Donna Fell serves as Celebrity Reader at Little Sprouts

Thank you to Donna Fell, owner of Sparta Books, who recently served as a Celebrity Reader at the Little Sprouts Early Learning Center. 

Free Parenting Classes for Dads

Free parenting classes for fathers will be offered at Project Self-Sufficiency on Tuesdays, May 3rd - June 28th, from 6:00 - 8:00 p.m.  Learn about the different stages of emotional and physical development during childhood, as well as techniques for positive discipline and improved communication.  Snacks and childcare provided.  Free and open to the public; registration required. Call 973-940-3500 to register.

A Mutual Diagnosis of Breast Cancer Brings Sisters Closer Together

Carol and Leigh Whitney will share their incredible story of surviving breast cancer -- at the same time -- in this Sunday's New Jersey Herald as part of the Mammograms Save Lives campaign.  Thank you, Carol and Leigh, for your inspirational message.

Free Seminar about Wills & Estate Planning will be Offered

Susan Carlson, Esquire, will discuss the development of a will, creating a living trust, the benefits of health care directives, dealing with probate and estate taxes and other topics at a free Wills & Estate Planning Seminar on Thursday, May 12th, from 7:00 - 9:00 p.m.  Free and open to the public; registration required.  Call Project Self-Sufficiency at 973-940-3500 to register.

Free Forum about Careers in Education for Teen Girls

Project Self-Sufficiency will host “Becoming You: Education Careers for Women” on Thursday, May 12th, from 6:30 – 8:00 p.m. Featured speakers will include Terri Klemm, Assistant Professor at Centenary College, Karen Perez, Principal of the Merriam Avenue School, Learning Consultant Leslie Dell and Speech Therapist Lisa Hanna. Participants will learn about the training necessary for a career in education, and discuss the tasks that make up a typical day. Free and open to girls and women in the area; registration required. To register, call Project Self-Sufficiency at 973-940-3500.

Free Family Expo at Project Self-Sufficiency

Sussex County residents and their children are invited to a free Family Expo at Project Self-Sufficiency on Thursday, April 28th, from 4:00 - 8:00 p.m.  Learn about health and wellness, household and fire safety, creative play and storytelling with children.  Featuring a dramatic presentation about communication habits by the renowned Mental Health Players of Morris County.  Dinner and goodie bags provided.  Free and open to the public; registration required.  Call Project Self-Sufficiency at 973-940-3500 to register.

Join Team Project Self-Sufficiency at the Race for the Cure

Project Self-Sufficiency invites area residents to join Team Project Self-Sufficiency in the fourth annual Susan G. Komen North Jersey Race for the Cure®, a 5K Race/Walk at the Essex County South Mountain Recreation Complex in West Orange on Sunday, May 15^th.  Interested participants are encouraged to register online at www.komennorthjersey.org/race and click on Team Project Self-Sufficiency.  For those in need of transportation, a bus will leave the Newton campus promptly at 7:15 a.m.  The bus ride is free and open to the public, but registration is required.

Free Consultations with an Attorney

Sussex County residents are invited to meet privately with an attorney at Project Self-Sufficiency on Thursdays, May 5th - 26th. The 45-minute consultations will be scheduled between the hours of 6:00 - 9:00 p.m. Meetings are free and open to income-eligible Sussex County residents; appointments are required. Call Project Self-Sufficiency at 973-940-3500 to register.

Taste of Talent Wows Guests

Hundreds of patrons poured through the doors of Perona Farms on Monday night to help support Project Self-Sufficiency at the 15th annual A Taste of Talent, a fundraising event which offered guests the opportunity to sample hors d’oeuvres, entrees and desserts from area restaurants while mingling with the chefs. This year, patrons were also invited to bid on the tabletop creations of several local designers. More than 30 restaurants participated in the event, along with representatives from 10 design firms. Proceeds from the event benefited Project Self-Sufficiency’s programs for low-income families in Sussex, Morris and Warren counties.




Kathy and Lou Esposito served as honorary chairpersons of this year’s A Taste of Talent. “We were pleased and honored to be asked to be honorary chairs of an event for such a worthy cause,” noted Kathy. Lou agreed, adding, “We were very excited to be a part of such a worthwhile cause, and we were excited to help generate funds for Project Self-Sufficiency.”



