The Camden County Environmental Center in Cherry Hill is continuing through Friday, Jan. 9 its Winter Environmental Day Camp for kids of various ages.
The programs range from one to one-and-a-half-hour sessions that began during winter break last month.
Participants were separated into two groups, SnowTop Tots for children from 5 years old and younger on Mondays and Winter Tracks for those age 6 to 12 on Tuesdays and Fridays. Each class has a maximum class size of 15 students.
Each age group was taught about various aspects of the environment and natural world, specifically topics related to winter, and both groups covered seasonal hibernation. The younger group dabbled in winter nature discovery and snowflakes, while the older kids covered winter survival, the science behind snow and winter birds.
Fern Nguyen is one of the center’s environmental educators. She runs the winter program, as well as other environmental day camps in spring and summer. The winter break program is the first of its kind.
“We’ve been trying to put more effort into engaging the community on environmental topics,” she explained. “So we thought it’d be great to have a winter break program, especially for the younger ages, to engage them early on.”
The students also got to do STEM activities, as well as outdoor projects.
“The kids are off break, so it’s perfect to come in and do some fun activities like hiking, creating snow or looking up at snowflakes or exploring winter animals and hibernation,” Nguyen noted.
She said the county’s board of commissioners came up with the idea to get youngsters in the area engaged with the natural world and the environmental mission of the county.
“We really try to emphasize hands-on engagement, fun things for the kids to do,” she said. “The kids seem to be very engaged or very happy to participate in our activities, so we’re trying to get them outside playing in what little snow we have and exploring.”
Participants also utilized outdoor natural resources to make items like pine needle soda or pine cone syrup, and they analyzed the beaks of birds to see how they might seek out food through the season.
“We were having a good response to our winter program …,” Nguyen said. “It’s something for kids to report to while looking for something to do during their time off from school.”
Courtesy of Camden County Board of Commissioners Camden County Commissioner Virginia Betteridge unloads bags for produce while helping distribute food to constituents.
Across the nation, the Nov. 1 cuts to SNAP benefits resulting from the shutdown of the federal government have increased the need for food pantries to provide for those experiencing food insecurity.
Camden County is no different, with the board of commissioners holding an emergency food distribution event at Camden County Community College on Nov. 12, assisting SNAP recipients, as well as federal workers who had to either stop working, or if considered essential, work for over a month without a paycheck.
Approximately 75,000 county residents receive SNAP to help them afford food, with about half of all recipients being children and another third having a disability.
Though the government reopened on Nov. 12, the impact of the delayed pay and SNAP benefits was still felt by many.
“The billions in SNAP that was held up can’t be replaced by the few million we’ve put in it,” said New Jersey Secretary of Agriculture Ed Wengryn.
“… People should continue to donate to our food banks, our pantries, our soup kitchens, and everybody who helps feed the hungry, because it is an unending need, particularly in these times of higher cost for everyone.”
In order to receive the emergency food donations, participants were required to provide proof of residence in Camden County and show either their SNAP benefits card or their federal employee ID.
Food was provided by the Food Bank of South Jersey and Farmers Against Hunger, with all recipients receiving a bag of produce and a care box of nonperishable food and ingredients that would be able to create a full meal, including rice, canned vegetables, pasta, peanut butter, cereal and applesauce.
Apples, oranges, peppers and sweet corn were provided to families, with all of the produce except the oranges being locally grown in South Jersey.
Courtesy of Camden County Board of Commissioners
Volunteers load apples into bags to be given out to SNAP recipients and government employees.
Linda Palmquist was one of the Food Bank of South Jersey volunteers present for packaging and handing out the donations.
“Volunteering today was very easy,” Palmquist noted. “It was very organized…
“It’s ridiculous that we should have hungry people in this country, ever.”
Volunteers gathered from 1 to 3 p.m. to begin packaging the produce into fabric bags and piling the bags onto pallets next to the pallets of care boxes, allowing for an organized distribution of the supplies.
