Give From the Heart to Benefit Children In Need

November 2010
Give From the Heart to Benefit Children In Need
by Michele Hulsman
In the spirit of giving this holiday season, let us
remember to extend those feelings of goodwill toward
children in need within Hudson County. With just a simple toy, book, or pair of pajamas, you can make a world
of difference in the life of an impoverished child.
Studies, including those by the National Institute for
Early Education Research, show infant toys are critical
for brain growth and motor skill development that
affects learning later in life. Older children without toys
are more likely to be involved in fighting or other negative behaviors. On the other hand, when a neglected
child receives a game or toy donation, he can develop
necessary social skills, such as sharing. Because play is
essential for children to lead happy, healthy, and productive lives, all children need at least simple toys like balls,
blocks, costumes and crayons.
According to the National Center for Children in
Poverty, there are over 29 million needy children in the
U.S. Hudson County has the highest poverty rate in New
Jersey--24% of children between 5 and 17 years old lived
below the poverty line in 2008. These children have little
inspiration for imaginative, fulfilled lives that all children
deserve. When you donate a toy to a needy child, you
provide a positive outlet for the child’s energy and creativity.
HFA hopes to help children in need feel comforted
and loved. When you donate, you provide them inspiration and a glimmer of hope. This holiday season, we
offer two donation options. Both drives will run concurrently and have the same drop off locations:
When: November 19th – December 22nd
Where: Drop off items at three Hoboken locations:
• Club H, 110 Sinatra Drive (7 am – 7 pm)
• Big Fun Toys, 602 Washington St. (11 am – 7 pm)
• New York Sports Club, 210 14th St. (7 am – 7 pm)
Pajama and Book Program
HFA is joining the Pajama Program, a 501 (c) (3) charity, to collect new pajamas and new books for homeless
and needy children, many of whom are waiting and hoping to be adopted. By providing pajamas and books, we
are helping to create a warm and nurturing bedtime
environment for vulnerable children and young adults
living under difficult circumstances.
Many of these youngsters have been abused or abandoned and in many cases, have never enjoyed the simple
comfort of having a loving mother or father tuck them in
at bedtime. Through the Pajama Program, we hope to
contribute to a warmer, more loving environment for
these children.
Pajamas must be new and unused for all sizes, infant
to 17. www.pajamaprogram.org
Toy Drive
Toy donations can bring a smile to the face of a
Hudson County child who may otherwise not have
received any gifts. We request all donated gifts be new
and unwrapped. Toys will be collected for ages infant to
17. Any donation of any size brings holiday cheer for a
child. The items are often given to families who cannot
afford to buy presents, so the children can open a gift
that is given to them by a loved one, not a charity.
HFA truly appreciates your generosity this holiday season. Thank you.
Get Your VIP Discount Card Now
EatDrinkHoboken.Com VIP discount cards benefiting Project Play are
now on sale! Over 50 local restaurants and bars, fitness organizations,
clothing and shoe stores, salons and spas, including The Candy Shoppe,
Clam Broth House, Filippos on First, Grimaldi’s, Lua, Makeovers, Stacks,
Stella’s Cuts & Colors, Tutta Pasta and Zin Home are participating in discounts and the sale of the cards. For a complete list of participating businesses, visit EatDrinkHoboken.Com.
Each card costs $5 and can be used at multiple locations, so buyers
can easily recoup their cost. 100% of the proceeds go toward Project
Play’s goal of raising $100,000 by the end of the year to begin “phase
one” of the Church Square Park playground equipment replacement.
Phase one includes environmental testing, any necessary remediation,
and the replacement of the equipment, fencing and surfacing in the toddler park and swing area along 4th street. Mayor Zimmer has said that
when Project Play reaches the $100,000 fundraising, the city may consider contributing the rest of the funds needed to complete the renovations.
The City has always supported the idea and the work of Project Play,
and we are elated to hear that there may be funds available to contribute toward the project! The VIP card fundraiser has the potential of netting us $50,000! You can help us achieve this goal by buying your VIP
Discount card and shopping with the businesses honoring it.
HFA Biannual Swap Meet
You Know You Want To Travel
Hoboken’s Travel Agency.
Specializing in vacation
packages, cruises, interntional travel, corporate travel,
weddings and honeymoons. HFA members receive $50 off
vacation bookings of $750 or
more now through 12/31/10.
One discount per booking; not to
be combined with any other offer.
