks, Girl Scout cookies, new socks and hygiene products. OYR also organizes welcome-home celebrations when troops return home from an overseas deployment.

    “It is very fulfilling,” acknowledged Silver, who has a storage container full of thank-you letters from soldiers all over a wall. But the care packages may stop soon.

    “It is with a heavy heart, but yet one filled with utter gratitude, that the all-volunteer … nonprofit Operation Yellow Ribbon will be winding down its ‘morale-boosting care package business’ operations over the months to come,” Silver lamented.

    “The heavy heart is because we know that our brave U.S. service members deployed to the Middle East and fighting the war on terror still need love and support from home,” he added, “but we are no longer able to keep up with the demand for care packages, coupled with the constant rising price of everything, including purchasing care-package items, USPS postage costs, rent and insurance.”

    For now, the organization will continue as a nonprofit just in case the miracle blessing of a very large financial donation happens.

    “Volunteers from Operation Yellow Ribbon will continue to surprise and welcome home our returning local South Jersey service members, along with the Warriors Watch Riders and other patriotic motorcycle groups, local towns and first responders,” Silver emphasized.

    “Nothing will be changing in partnering to coordinate and facilitate welcome-home celebrations.”

    To help keep the care-package program going, visit https://www.operationyellowribbon.org/make-a-financial-donation/.

  • Operation’s boxes of hugs go on – for now

    Albert J. Countryman Jr./The Sun
    Cherokee High School peer leaders Brett Gable, Brett Chiesa, Kelly Walters, Samantha Pharis, De’Anna Findley, Karime Sargado, Trent Waraksa and Morgan Shank serve breakfast on March 8 sponsored by the Marlton Rotary Club, whose members are behind the students.

    Young soldiers serving in the Middle East can be scared during warfare and a bit homesick.

    But for the past 13 years, care packages from home have brightened their days, especially after a tough battle. Operation Yellow Ribbon (OYR) of South Jersey volunteers have packed up more than 20,000 packages – weighing in at 700,000 pounds – to send a piece of home to a distant military base.

    While the operation may have to shut down this year, there was a lot of energy during the Marlton Rotary Club pancake breakfast on March 8 at Wiley Mission on Main Street.

    “What a great turnout,” said club president Chuck Childers, as he watched people enjoy eggs, pancakes and breakfast meats.

    “This is our seventh year partnering with Operation Yellow Ribbon,” Childers noted. “The proceeds from this event will not only support our local community – such as scholarships for Cherokee High School students through Rotary – but also benefit and support our troops defending our freedom overseas.”

    Serving breakfast were Cherokee High Peer Leaders, including Brett Gable, Brett Chiesa, Kelly Walters, Samantha Pharis, De’Anna Findley, Karime Sargado, Trent Waraksa and Morgan Shank.

    “We are very proud of the Peer Leaders group,” Childers boasted. “They do a great job.”

    Childers also thanked the Wiley Mission for hosting the breakfast and the many businesses and organizations that were sponsors, as well as the work of Marci Wolfe, Peter Bertheaud, Eileen Childers and Anna Marie Basanas, who put together a silent auction.

    Operation Yellow Ribbon founder David Silver was thrilled by how many people showed up, and greatly appreciated the help of the Rotary Club.

    “The club has been a blessing,” he said, “and has supported us for nearly a decade.”

    Silver said OYR – which consists of 15 “selfless volunteers” – sends care packages to troops in Iraq, Syria, Jordan, the Middle East and the Horn of Africa.

    “It is a real morale booster for an 18- or 19-year-old to get a package from home,” he explained. “We call it hugs in a box.”

    Popular items for the soldiers include Tastykakes, snacks, Girl Scout cookies, new socks and hygiene products. OYR also organizes welcome-home celebrations when troops return home from an overseas deployment.

    “It is very fulfilling,” acknowledged Silver, who has a storage container full of thank-you letters from soldiers all over a wall. But the care packages may stop soon.

    “It is with a heavy heart, but yet one filled with utter gratitude, that the all-volunteer … nonprofit Operation Yellow Ribbon will be winding down its ‘morale-boosting care package business’ operations over the months to come,” Silver lamented.

    “The heavy heart is because we know that our brave U.S. service members deployed to the Middle East and fighting the war on terror still need love and support from home,” he added, “but we are no longer able to keep up with the demand for care packages, coupled with the constant rising price of everything, including purchasing care-package items, USPS postage costs, rent and insurance.”

    For now, the organization will continue as a nonprofit just in case the miracle blessing of a very large financial donation happens.