Camden County Community College dietary technician student Whitney Robinson was another volunteer, who felt compelled to help during her free time.
“No one should be going hungry in our country, especially since we have a surplus,” she said. “… There’s a big disparity between children and the elderly. Everyone, in general, just needs to have nutritious food.”
The event was conducted in a drive-thru only format, with recipients being required to be in a car to receive the food on a first-come, first served basis.
Public officials from the county, state and local levels, as well as leaders from the Food Bank of South Jersey and the New Jersey Agricultural Society were all in attendance, joining food bank volunteers in handing out the donations.
Officials also emphasised that with most New Jersey schools being closed the first week of November, food insecure students were even more vulnerable, and they commended the efforts of local school districts in combating hunger.
“They cared enough to bring their staff in and to make sure that no student was hungry last week,” said Camden County commissioner Virginia Betteridge.
As families drove up in two lines on either side of the pallets of food, volunteers and officials opened the trunk or backseat of each vehicle.
Distribution of the supplies began at 3 p.m. and lasted until 5 p.m., with all of the supplies going to those in need throughout the county.
Albert J. Countryman Jr./The Sun Professional wine connoisseurs Daniele Raspini (left to right), Michelle Padberg, New Jersey Secretary of Agriculture Ed Wengryn and Edward Miller at the Terroir New Jersey Wine Showcase on July 19.
Winemakers William Alexander and Edward Antill won Great Britain’s Royal Society award of 200 pounds in 1758 for producing a quality wine similar to those England had been purchasing from France, marking the beginning of the New Jersey wine industry.
Master vintner Louis Nicholas Renault of France bought land in Egg Harbor City in 1864, and by 1870, had introduced New Jersey champagne. His Renault Winery later won prizes for excellence and became the largest distributor of champagne in the U.S.
“The Renault Winery is the oldest in the country,” said Scott Doninni, owner of the Auburn Road Winery in Pilesgrove, who participated in the Terroir New Jersey Wine Showcase on July 19 at the Camden County Sustainability Center in Blackwood.
“New Jersey had a very significant wine culture and industry before being devastated by Prohibition,” noted Doninni, who received valuable tips and information about growing wine from 12 world-renowned connoisseurs at the wine showcase, sponsored by the Camden County Board of Commissioners.
“This showcase is excellent,” he added. “It’s good for all the wineries in New Jersey.”
Doninni and his wife, Julianne, grow eight varieties of grapes and produce 16 wines on 23 acres of land they purchased in 2001 after retiring as lawyers in Philadelphia. They were thrilled to learn more from national and international wine experts at the showcase.
“This is a benchmark moment for all of us,” Doninni explained, adding that the wine connoisseurs were very serious and professional about “assessing our progress.”
New Jersey Secretary of Agriculture Ed Wengryn said he was happy to be part of the showcase and is pleased with the growth of the state’s wine industry.
“This shows that using only New Jersey grapes we can produce quality wines,” he related.
After Prohibition, New Jersey provided only one winery license for each million residents, and they were practically impossible to obtain. By 1981, the state had just seven wineries – and everything changed. That year, the state approved the Farm Winery Act, the first of several efforts by the legislature to relax Prohibition-era restrictions and craft new laws to facilitate the alcoholic beverage industry’s growth and provide new opportunities for winery licenses.
The industry has boomed since then. By 2014, there were 48 licensed and operating wineries in the state; as of this year, there are 73.
“The goal of the showcase is to set benchmarks of quality for the state,” offered Sharyn Kervyn de Volkaersbeke, owner of KdV Wine Services in Voorhees. Terroir New Jersey appointed her to manage the event “based on her extensive expertise, reputation and credentials, which are well aligned with our mission, thereby ensuring that the goals will be met and surpassed.”
“The mission of the Showcase is to acknowledge and celebrate excellence in winemaking among wins produced in New Jersey,” Volkaersbeke pointed out. “It aims to establish and solidify New Jersey’s reputation as a premier destination for quality wine.”