New bookings only.
Call today to start planning
your next vacation.
HBK Travel * 720 Monroe Street, Suite E507
201-222-9425 * travel@hbktravel.com* www.hbktravel.com
grow
We nurture your child's potential and
help develop skills for a happy,
successful life.
Bright Horizons at Maxwell Place
1155 Maxwell Lane
Hoboken, NJ 07030
201-420-6039
www.brighthorizons.com/hfa
Date: Sunday, November 14
Time: 9-11 am (accepting Drop off items); 12-2 pm Swap Meet Sales
Location: Hoboken Elks Lodge, 1005 Washington St.
Cost: Free for HFA members; $5 for non-members
Please note the following UPDATES:
• We are happy to provide you a donation receipt for tax deduction purposes.
• We will now be accepting children’s clothing for newborn to size 16.
• Please drop off your items during the drop off period (9-11 am). You will be
issued a credit that you can use during the sale from 12-2pm. This will help us
run the swap more efficiently.
• During this drop off period, you can “check in” and have your hand stamped,
so there will be no waiting in line when the swap opens at 12 pm.
• The swap will be closed during 11-12 pm to organize the items we have
received. Please sort and label your clothing donation (e.g. “newborn boy/girl,”
“3-6 months boy/girl,” etc.) It will save us valuable time in getting the clothing
organized for the swap meet.
• Kindly do not drop any items off DURING the sale. All drop-offs after 11 am
will be considered straight donations and will not receive any credits. Thank
you in advance for your consideration.
How Does it Work?
Bring your items to the swap meet and get credits (before 11 am). You
receive one credit for one item of clothing or multiple credits for larger
items such as bouncy seats. You can exchange these credits for clothing,
shoes, coats, and toys. Larger baby gear items are for cash purchase only.
If you don’t have any items for exchange or would like to take home
more items than you brought, you may purchase items for cash (example:
$1 per children’s clothing, $2 maternity clothes, $2 shoes, $1-$10 toys,
2
HFA NOVEMBER 2010
$10-$20 larger baby gear).
Any items you bring, in excess of your purchases, will be considered
donations and will go to In Jesus’ Name, Hudson Cradle and other local
organizations in need. Any items brought in after 11 am will be considered donations. We can provide a tax receipt for donations only.
What to Bring?
26 Acres & 5 Acre Lake Heated Pool Complex
Professional Swim, Sports & Arts Instruction
“SEEING IS BELIEVING” Video Brochure is Available
• Hot Catered Lunch
• Air Conditioned Transportation
• Uniform Camp Shirts Included
North Jersey’s Premier Day Camp!
• Baby, toddler, and children’s clothes, shoes, and coats (items in condition
from gently used condition to new, unstained, with all pieces included) *
• Baby, toddler & children’s Halloween costumes.
• Baby gear (strollers, bouncy seats, diaper bags, etc. – please be sure to
bring all pieces for these items).
• Toys and children’s books (only complete items with all small parts in a
plastic bag taped to toy if applicable, and books with all pages in readable
condition only, please).
• Maternity clothes and nursing tops.
• All formula, diapers, medicines, food and other baby essentials will be
donated Hudson Cradle.
*What is gently used? An item with no rips, stains or smells, that maintains
its original color and shape. Please use your best judgment--if you do not find
it acceptable for your child to wear that clothing, neither will anyone else!
What NOT to Bring?
•
•
•
•
•
Professional Swim, Sport & Art Instruction
Furniture
Stuffed animals
Diaper Genies, Potty Seats, underwear and Car Seats
No adult clothing (aside from maternity clothing)
Items without all their parts
Donate
If you want to donate but can’t make the swap, have any questions ,
please contact Michele Hulsman at hfaphilanthropy@yahoo.com
HFA Donates to the Community
Hoboken Family Alliance is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization. Did
you know proceeds in excess of programs and expenses go back to the
community? In addition to in-kind donations to Hudson Cradle, IJN etc.
listed above, and over $15,000 to Project Play, HFA donated almost
$9,000 to various philanthropic causes and local charities last year.
Here is the breakdown:
Grants 19% PJ & Toy Drive 4%
Jubilee Center
13%
Other dona ti ons
1%
Project Play
63%
3
HFA NOVEMBER 2010
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Need Help for Thanksgiving?