    “Volunteers from Operation Yellow Ribbon will continue to surprise and welcome home our returning local South Jersey service members, along with the Warriors Watch Riders and other patriotic motorcycle groups, local towns and first responders,” Silver emphasized.

    “Nothing will be changing in partnering to coordinate and facilitate welcome-home celebrations.”

    To help keep the care-package program going, visit https://www.operationyellowribbon.org/make-a-financial-donation/.

  • ‘What would Martin say?’

    Photos by Albert J. Countryman Jr./The Sun

    C. Adrienne Rhodes, founder of the Preserving Black Haddonfield History Project, introduces “What Would Martin Say?” forum panelists P. Kenneth Burns (right photo, left to right), Judge Karen McGlashan Williams, Dr. Stephanie Navarro Silvera and Dr. Kendra Boyd.

    Nearly 100 people listened to four panelists discuss economic opportunity, wealth equity, health care, environmental justice, race relations and other challenges during the “What Would Martin Say?” forum on Jan. 18 – two days before the Martin Luther King Jr. national holiday.

    Sponsored by the Preserving Black Haddonfield History Project, the forum saw residents, volunteers and more than 30 students file into the Lutheran Church of Our Savior on Wayne Avenue for an afternoon about the struggles facing people in poverty.

    “I want to begin by congratulating and thanking you for venturing out to explore sensitive topics with us,” said C. Adrienne Rhodes, founder of the history project, before introducing forum panelists. “We are about to begin a new era. In this soul-searching moment, we are facing a crisis of connection.

    “Yet, we know building community ought to be our goal,” she added. “So what kind of community? What kind of America do we want to be? This is the question. Growing up as a child of the ’60s, I came to view anyone who wasn’t part of the solution as part of the problem.”

    Rhodes acknowledged Linda E. Nelson of the Lutheran Church of Our Savior’s Peace and Justice Committee. After they met by chance, Nelson proposed putting something together.

    “Fewer than 90 days later,” Rhodes said. “Here we are. Thank you Linda.”

    Presented in partnership with the church, the forum’s promotional partners included the Haddonfield Human Relations Committee (HHRC), the borough library, the Cherry Hill African American Civic Association and the Lawnside Historical Society.

    Rhodes asked the student volunteers who helped to set up the forum to stand as they received applause from the audience. She also thanked Jen Sheran of HHRC and Al Schmidt of the Haddonfield Lions Club.

    “Dr. King said, ‘The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of convenience and comfort, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy,’” Rhodes noted. “Today we are standing in the dawn of a new era and we have the good fortune of being joined by three thought leaders. They’re all women, and a brave man will moderate this discussion.”

    P. Kenneth Burns, president of the Society of Professional Journalists-New Jersey Chapter and a reporter for WHYY New Jersey, was that man.

    “It’s an honor to moderate this conversation about Martin Luther King Jr.,” he noted, adding that the forum is for everyone and not a blame game.

    Burns then welcomed female panelists Dr. Kendra Boyd, an assistant professor of history at Rutgers-Camden; Dr. Stephanie Navarro Silvera, a professor in the Department of Public Health at Montclair State University; and Judge Karen McGlashan Williams, a federal judge in New Jersey who was confirmed in 2021.  

    The classic arc of the civil rights movement started with Brown vs. the Board of Education in 1954 and continued with the 1963 March on Washington and passage of the Civil Rights and Voting Rights acts in 1964 and 1965, Boyd explained.

    “Actually it stared in the 1930s and ’40s, with the 1941 March on Washington for economic justice organized by labor organizer Phillip Randolph, and the efforts by African American leaders to desegregate the military,” she pointed out. “The March on Washington in 1963 was for jobs and freedom. Economic justice is at the core of Black freedom and struggle.”

    Boyd added that King often addressed wealth disparity and poverty. He was assassinated in 1968 while supporting a strike by sanitation workers in Memphis, Tennessee.

    Silvera addressed wealth inequities.

    “White, non-Hispanic and Asian families tend to do better,” she maintained. “Black and Hispanic families making $50,000 per year live in poorer neighborhoods than typical white families earning $20,000. Where you live determines where you go to school.”

    People living in poverty-stricken neighborhoods would be healthier if they had access to fresh and healthy food, according to Silvera, who added that the poor often find health insurance unaffordable.

    “For the first time in 50 years, life expectancy has gone down in the United States,” she revealed, telling the forum audience that Blacks, Native Americans and Alaskan natives have the lowest life expectancy.

    “During COVID-19, these groups died at significantly higher rates,” Silvera recounted. “Many of them had low-wage jobs and still had to go out and work. There is so much we can do to give people an opportunity to live better.”