Winery owners at the showcase sat at long tables in the meeting room across from the connoisseurs, who were divided into four groups of three. They tasted the wines and rated them for clarity, purity, intensity, complexity, aroma, length, harmony and overall quality.
“I’m a New Jersey wine virgin,” said Master of Wine Martin Moran, who has lived in Dublin, Ireland, for the past 30 years and has traveled the world helping winemakers improve their products. “This is my first time here. Some of the classic wines here are really good. The varieties unique to New Jersey are getting better.
:This state has a great future in winemaking.”
Moran studies the production of wine from “the grape to the glass,” including the soil and what types of grapes work best. During the showcase, experts independently assessed each wine in a blind format base and identified key quality indicators.
Wines that achieved a predetermined minimum evaluation rating will be designated as Showcase Selection wines and will be widely promoted at upcoming events, said Camden County Commissioner Al Dyer.
“New Jersey, and Camden County specifically, is becoming a world-class wine destination, boasting bountiful vineyards and successful wineries,” Dyer emphasized. “We are thrilled to welcome this group of wine experts to the sustainability campus, home to our very own Camden County Vineyard, to test the very best wines that New Jersey has to offer.”
“We are honored to hold the Terroir Showcase at our state-of-the-art Sustainability Center, which is where our Lakeland Vineyard is located,” said Commissioner Jonathan Young, liaison to the Office of Sustainability. “Our vineyard has produced bountiful harvests season after season, and this past fall, a fourth crop of chambourcin grapes from the vineyard was produced and delivered to Saddlehill Winery in Voorhees.
“Camden County is quickly becoming a world class wine destination, so we couldn’t think of a better location to host such a prestigious event.”
Albert J. Countryman Jr./The Sun Springdale Farm Market in Cherry Hill is one of six farmer’s markets where qualified senior citizens can use free vouchers for fresh produce.
Many senior citizens living on fixed incomes have to decide whether to buy healthy food or pay overdue bills when their Social Security benefit arrives at the beginning of each month. By the end of the month, the situation can get dire – should one starve or cut off the electricity?
In an effort to help, the Senior Farmer’s Market Nutrition Program from the Camden County Board of Commissioners provides free vouchers worth $40 for the purchase of fresh fruit and produce at six participating markets in the county.
“The summer voucher program is a lifeline to so many seniors here in Camden County,” said Commissioner Virginia Betteridge, liaison to the Division of Senior Services. “No one should worry about being able to afford fresh, nutritious food, and these vouchers allow us to alleviate some stress for our residents.”
“We have a lot of seniors who use the vouchers,” noted Michael Burke, manager of the Springdale Farm Market in Cherry Hill, who has begun his 20th summer at the only working farm in the town. “Now they come in with a QR code.
“It’s very important for everyone to eat healthy,” he added. “Fresh produce is so much better than pre-packaged, processed meals.”
Crops all grown on the farm and already in season include strawberries; radishes; Jersey asparagus; and various types of lettuce, including red leaf, green leaf, Boston and Boston red. By the 4th of July, Springdale Farm Market will also have plenty of other homegrown produce – including tomatoes and sweet Jersey corn – all produced on its more than 100 acres along Springdale Road.
Fruits and vegetables that are out of season are brought in from the Philadelphia Wholesale Produce Market, Burke explained.
Other markets accepting vouchers from the program are:
Collingswood Farmer’s Market, open Saturdays from 8 a.m. to noon; Kumarie’s Garden, open Mondays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.; Stella Farms, open every day from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Haddonfield Farmers’ Market, open on Saturdays from 8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.; and Pastore Orchard Inc., open every day from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. The Springdale Farm Market is open every day from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m.
From May to November, senior citizens who meet income guidelines and are 60 and older will be eligible for a grocery voucher to be used at participating markets. The vouchers can only be used to purchase locally grown fruit and vegetable products.
The eligibility requirements for the voucher program are that a person must be at least 60 years old and a resident of the county, with an individual annual income less than $27,861 and a couple’s income less than $37,814.