By Dalia Tole
Need some help planning and preparing your Thanksgiving family
meal? Most local supermarkets can cater the entire meal, or prepare
the side-dishes and dessert while you cook your own turkey. Many
offer a traditional turkey, or premium items such as free range or
organic. Whole Foods even offers some vegan options. When ordering, don’t forget to ask if the price includes delivery on Thanksgiving.
• A&P, 614 Clinton St., 201-795-1783 or 125 18th St., Jersey City 201-2179228, www.apfreshonline.com
• Fresh Direct, www.freshdirect.com
• Garden of Eden, 226 Washington St., 201-659-0355, www.edengourmet.
com
• King’s Supermarket, 1212 Shipyard Ln., 201-239-4060 or 325 River St.,
201-386-2300, www.kingswebsite.com
• Sobsey’s Produce, 92 Bloomfield St., 201-795-9398
• ShopRite, 900 Madison St., 201-792-6070, www.shoprite.com
• Whole Foods, 905 River Road, Edgewater, 201-941-4000, multiple locations in Manhattan, www.wholefoodsmarket.com
Thanksgiving catering is also available at local restaurants including
Anthony David’s, 953 Bloomfield St., 201-222-8399, www.anthonydavids.
com and The Little Grocery, 214 Jefferson St., 201-610-9220, www.littlegrocery.com. Alternatively, if you have a large family and prefer a restau-
rant banquet hall, head over to Amanda’s (908 Washington St.,
201-798-0101) or Liberty House Restaurant (76 Audrey Zapp Drive,
Jersey City 201-395-0300).
If all the help you need is experts answering your cooking questions,
here are some Thanksgiving help-lines. Last year, Sirius XM also operated a Thanksgiving Hotline. The three day event, hosted by Martha
Stewart, featured 30 top chefs and entertaining experts who answered
questions from callers.
•
•
•
•
•
•
Butterball Turkey Talk-Line : 800-BUTTERBALL, butterball.com
ShopRite Chefs On Call: 800-ShopRite
Reynold’s Wrap: 800-745-4000; reynoldspkg.com
Ocean Spray: 800-662-3263; oceanspray.com
Land O’Lakes Holiday Bake Line: 800-782-9606
USDA Meat and Poultry Hotline: : 888-674-6854; usda.gov
Finally, if this is your child’s first Thanksgiving, there are several
quick and nutritious Thanksgiving-themed baby food recipes that children six months and older can enjoy. My favorites include Turkey
Cranberry puree, mashed sweet potatoes, creamy butternut squash
and applesauce. Many baby food recipes can be found on the following websites:
www.wholesomebabyfood.com/babythanksgivingrecipes.htm
www.parents.com/holiday/thanksgiving/recipes/9-thanksgiving-recipes-forbaby
Happy Thanksgiving!
4
HFA NOVEMBER 2010
A NYC Restaurant Guide for Kids
by Carla Sullivan
Planning a trip to Manhattan and want a list of kid-friendly restaurants? Start at MiniMunchers.com. In addition to maintaining the only
children’s menu database for almost 200 Manhattan restaurants, the
website rates the “child-friendliness” of City restaurants and provides
tips for successful NYC dining adventures with kids.
The website allows users to search for restaurants by neighborhood
(including near sites of kid-interest in the city), price, and cuisine.
“When exploring all the great cultural and family-friendly venues of
Manhattan, from the Central Park Zoo and the Museum of Natural
History to the Statue of Liberty and Ground Zero, Mini Munchers will
offer families the information they need for a successful dining out
experience before and/or after their visit,” said founder and Mommy
Muncher Carla Sullivan.
Open House Recap
By Lexi Coen
5
HFA NOVEMBER 2010
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On September 29th, Zylo Restaurant, located at the Hoboken W
Hotel, hosted its first Annual “Stroller Stampede”. Escorted by chef
David Kirschner, 40 moms (and 35 children) “stampeded” from Church
Square Park to the Zylo restaurant to enjoy a three-course prix-fixe
lunch and “momosas.” Zylo donated 50% of the proceeds to Project
Play.
The room was buzzing with great conversation as people met new
friends and caught up with old acquaintances. Moms walked out with
a little gift from Bliss Spa and a relaxing drink from Serenity.