    Judge Williams observed that the judiciary should “reflect your population.”

    “That is the goal,” she emphasized. “We have come a long way.”

    Only one of 336 federal judges was African American in 1945, Williams stated. Seventeen years later, the number was only six.

    “In 2024,” she reported, “we had 200-plus African American judges out of 1,100 federal judges. The person doling out justice is relatable.”

    “I interpret law,” Williams added, referencing the Civil Rights Act, the Voting Rights Act and the Fair Housing Act of 1968. “These laws are interpreted and upheld daily in cases before the federal courts.”

    Williams said that the courts are doing better helping people in the criminal justice system, and praised the Supervision to Aid Reentry Program, also known as Reentry Court. Its probation officers help residents on supervised release transition back to society and provide assistance with education, training, employment and other needs.

  • ‘What would Martin say?’

    Photos by Albert J. Countryman Jr./The Sun

    C. Adrienne Rhodes, founder of the Preserving Black Haddonfield History Project, introduces “What Would Martin Say?” forum panelists P. Kenneth Burns (right photo, left to right), Judge Karen McGlashan Williams, Dr. Stephanie Navarro Silvera and Dr. Kendra Boyd.

    Nearly 100 people listened to four panelists discuss economic opportunity, wealth equity, health care, environmental justice, race relations and other challenges during the “What Would Martin Say?” forum on Jan. 18 – two days before the Martin Luther King Jr. national holiday.

    Sponsored by the Preserving Black Haddonfield History Project, the forum saw residents, volunteers and more than 30 students file into the Lutheran Church of Our Savior on Wayne Avenue for an afternoon about the struggles facing people in poverty.

    “I want to begin by congratulating and thanking you for venturing out to explore sensitive topics with us,” said C. Adrienne Rhodes, founder of the history project, before introducing forum panelists. “We are about to begin a new era. In this soul-searching moment, we are facing a crisis of connection.

    “Yet, we know building community ought to be our goal,” she added. “So what kind of community? What kind of America do we want to be? This is the question. Growing up as a child of the ’60s, I came to view anyone who wasn’t part of the solution as part of the problem.”

    Rhodes acknowledged Linda E. Nelson of the Lutheran Church of Our Savior’s Peace and Justice Committee. After they met by chance, Nelson proposed putting something together.

    “Fewer than 90 days later,” Rhodes said. “Here we are. Thank you Linda.”

    Presented in partnership with the church, the forum’s promotional partners included the Haddonfield Human Relations Committee (HHRC), the borough library, the Cherry Hill African American Civic Association and the Lawnside Historical Society.

    Rhodes asked the student volunteers who helped to set up the forum to stand as they received applause from the audience. She also thanked Jen Sheran of HHRC and Al Schmidt of the Haddonfield Lions Club.

    “Dr. King said, ‘The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of convenience and comfort, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy,’” Rhodes noted. “Today we are standing in the dawn of a new era and we have the good fortune of being joined by three thought leaders. They’re all women, and a brave man will moderate this discussion.”

    P. Kenneth Burns, president of the Society of Professional Journalists-New Jersey Chapter and a reporter for WHYY New Jersey, was that man.

    “It’s an honor to moderate this conversation about Martin Luther King Jr.,” he noted, adding that the forum is for everyone and not a blame game.

    Burns then welcomed female panelists Dr. Kendra Boyd, an assistant professor of history at Rutgers-Camden; Dr. Stephanie Navarro Silvera, a professor in the Department of Public Health at Montclair State University; and Judge Karen McGlashan Williams, a federal judge in New Jersey who was confirmed in 2021.  

    The classic arc of the civil rights movement started with Brown vs. the Board of Education in 1954 and continued with the 1963 March on Washington and passage of the Civil Rights and Voting Rights acts in 1964 and 1965, Boyd explained.

    “Actually it stared in the 1930s and ’40s, with the 1941 March on Washington for economic justice organized by labor organizer Phillip Randolph, and the efforts by African American leaders to desegregate the military,” she pointed out. “The March on Washington in 1963 was for jobs and freedom. Economic justice is at the core of Black freedom and struggle.”

    Boyd added that King often addressed wealth disparity and poverty. He was assassinated in 1968 while supporting a strike by sanitation workers in Memphis, Tennessee.

    Silvera addressed wealth inequities.

    “White, non-Hispanic and Asian families tend to do better,” she maintained. “Black and Hispanic families making $50,000 per year live in poorer neighborhoods than typical white families earning $20,000. Where you live determines where you go to school.”