Participating restaurants included The Prickly Pear, Perona Farms, Andre’s Restaurant & Wine Boutique, Black Forest Inn, The Boat House, Bobolink Dairy, Café Pierrot, The Chatterbox, Cheddar Alley, The Chocolate Goat Gift Shoppe, Cliff’s Homemade Ice Cream, County Seat Restaurant, The Dining Room, Everything Homemade, George’s Wine & Gourmet Gallery, Glenmere Mansion, Homestead Rest, Jimmy’s Italian Tavern, Krave Café & Caterers, Pandan Room, Pies on Wheels, Restaurant Latour, Salt Gastro Pub, Salt Studio, Smokey’s Brick Oven Tavern, Sunset Pub & Grill, Tanti Baci Caffé, Trinity, Truffles, Upstream Catering, Wok ‘n’ Sushi, and others.



For added intrigue this year, the entryway at Perona Farms was transformed into a showcase featuring the wares of local designers, including Alicia Shearer Interior Design; Ellyn Norwillo, AMA Designs; Carrie Oesmann and Nancy Kanson, Bailiwick Designs, Melissa Mauro, Fine Design; Leslie Moore Interior Decorating; Lisa Fairclough Enterprises; Patti Bruterri, Sweet P.E.A.’s; Tracy Gibbins Interior Design; Louise Van der Haeghen, Kathy Jamison and Beverly Gordon; and Linda Moran and Michelle Michaluk and their team at Project Self-Sufficiency.



“A Taste of Talent is our signature fundraising event and the cornerstone to our annual campaign,” noted Deborah Berry-Toon, Executive Director of Project Self-Sufficiency. “We are exceptionally grateful for the support we continue to receive from this community.”



Supporters of A Taste of Talent at the Chairman’s Table level included Kathy and Lou Esposito; Beverly and Bruce Gordon; and Rhoda and Norman Seider.



The President’s Circle was comprised of Frank Allocca, Intercar Mercedes Benz.



Partners of A Taste of Talent included Linda and Rhea Fountain; and Ruth and Don Williams.



Supporters at the Patron level included Suzanne and Joseph Celentano; Barry Douglas, Mountain Spring Irrigation; Virginia and Paris Eliades, Patron; Joanne Friedman; Susan and Roy Knutsen; Lakeland Bank; Ellen and Arnold Lieber; Lois and Harold Pellow; Alice and Kevin Prendergast; Richard Nevins, Shanachie Entertainment Corp.; Nisivoccia; Dr. Salvatore; Dale Thatcher and Carol Campbell; Louise van der Haeghen; and Louis Weber, Weber Surveying, Inc.



Sponsors included Lana and Jim Ayers; Marie and Ed Bernegger; Mike Brazitis, Freedom Business Machines; Marjorie Bressler; Caristia, Kulsar & Wade; Phyllis and Harold Carstens; Mary Ann and Larry Condit; Mary Ann and Phil Deacon, Deacon Homes, Inc.; Becky and Bill De Gasperis, Atlantic Imaging Group; Jon Eigner, Northern Rain Irrigation; Amy and John Eskilson; George Frizell, Frizell, Kafafian, Devries & Company, LLC; Kurt Gewecke; Frances Gould and Martin Naftal of Flatbrook Farm; George Guptil, Franklin Mutual Insurance; Michael Harris; Dr. Hope Hartman; Hautau & Sons, LLC; Robert Barnes and Roberta Kelly, the Hardware Store; KG Solar Renewable Energy; Melissa and Paul Lewandowski, Cliff’s Homemade Ice Cream; Robert Levy; Suzanne and Gerald Mirkov; James Moore Construction; Michelle and George Morville, Morville, LLC; Lora and Chuck Musilli; Denise and Jeffrey Panicucci; Ken and Kathleen Potts; Robert Poust, R. Poust, Inc.; Robert Smith, Wood Funeral Home; Sparta Trades Kitchen & Baths; Susan and Sovann Stark; Cheryl and Kenneth Syberg; Paul and Harry Tarzian, Tarzian Hardware; Jody and John Ursin; Dr. Richard Vaz; Susan and Peter Ventricelli; Stephen Wescott, Sterling Financial Group, Inc.; and George Zitone, Zitone Construction & Supply Company, Inc.

