Sussex County Community College plans to raise money for student scholarships by offering six winter and holiday backdrops, where residents may take family holiday photos. (Photo provided)
• Project Self-Sufficiency is asking residents and organizations to donate traditional Thanksgiving food or to donate money for the purchase of food. Donors are invited to sponsor a family for $50.
The nonprofit agency is gearing up to distribute complete Thanksgiving dinners to about 500 local families.
Frozen turkeys may be delivered between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. Monday, Nov. 20 to at 127 Mill St., Newton. Turkeys cannot be accepted earlier or later because of the lack of refrigerated storage space.
Individuals and families who need help at Thanksgiving are invited to call Project Self-Sufficiency at 973-940-3500.
• iHeartRadio Tri-State’s 17th annual “Stuff the Bus” food drive is collecting non-perishable food items for the Sussex County Division of Social Services Food Pantry until Sunday, Nov. 24.
Suggested non-perishable donation items include juice drinks, canned goods, peanut butter, granola bars, pasta, mac & cheese, rice, shelf-stable milk, cereal and oatmeal.
Donations may be dropped off at ShopRite stores in Franklin, Newton, Sparta, Sussex and Byram as well as at any Provident Bank branch in Sussex County and at Tire King in Sussex.
102.3 WSUS, 103.7 WNNJ and 106.3 The Bear radio talents will be at Provident Bank, 7 Town Center Drive, Sparta, from 3 to 5 p.m. Friday, Nov. 22. They also will be at the ShopRites at 90-80 Route 206 N., Byram; 270 Route 23, Franklin; 127 Water St. (Route 206), Newton; 18 North Village Blvd., Sparta; and 1 Wiebel Plaza, Sussex, on Saturday and Sunday.
Sussex County Skylands Ride buses will be at those locations so residents may “stuff the bus” from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 23 and 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 24.
• Sussex County Community College (SCCC) plans to raise money for student scholarships by offering six winter and holiday backdrops where residents may take family holiday photos.
Residents may bring cameras and take as many pictures as they like in each scene from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Nov. 17, 23, 24 and 30 and Dec.: 1, 7 and 8. Dec. 5 is for students and staff only.
The scenes will be set up in Academic & Athletic Building, Room E206.
Parking is available in upper lot #5; follow the signs.
The cost is $20 per family for community members and $15 for SCCC employees and students. Cash only.
• Pass It Along is collecting Thanksgiving meal donations for families in need.
All donations will be brought to the Sparta United Methodist Church, 71 S Sparta Ave., from 9 a.m. to noon Saturday, Nov. 23 for Family Volunteer Day.
Send email to brittany@passitalong.org to find out how to help.
• Maverick’s Toy Drive is accepting donations of new unwrapped toys through Tuesday, Nov. 26 at the Barnyard, 1 Wantage Ave., Branchville.
All donated toys will be delivered to Benny’s Bodega in time for local families to receive them by the holidays.
For information, send email to info@MavericksLegacy.org
• Drivers and meal assemblers are needed for the 2024 Love in Action Thanksgiving Prepared Meal Program. A record 2,100 meals are expected to be assembled and delivered this year.
Contact Mitch Morrison at mitchell.morrison5@mac.com to sign up to help.
All vehicles must be minivans or large SUVs with lots of storage availability.
More than 10 drivers are needed Tuesday afternoon, Nov. 26 to pick up food and more than 75 assemblers are required from 5 to 7 p.m. that day at the United Methodist Church in Sparta. Five drivers are needed from 7 to 8 that evening to deliver the boxed meals to the Sussex County Fairgrounds.
Five drivers are needed from 7 to 8 a.m. Wednesday, Nov. 27 to bring the meals back to the church in Sparta, and more than 10 drivers are required for Wednesday morning deliveries in Newton, Vernon, Wantage, Boonton, Stanhope and Montville.
• The SC Group/Coldwell Banker Realty in Augusta will hold a Holiday Pictures for a Cause fundraiser to benefit the Weekend Bag program, a nonprofit organization that provides food and hygiene supplies to children in need.
The fundraiser will be from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 30 at 47 Route 206, Suite 2, Augusta. Bring family and pets.
Suggested donation is $25 for a 15-minute photo session.
• The 11th annual “Stuff the Boat” toy drive coordinated by Branchville business Off Shore Marine to benefit Project Self-Sufficiency’s Season of Hope Toy Drive has been launched.
Residents are asked to bring gift cards, funds and new unwrapped toys to fill a 23-foot Barletta Lusso boat at the dealership, 357 Route 206.
A wide range of first-responders, businesses and organizations are gathering toys, including members of the Branchville Hose Company, Blue Ridge Rescue Squad, Frankford Township Fire Department, Sandyston Township Volunteer Fire Department, Sussex Fire and Emergency Medical Service, and Ladies Auxiliary of the Sussex Fire Department along with the Kiwanis Club of Sussex and Royal Buick GMC of Sussex,
A special community drop-off event will be hosted at Off Shore Marine from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 7; photos with Santa will be available.
Toys will be accepted there through Thursday, Dec. 12.
• Project Self-Sufficiency is seeking monetary donations and gift cards to local stores to be distributed to senior citizens as part of the agency’s Earth Angels initiative.
In mid-December, students in the New Jersey Youth Corps high school diploma program will stuff festive bags with the cards and gifts. The items will be delivered by volunteers and Project Self-Sufficiency staff to homebound seniors during the week leading up to Christmas.
Along with monetary contributions, the agency is seeking donations of gift cards from local retailers, including Kohl’s, ShopRite, Stop & Shop, Walmart, Weis, and the hair salons at the Homestead and Liberty Towers senior residences.
Money may be donated online at projectselfsufficiency.org or by making out a check to Project Self-Sufficiency and indicating Earth Angels on the memo line. Donations of checks and gift cards may be dropped off at Project Self-Sufficiency, 127 Mill St., Newton. For information, call Alice Prendergast at 973-940-3500.
• Wantage United Methodist Church is seeking donations of winter apparel, including new or gently used winter coats in all sizes for men, women and children. Also needed are mittens, gloves, hats (must be new), thermal socks, scarves and thermal underwear.
All of the items will be distributed for free to those in need at the 14th annual Christmas Day dinner on Dec. 25 at the church, 199 Libertyville Road.
The church will be open from 12:30 to 2 p.m. Saturdays to accept donations. Donations also may be dropped off before or after church services Sundays.
If you need to have your donation picked up, contact Melissa to arrange a pickup. Call her at the church at 973-875-4488 or send a text to her cellphone at 973-997-1822.
• The Sussex County Recovery Community Center will have a Giving Back Tree through the end of 2024.
Drop off nonperishable food items at 65 Newton Sparta Road, Newton, for the Sussex County Division of Social Services Food Pantry to create weekend food bags for children in local schools.
On Friday, Jan. 10, gather at the RCC to share a meal and assemble the weekend bags. For information, call 973-940.2966.
Please send information about other ways to help those in need to editor.ann@strausnews.com