    People living in poverty-stricken neighborhoods would be healthier if they had access to fresh and healthy food, according to Silvera, who added that the poor often find health insurance unaffordable.

    “For the first time in 50 years, life expectancy has gone down in the United States,” she revealed, telling the forum audience that Blacks, Native Americans and Alaskan natives have the lowest life expectancy.

    “During COVID-19, these groups died at significantly higher rates,” Silvera recounted. “Many of them had low-wage jobs and still had to go out and work. There is so much we can do to give people an opportunity to live better.”

    Judge Williams observed that the judiciary should “reflect your population.”

    “That is the goal,” she emphasized. “We have come a long way.”

    Only one of 336 federal judges was African American in 1945, Williams stated. Seventeen years later, the number was only six.

    “In 2024,” she reported, “we had 200-plus African American judges out of 1,100 federal judges. The person doling out justice is relatable.”

    “I interpret law,” Williams added, referencing the Civil Rights Act, the Voting Rights Act and the Fair Housing Act of 1968. “These laws are interpreted and upheld daily in cases before the federal courts.”

    Williams said that the courts are doing better helping people in the criminal justice system, and praised the Supervision to Aid Reentry Program, also known as Reentry Court. Its probation officers help residents on supervised release transition back to society and provide assistance with education, training, employment and other needs.

  • ‘Jersey boys’

    Courtesy of the Old Baldy Civil War Round Table

    Gathered around the “The Jersey Boys” historical marker to honor the Union soldiers of the 5th, 6th, 7th and 8th NJ regiments in the Civil War’s Battle of Williamsburg are Old Baldy Civil War Round Table members Frank Barletta (left to right), Tom Scurria, Walt Lafty, Lynn Cavill, SFC Ivelis Ramirez Andujar of the Color Guard, Drew Gruber of Civil War Trails and Jerry Poslusny.

    Nearly 1,000 strong, healthy young men from New Jersey lay dead or dying, with sweaty, bloodstained and shredded uniforms sticking to their skin in a ravine outside of Fort Magruder on May 5, 1862.

    While flies buzzed around the deceased, the injured moaned in pain, crying for sweethearts or calling for their mothers to save them. As the sun set, their eyes shut forever.

    When the smoke cleared from the 10-hour Battle of Williamsburg, Virginia, 2,283 Union soldiers were killed, mortally wounded, or died from disease – and 968 of them were from the 5th, 6th, 7th and 8th New Jersey regiments. The Confederate Army casualties totaled 1,682.

    Thanks to the members of the Old Baldy Civil War Round Table – which meets monthly at the Cherry Hill campus of Camden County College – the “Jersey boys” who “fought like bulldogs” were honored for their bravery and sacrifice with a historical marker dedicated on May 5, 2024 – 162 years after the day of the battle.

    “We hired a bus and arranged a dinner for Saturday night,” said the Old Baldy CWRT outgoing president Rich Jankowski, who after 16 years in that office handed over the reins to Paul Prentiss during the group’s Jan. 9 meeting. “On Saturday morning, we took tours of the battlefield. Early Sunday morning, we did the dedication on the actual day of the battle.”

    The spring dedication saw the marker placed near a ravine.

    “I couldn’t be prouder of our organization and members for sponsoring this sign,” noted CWRT member Frank Barletta. “I cannot think of a more fitting memorial to this overlooked major battle of the war.”

    “Our mission is the preservation and education of the Civil War period,” said Jankowski, adding that the dedication included descendants of the “Jersey Boys” and was well attended “We raise funds for battlefields and educational programs for the public.”

    There are now more than 100 members of the Old Baldy CWRT, most of whom are from New Jersey and Philadelphia. But since the meetings are also livestreamed on Zoom, the group can count members in Colorado, North Carolina and as far away as Australia and Venezuela.

    During Jankowski’s long term as president of the CWRT, he and his officers were able to increase membership and joined the League of Historical Societies of New Jersey and the Camden County History Alliance. The CWRT meets at the college’s Rohrer Center at 7:15 p.m. on the second Thursday of each month.

    Founded in 1977, its members met at the Civil War Museum at 802 Pine St. in Philadelphia until 2008, then gathered at the Union League in Center City from 2009 to 2012. With so many of the CWRT’s participants from South Jersey, the group decided it would be easier to meet in Camden County.

    “We have guest speakers or discussions open to the public,” Janowski pointed out. “Historians talk about a great variety of topics – including politics, different battles and even Naval strategy.”

    During his tenure, the CWRT won several awards, for its newsletter and for innovation and sustainability. CWRT has also issued two books on Civil War history for middle-school students, and member Barney Yetter of Colorado is currently writing a third.