Free Family Law Seminar

Ann Pompelio, Esquire, will discuss court procedures, grounds for divorce, custody, alimony, equitable distribution of assets, child support and other topics related to divorce at a free Family Law seminar on Thursday, April 28th, from 7:00 - 9:00 p.m. at Project Self-Sufficiency.  Free and open to the public; registration required.  To register, call Project Self-Sufficiency at 973-940-3500.

Free Elder Law Seminar

Janice Pasculli, Esquire, will offer a free presentation about Elder Law at Project Self-Sufficiency on Thursday, April 21st, from 2:30 - 4:30 p.m.  Learn about general estate planning, developing a will, advance directives for healthcare, dealing with Medicare and Medicaid, caring for aging parents, and other issues related to the elderly.  Free and open to the public; registration required.  Call Project Self-Sufficiency at 973-940-3500 to register.

Designers Help to Raise Funds for Project Self-Sufficiency

The creative touch of several local interior designers will be added to “A Taste of Talent: Dining by Design”, the annual fundraiser on behalf of Project Self-Sufficiency, which will be held at Perona Farms on Monday, April 11^th at 6:30 p.m.  In addition to sampling hors d’oeuvres, entrees and desserts from more than 30 area restaurants, patrons will be invited to bid on table arrangements created by the designers.  Each table may contain place settings, art objects, floral arrangements, decorative items, and more.  The highest bidder will take home the contents of the entire table.  Now in its 15^th year, “A Taste of Talent: Dining by Design”, will benefit Project Self-Sufficiency, a local non-profit agency specializing in services for low-income families in Sussex, Morris and Warren counties.  Sponsorships for the event range from $500 - $15,000, and a limited number of individual tickets are available at a cost of $100. 

Esteemed local designers who will be participating in “A Taste of Talent:  Dining by Design” include Alicia Shearer Interior Design; Ellyn Norwillo, AMA Designs; Carrie Oesmann and Nancy Kanson, Bailiwick Designs, Melissa Mauro-Duffy, Fine Design; Leslie Moore Interior Decorating; Lisa Fairclough Enterprises; Patti Bruterri, Sweet P.E.A.’s; Tracy Gibbins Interior Design; Louise Van der Haeghen, Kathy Jamison and Beverly Gordon; and Linda Moran and Michelle Michaluk and their team at Project Self-Sufficiency.

Perona Farms is located at 350 Andover-Sparta Road in Andover.  To make a contribution to Project Self-Sufficiency, to obtain tickets to “A Taste of Talent: Dining by Design,” or to find out more information about the programs and services available at the agency, call 973-940-3500.

GED Training Program Seeks Participants

Individuals in need of a GED are invited to learn more about the Even Start Family Literacy Center at Project Self-Sufficiency.  The program offers meal stipends, free transportation and childcare to eligible participants.  Assisting adults with obtaining a general equivalency diploma or with passing the college placement exam are the goals of the program, but literacy is promoted within the entire family as a result.  The Even Start Family Literacy Program is housed in the former Pettit House on Project Self-Sufficiency’s campus in Newton.  The home has been converted into areas for study, reading and counseling.  There is even a separate Children’s Library on the premises, so that children can read to themselves while their parents work in an adjacent room. 

A certified instructor who is affiliated with the Sussex County Community College Learning Center guides participants through the process of obtaining their GED or with passing the college placement exam. At home, participants are required to read to their children, and to keep a log of their reading time. A Book Club was initiated recently which requires parents to read a book at home and gather together as a group to discuss it as they progress through the story.

“Parent and Child Together Time” is a component that encourages parents to play games with their children and participate in field trips with other Project Self-Sufficiency families. Once a month, all of the participating families troop over to the Little Sprouts Early Learning Center to participate in the Celebrity Reader program, an event which features an invited guest reading a book aloud to the entire group. Past Celebrity Readers have included municipal officials, state and local lawmakers, members of the agency’s Board of Directors and other friends of Project Self-Sufficiency.



Project Self-Sufficiency counselors visit participating families at home twice a month, bringing along books that are developmentally appropriate for the age of the children in the household. If the children are old enough, parents and children create a craft project to accompany the story they read together. If infants are involved, the counselor plays games with the child and parent which encourage language development.



The Even Start Family Literacy Program at Project Self-Sufficiency is funded in part by the New Jersey Department of Education Office of Language Arts Literacy Education. For information about participating in the Even Start Family Literacy Program, or to find out more about the other programs and services available at Project Self-Sufficiency, call the agency at 973-940-3500.