According to the U.S. National Institute for Health (NIH), “A healthy diet for seniors focuses on nutrient-dense foods; including fruits; vegetables; whole grains; lean protein; and low-fat dairy, while limiting added sugars, sodium and unhealthy fats. It also emphasizes adequate hydration and a variety of foods to meet specific needs and preferences.”
In another effort to provide healthy food to its residents, the commissioners planned to celebrate the official opening of the $5-million Mary Ann Wardlow Center for Community Nutrition in Blackwood on May 16. The center is 7,500 square feet and supports assembly and distribution services for the home-delivery meal program. It was created to expand upon the county’s growing need for home-delivered meals to residents.
“Each year, the need for this program grows greater and greater here in our county,” Betteridge noted. “The board of commissioners is committing to meeting the needs of our residents, and that includes helping them secure consistent, healthy meals on a daily basis.”
The nutrition center is named after Wardlow, mayor of Lawnside and a tireless nutrition activist who’s been a long-time organizer and advocate for Meals on Wheels. She was instrumental in creating a congregate site offering nutritional programs to her town, the Wayne Bryant Community Center, making it a priority to bring nutritional food to her constituents.
Betteridge said that food insecurity is an issue too many residents’ experience. In 2024 alone, the Food Bank of South Jersey distributed 23.4 million pounds of food; provided 19.5 million meals; and served 185,000 people, including 67,000 children, per month.
Albert J. Countryman Jr./The Sun Renovations at the Camden County Driving Range include the complete replacement of the second-level concrete deck in the background. Staff members include Anthony Battaglia (left to right), manager Maureen Higgins and staff member John DeFeo.
Playing golf is a stress relief for thousands of Camden County duffers – a chance to get away from fast-paced lives by getting outside for a few hours on a beautiful day.
However, the peace and quiet can be shattered with a drive that goes into the woods or the water, an approach shot that ends buried in a sand trap, or a five-foot putt that does not drop in the hole.
In order to avoid those mishaps this year, golfers showed up to hone their skills at the re-opening of the Camden County Driving Range on April 12.
“More than 500 people showed up during the weekend,” County Commissioner Jeffrey Nash said. “We are thrilled to welcome the community back to the Camden County Driving Range, one of the most well used and loved amenities throughout our county park system.”
The driving range, closed since last October for a $600,000 renovation project, now has a completely replaced second level concrete deck, lighting upgrades and new fencing.
“The upstairs concrete was compromised and needed to be fixed,” said staff member John DeFeo, adding that the short game area for chipping and putting was renovated last summer.
“Everything looks a lot better,” staff member Anthony Battaglia noted. “The guests are happy. We’re getting lots of compliments.”
“This is my fourth day on the job,” said manager Maureen Higgins on April 15. “The place looks great.”
“These upgrades have greatly improved the conditions at the driving range, making for a more enjoyable experience for all users,” said Nash, adding that 67,000 golfers came to the range last year to hit a few buckets of golf balls into the water or sharpen their short game.
Located at the intersection of Route 130 and Park Drive along the Cooper River, motorists waiting at the light can watch the golfers drive from the second level, some of them aiming at a small island in the middle of the water.
“We have senior golf classes,” noted Nash, adding that the popular driving range also hosts 50 to 60 people in recovery from addiction every Wednesday from June to September in the First Tee program.
The renovations were funded through a capital investment by the board of commissioners, explained Nash, who was first elected to the board 33 years ago and has seen the transformation of Cooper River Park into a venue for national and international regattas and has recreational facilities for families and sports teams.
“I would not have imagined it back then,” Nash acknowledged.
The Cooper River is a tributary from the Delaware River, and the county is creating a water trail for kayakers and canoers from the driving range, past Gateway Park to Pine Point Park, and on to Petty’s Island.
“We are installing a boat ramp behind the Pub,” said Nash, adding that the public has been very supportive of the efforts over the years to improve and enhance Cooper River Park. “It (the water trail) will be the most spectacular water kayaking trail in the Northeast.
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 throughtikkun 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.