    “We want to educate the public,” explained Jankowski, adding that the “Jersey Boys” historical marker is part of the national Civil War Trails and the Battle of Williamsburg is also known as the Battle of Fort Magruder.

    The battlefield losses were staggering for the New Jersey regiments, with 35 officers and 543 enlisted men and officers killed or mortally wounded, and another 390 who died of disease. The outnumbered New Jersey troops had their largest casualties of any battles in which they participated, but they won acclaim for their valor.

    Brig. Gen. Joseph Hooker called them “bulldogs.” And thanks to the Old Baldy CWRT, they will be remembered in perpetuity.

  • ‘Jersey boys’

    Courtesy of the Old Baldy Civil War Round Table

    Gathered around the “The Jersey Boys” historical marker to honor the Union soldiers of the 5th, 6th, 7th and 8th NJ regiments in the Civil War’s Battle of Williamsburg are Old Baldy Civil War Round Table members Frank Barletta (left to right), Tom Scurria, Walt Lafty, Lynn Cavill, SFC Ivelis Ramirez Andujar of the Color Guard, Drew Gruber of Civil War Trails and Jerry Poslusny.

    Nearly 1,000 strong, healthy young men from New Jersey lay dead or dying, with sweaty, bloodstained and shredded uniforms sticking to their skin in a ravine outside of Fort Magruder on May 5, 1862.

    While flies buzzed around the deceased, the injured moaned in pain, crying for sweethearts or calling for their mothers to save them. As the sun set, their eyes shut forever.

    When the smoke cleared from the 10-hour Battle of Williamsburg, Virginia, 2,283 Union soldiers were killed, mortally wounded, or died from disease – and 968 of them were from the 5th, 6th, 7th and 8th New Jersey regiments. The Confederate Army casualties totaled 1,682.

    Thanks to the members of the Old Baldy Civil War Round Table – which meets monthly at the Cherry Hill campus of Camden County College – the “Jersey boys” who “fought like bulldogs” were honored for their bravery and sacrifice with a historical marker dedicated on May 5, 2024 – 162 years after the day of the battle.

    “We hired a bus and arranged a dinner for Saturday night,” said the Old Baldy CWRT outgoing president Rich Jankowski, who after 16 years in that office handed over the reins to Paul Prentiss during the group’s Jan. 9 meeting. “On Saturday morning, we took tours of the battlefield. Early Sunday morning, we did the dedication on the actual day of the battle.”

    The spring dedication saw the marker placed near a ravine.

    “I couldn’t be prouder of our organization and members for sponsoring this sign,” noted CWRT member Frank Barletta. “I cannot think of a more fitting memorial to this overlooked major battle of the war.”

    “Our mission is the preservation and education of the Civil War period,” said Jankowski, adding that the dedication included descendants of the “Jersey Boys” and was well attended “We raise funds for battlefields and educational programs for the public.”

    There are now more than 100 members of the Old Baldy CWRT, most of whom are from New Jersey and Philadelphia. But since the meetings are also livestreamed on Zoom, the group can count members in Colorado, North Carolina and as far away as Australia and Venezuela.

    During Jankowski’s long term as president of the CWRT, he and his officers were able to increase membership and joined the League of Historical Societies of New Jersey and the Camden County History Alliance. The CWRT meets at the college’s Rohrer Center at 7:15 p.m. on the second Thursday of each month.

    Founded in 1977, its members met at the Civil War Museum at 802 Pine St. in Philadelphia until 2008, then gathered at the Union League in Center City from 2009 to 2012. With so many of the CWRT’s participants from South Jersey, the group decided it would be easier to meet in Camden County.

    “We have guest speakers or discussions open to the public,” Janowski pointed out. “Historians talk about a great variety of topics – including politics, different battles and even Naval strategy.”

    During his tenure, the CWRT won several awards, for its newsletter and for innovation and sustainability. CWRT has also issued two books on Civil War history for middle-school students, and member Barney Yetter of Colorado is currently writing a third.

    “We want to educate the public,” explained Jankowski, adding that the “Jersey Boys” historical marker is part of the national Civil War Trails and the Battle of Williamsburg is also known as the Battle of Fort Magruder.

    The battlefield losses were staggering for the New Jersey regiments, with 35 officers and 543 enlisted men and officers killed or mortally wounded, and another 390 who died of disease. The outnumbered New Jersey troops had their largest casualties of any battles in which they participated, but they won acclaim for their valor.

    Brig. Gen. Joseph Hooker called them “bulldogs.” And thanks to the Old Baldy CWRT, they will be remembered in perpetuity.