Zylo pledged its continued support of Project Play by maintaining
the menu special, dubbed Mommy & Me Lunches, every Monday in
October from 11-2pm.
puppet shows
story telling
1300 Sinatra Dr.
HOBOKEN

Wednesday’s
10 & 11am
www.letsplayinitalian.com (732)-558-4781
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Mommy & Me
Classes are
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held at:
Pre-Register
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ENROLL NOW!
Over 200 families joined HFA at the Sixth Annual All Schools Open
House on October 5. The event was a big success with record number
of schools (public, private and daycares) and parents attending. This
unique event enabled parents to meet school representatives and
receive information about local education options for their children.
Open House attendees also received a HFA School Information Grid
that summarized information from all the schools in one convenient
handout. We are delighted to share this proprietary handout with all
HFA members and registered attendees. If you would like an electronic copy, please email hfaschools@gmail.com.
A special thank you to our volunteers: Emily Severe, Laura Siegel,
Dana Bellomo, Josephine Ciallella, Michele Linder, Gabrielle Schickler,
Lisa Jonap and Stevens’ Chapter of Alpha Phi Omega.
Finally, many thanks to Hoboken High School and the Hoboken
Board of Education who allowed us to use the high school gym, Mueller
Insurance for a great giveaway and NJBest who generously sponsored
the event. For more information on NJBest, visit www.njbest.com.
SM
Read about Sharing
by Lois Gross, Hoboken Public Library
Imagine,anexhibition
that took67million
yearstocreate.
This exhibition was created by The Field Museum,
Chicago, USA and made possible through the
generosity of McDonald’s Corporation.
©2010 McDonald’s
This changes everything.™
Liberty State Park •Jersey City • lsc.org
Children associate Thanksgiving with turkeys, pilgrims, parades, and
the beginning of the commercial holiday season. Often the original
meaning of the holiday is lost in the preparations. So, sometime after
the balloons and floats leave Hoboken for Macy’s, before the football
games start, and definitely before you get the turkey out of the oven,
consider teaching your child about the value of sharing through books
from the Hoboken Library.
• Stone Soup is a classic folk tale about wanderers who trick a selfish town
into sharing their food and their friendship. My favorite version of this tale is
by Heather Forest because it is written to be read aloud.
• Time to Share by Kate Tym and Will Sheila Share by Eilvia Savadier are toddler level books to help the youngest readers with the concept of sharing.
• Pigeon Finds a Hot Dog from prolific writer and Caldecott medalist Mo
Willems teaches a pigeon a lesson about sharing when he finds a hot dog and
his duck friend wants it too.
• The Little Red Hen, illustrated by Caldecott medalist Jerry Pinkney is another time-honored tale about how people (well, animals) should work together
to earn their daily bread. Want a jazzed up version of the story? Read
Armadilly Chili by Helen Kettleman in which the story is set in the southwest
and the food is spicy and hot.
The staff of the Hoboken Library wishes you all the blessings of family and lots of tales to share with your children.
SAVE THE DATE: HFA Holiday Party
Join HFA for our annual holiday party featuring Preschool of Rock
and holiday treats served afterwards. For more information on
Preschool of Rock, visit www.preschoolofrock.com
Date: Friday, December 17
Time: TBD
Location: Club H Fitness, 110 Sinatra Drive, Hoboken
Cost: Free to all HFA families, $5 for non-members
If you have questions or would like to volunteer at the event, contact Lexi Coen at lexicoen@yahoo.com.
New Moms Bond Over Lunch
by Anthony and Liz Pino
www.empiregroup.com
407 Washington Street
201.792.8300
Licensed Real Estate Broker
Questions about selling your home in
today’s market? Call us now to schedule an
appointment with one of our Real Estate
Specialists who will guide you through the
process. We can help you prepare your home to sell,
determine when to list it and for how much, coordinate the
purchase of your next property and create a customized,
comprehensive marketing plan for selling your home.
West End Station, the newest restaurant from chef Anthony Pino,
recently started offering a new moms lunch special every Thursday
11am-3pm. Diners can enjoy soup and a salad for $10. West End
Station is located at 700 First St. at The Skyclub (201-216-9580).
Chef Anthony also offers lunch specials for new moms at Anthony
David’s (953 Bloomfield St, 201-222-8399) every Tuesday from 11 am
-3 pm ($12.95 per person for any brunch item and drink) and Bin 14
Trattoria Wine Bar (1314 Washington St., 201- 963-9463) every
Wednesday 11 am-3 pm (salad and pizza for $10).
