Category Archives: Landscaping & Building

Planting Seeds of Hope

Posted in Education and Mentoring, Enviromental Work, Landscaping & Building, Monthly Calendar Program, Staff and Volunteer Profiles, Uncategorized, Volunteer Opportunity Calendar by

At Plant It Forward in Newark, Planting Seeds of Hope is working hard to provide community food access as well as increasing both economic and educational opportunities for local residents. In the heart of Newark’s South Ward, Emilio and his team are working tirelessly to provide fresh and healthy food to the local community and are dedicated to empowering local residents to take back control of their local food system and health.

Planting Seeds of Hope is more than just planting and growing healthy food, it serves as the opportunity to educate and provide deeper relationships within the community. The gardens and programs are meant to build a cohesive, integrated community around the common bonds of healthy local food. 

The goals of Planting Seeds of Hope are:

H – Health – Environmental, public and individual wellness

O – Open communities – Intentionally inclusive and integrated places

P – People development – Ample growth opportunities for youth and adults

E – Entrepreneurship – A spirit of innovation and creating shared prosperity method

Open to all local residents and visitors as a place to assist in volunteering or act as a classroom to learn more, the farm and community center serve its purpose! With the assistance of volunteers and Project Coordinators assisting in maintaining and creating planting beds, planting, digging, watering, weeding, and composting, Planting Seeds of Hope is well on its way to kicking off summer with some fresh fruits and vegetables.

Interested in joining this team of passionate and hard-working volunteers who are dedicated to local farming? Become a Project Coordinator today and take the lead in transforming this Newark neighborhood into a Healthy, Open community where People develop and Entrepreneurship flourishes.

City Spotlight: Livingston

Posted in Annual Events, City Spotlight, Corporate Service, Enviromental Work, Landscaping & Building by

As a response to all of the amazing volunteer work being done across New Jersey, the Jersey Cares City Spotlight will showcase exceptional civic engagement weekly in a specific New Jersey community.

Named in honor of William Livingston the first governor of New Jersey, Livingston is a town dedicated to service – it supports an all-volunteer first aid squad and fire department. Livingston’s commitment to service doesn’t end with emergency services! They are also involved in many Jersey Cares initiatives.

Jersey Cares volunteers on MLK Day making homemade play dough for sensory kits.

Jersey Cares volunteers on MLK Day making homemade play dough for sensory kits.

Last fall, two corporations gave their time to volunteer in Livingston. ImClone Systems and Mondelez each engaged 30 volunteers in revitalization projects. At a high school which serves students with disabilities, ImClone volunteers created an interactive pumpkin patch and helped students pick and decorate 100 pumpkins while Mondelez employees volunteered at a community center beautifying the facility by landscaping and planting seasonal flowers and shrubs. Combined, both corporations served over 225 hours in the community.

Last winter, Livingston citizens, business groups and civic organizations collected 165 coats with the Jersey Cares Coat Drive. This past Martin Luther King Jr. Day, 30 volunteers created interactive crafts including rain sticks and homemade play dough as a part of sensory kits that were donated to a center serving children and teens with cerebral palsy.  Additionally, on The 16th Annual Jersey Cares Day in May, 25 volunteers decorated inspirational and motivational posters that were used to help cheer on the center’s students during their spring fundraising walk. Through these efforts, nearly 300 kids were served!

Livingston is a small town with a big heart! To find out how you can contribute to the tradition of volunteerism in your community visit www.jerseycares.org!

City Spotlight: Trenton

Posted in Annual Events, Corporate Service, Enviromental Work, Landscaping & Building, Monthly Calendar Program, Painting by

As a response to all of the amazing volunteer work being done across New Jersey, the Jersey Cares City Spotlight will showcase exceptional civic engagement weekly in a specific New Jersey community.

This week, Jersey Cares City Spotlight features New Jersey’s capital city – Trenton!

Trenton is a city full of history! It is known as the site of George Washington’s first victory in the War of Independence. Washington crossed the Delaware River on Christmas night in 1766 and surprised the British in a battle which resulted in a victory for the Continental Army. Trenton also briefly served as the capital of the new United States of America, during November and December 1784.

While Trenton holds the distinction of being a historical city, it is also a very special place for Jersey Cares. Trenton has amazing volunteers and hosts several Jersey Cares service projects!

This past year, volunteers in Trenton distributed 735 coats to five agencies through the Jersey Cares Annual Coat Drive. Additionally, Bank of America corporate volunteers recently gave back to a Trenton elementary school. Almost 30 individuals spent over 100 hours painting line games, building picnic tables, planting flowers and painting canvas murals. In total, this helped to serve 413 children!

This past Jersey Cares Day, volunteer efforts amounted to over 150 service hours in Trenton. During this time, 40 flower pots were planted, 14 canvas murals, five planter murals, and line games were painted. At the end of this busy day in Trenton, 413 kids were served!

Trenton is not the only city in Mercer County who has dedicated volunteers! In fact, through the Jersey Cares Volunteer Opportunity Calendar, Mercer County volunteers meet the needs of 3 non-profit agencies. On a weekly basis, Jersey Cares volunteers can be found assisting individuals with finding employment by collecting, sorting and packaging  clothing at Caring Closet in Lawrence. Mercer County volunteers also use their intelligence to help tutor children at Kiddy Care in Lawrence.

Celebrate this amazing, New Jersey city by continuing Trenton’s commitment to volunteerism by finding volunteer opportunities at www.jerseycares.org!

Volunteers show off their finished line game!

Volunteers show off their finished line game!