6
HFA NOVEMBER 2010
A Community Bookstore & More
By Chris Wood
Looking for reasonably priced literature to expand your child’s book
collection? Want to expose your child to the arts and reading events
to encourage social activities in an educational and inviting setting?
Got too many books and looking to lighten the load of your overcrowded bookshelf, while at the same time teaching your child about
the gift of giving by donating your used books? If any or all of these
sound like a storyline you’d like to follow, then make a trip to the
Symposia bookstore and community center.
The Symposia bookstore and community center, located at 510
Washington Street, is the only used bookstore in Hoboken. Symposia
is a nonprofit organization whose purpose includes helping make
books and reading inviting and accessible to the public. The bookstore
accepts tax-deductible donations (a receipt is provided) of books,
DVDs, CDs, tapes, and office equipment.
You can search the Symposia bookstore’s inventory of more than
2,600 books online through Amazon.com: www.amazon.com/shops/
symposia. The bookstore’s website also offers a feature to search and
compare the price of new books.
The Symposia website (www.symposia.us/index.php) contains a
monthly calendar of current and upcoming events, which include children’s book readings. You can also sign up to receive the bookstore’s
newsletter via e-mail, which contains upcoming events and other
bookstore information.
In addition, the bookstore space can be rented for workshops,
events, or small parties. Seating is available for up to 20 people and a
video projector with a large screen is available upon request. Food and
drinks may be brought, but are not provided. For more information
about holding an event at the bookstore, call (201) 963-0909 or e-mail
info@symposia.us.
Did you know. The word “symposia” or “symposium” originally
referred to a drinking party, but has since come to refer to any academic conference characterized by an open discussion format.
Kaplan Book Fair and Family Day
By Elissa Brachfeld
The Kaplan Cooperative Preschool and Kaplan Learning Center will
hold their annual book fair this November at the United Synagogue of
Hoboken (115 Park Avenue). The book fair is designed for the entire
family with fiction and non-fiction books for all ages.
Book Fair Dates
• Nov 12: 9 am-3 pm
• Nov 9: 9 am-1 pm & 3-6:30 pm
• Nov 10: 9 am-3:30 pm & 6-8:30 pm • Nov 13: 5:30-6:30 pm
• Nov 14: 11 am-4 pm
• Nov 11: 9 am-1 pm & 3-6:30pm
Family Day will be held on Sunday, November 14 from 11 am to 4 pm
and feature special events including singing, dancing, storytelling, yoga,
face painting, arts and crafts and a bake sale.
7
HFA NOVEMBER 2010
Hoboken Family Alliance Contacts
www.hobokenfamily.com
Community Affairs Director
HOBOKEN FAMILY ALLIANCE
P.O. Box 1194
Hoboken, NJ 07030
NON PROFIT
ORGANIZATION
U.S. POSTAGE PAID
PERMIT NO. 5195
NEWARK, NJ 07102
Address Service Requested
Francoise Vielot, hfacommunity@gmail.com
Director for Special Needs Children
Theresa Howard, thoward315@gmail.com
Finance Director
Rachel Matthai, hfafinance@gmail.com
Marketing Director
Shana Lee, hfaadvertising@gmail.com
Membership Director
Cindy Altberger, hfamembership@gmail.com
Newsletter Editor and Designer
Dalia Tole, hfaeditor@gmail.com
Philanthropy Director
Michele Hulsman, hfaphilanthropy@yahoo.com
Special Events Director
Lexi Coen, lexicoen@yahoo.com
Web site Director
Steve Walkowiak, swalk@hereiam.com
The purpose of the Hoboken Family Alliance is to
improve the Hoboken Community and its way of
life through the efforts of individual and family
volunteers.
The HFA focuses its efforts on education and parenting issues, philanthropy, children’s resources
and events.
Stevens
Cooperative
School
A Leader in Progressive
Education since1949
www.stevenscoop.org
Hoboken
Newport
2s - 8th grade
K - 6th grade
and growing
Tours available by appointment.
Financial aid is available to qualified families.
For more information, please call or e-mail:
Hoboken 201.792.3688
Newport 201.626.4020
school @ stevenscoop.org
Stevens Cooperative School is accredited by the
New Jersey Association of Independent Schools
HFA is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization.
For membership, upcoming events, and parenting resources please visit
www.hobokenfamily.com.
If you have stories or story ideas you’d like included for upcoming issues
please email hfaeditor@gmail.com