Come Hungry (and Thirsty) to the Bergen Bike Tour!

The 18th Annual Bergen Bike Tour is Sunday, September 29th at Darlington Park.  We want to give special thanks to some generous sponsors who are making sure that our riders, volunteers, friends and families will be well fed and thirsts thoroughly quenched!  Since 2002,  Dunkin' Donuts and Baker Sports Marketing have been providing breakfast and coffee to get everyone runnin' and ridin'. Longtime sponsor Inserra ShopRite Supermarkets will be donating food for our delicious picnic lunch - burgers, hot dogs and all the fixin's for a fabulous post-ride feast!  Once again, United Water's famous water truck (The Buffalo) will be on site, providing fresh water for our thirsty riders.  And we are pleased to welcome a new sponsor:  Caribbean Aqua, who will be donating a variety of beverages for the Bergen Bike Tour - soda, iced tea and Caribbean Aqua bottled water - "paradise in every bottle" - and lots of it! 

Learn more about the Bergen Bike Tour, click here.

A Great Night at the Races

150 guests beat the heat and came out to Night at the Races, a return to the racetrack to support the strategic initiatives of the Northern New Jersey Business Volunteer Council.   The Meadowlands Racetrack was around 100 degrees at 6 PM on Friday, July 19, that didn’t stop guests from coming out to play the ponies and raise funds for the BVC.

 

Jim James, Site Manager of the Mahwah Center for Food Action, was on hand to collect healthy cereal and Macaroni and Cheese that had been donated by guests.  He filled his van with 300 pounds of collected food for hungry kids this summer.

 

Despite the heat, the party was a great success and lots of fun! Thank you to everyone who made it possible by bidding on auction prizes and participating in our 50/50 raffle.

 

A very special thanks to our Presenting Sponsor Hudson City Savings Bank and to our other generous sponsors BD, Jack Daniels Motors, Quest Diagnostics, Spectra Laboratories, United Water, Five Star Premier Residence of Teaneck, and Rockland Electric.

 

To learn more about the BVC and how your company can get involved, click here.

Thinking about bringing Service-Learning into your classroom or school?

We’re bringing you some of the best thinking around.

2013 PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT CONFERENCE

• Learn how to use Service-Learning to implement the Common Core and 21st Century Skills
• Discover online and community resources to support Service-Learning initiatives and activities
• Hear from experts with practical advice to help you get started and navigate obstacles.
• Understand the long-term benefits of Service-Learning for students, teachers, schools and communities.
• Connect with like-minded New Jersey educators to “Build Our Future” through Service-Learning.

 Registeronline today!

Tuesday, August 13, 2013 – 8:15AM to 3:15PM

Kean University, STEM Building, 1000 Morris Avenue, Union, NJ

$60 PerPerson includes lunch and materials

WHO SHOULD ATTEND?   K-12 Educators including...

Teachers, Administrators, Counselors, Faculty Advisors, Curriculum Coordinators, Campus Ministers, and Club Moderators.  Attendees will receive a Certificate of Participation for six credit hours of professional development. 

For More Information Visit:  http://www.sianj.com/service-learning.html

Local Support for the Bergen Bike Tour

Several area companies have stepped up to sponsor the 18th Annual Bergen Bike Tour, set for Sunday, September 29 at Darlington Park in Mahwah. Proceeds benefit Tomorrows Children’s Fund and the Volunteer Center of Bergen County. In addition to providing funds, companies are also forming company teams, donating products and encouraging customers and employees to ride and to volunteer!

There is still time to sponsor! Learn more here.

Sponsors to date include TD Bank; JDD Alderisio; (201) Family; Amica Insurance; Apax Partners; Inserra Supermarkets, Jamis Bicycles, Lakeland Bank, Miller, Murphy, Baglieri, OritaniBank Charitable Foundation, Stop and Shop, Synetek Solutions, Tanis Concrete, Baker Sports Marketing, Columbia Bank, Dunkin Donuts, Eisai USA Foundation, Flavor & Fragrance Specialties, Inc., Garden State Wiper, Hackensack University Medical Center, KRE, Myron Corporation, PNC Bank, Rockland Electric Company, Andrew Rubenstein, M.D., Sagemark Consulting Private Wealth Management, Sanzari Companies, Topcon American Corporation, United Water, WithumSmith+Brown, Zerega Pasta, The Alfa Group, UBS Private Wealth Management, The Dapper Foundation/Hanse Law Firm, Downes Tree Service, Fulton, Timmes, Frega & Straubinger, P.A., Law Offices of Elsbeth J. Crusius, LLC, Lowenstein Sandler LLC, Malesardi, Quackenbush, Swift & Co. LLC, Morgan Stanley, RLB Food Distributors.

Thank you sponsors!

 

“TCF and VCBC provide programs and services that help children with cancer, the frail elderly, people with disabilities and families in crisis. We encourage community-minded companies and cyclists to support this great event,” says Phil Murphy, chairman of the event.

 

More than 400 cyclists will ride routes of 10-, 25- or 50-miles through some of northern Bergen County's most scenic areas. There will also be a "Kids Ride" for children 9 and under.

For more information, visit http://www.bergenbiketour.org/ or to become a sponsor of this stellar event, call Jane He at 201-489-9454, ext. 125.

Sum-Sum-Summer Time Volunteer Opportunities

MEVO, Mahwah Environmental Volunteer Organization, is looking for volunteers for a huge clean up event at Stagg Hill, Mahwah, on Saturday, August 3 from 10am-4pm.  Lunch will be provided.  75 - 100 volunteers are needed.  Call MEVO to sign up, 201-316-7606.

Womens Rights Information Center, Englewood, is looking for a bilingual Enrollment Assistant to work Tuesday and Thursday from 3:00- 6:00pm.  Volunteers will assist with providing enrollment information, placement testing and registration for ESL.  Volunteers must be 21. Call Suzan Burr at 201-568-1166 to volunteer.

Spectrum for Living, an organization that impacts the lives of adults with developmental disabilities, is in need of “On Call” Volunteers.  Opportunities include assisting with mailings, attending community events to sell raffle tickets, and helping at annual events (Golf Classic, Walks, Galas, etc.).  Most opportunities will be at the River Vale, NJ headquarters or other locations throughout Bergen County.  Scheduling for these opportunities is flexible.  For more information, please contact Marie Hacker at 201-358-1685.

Jewish Family Service is looking for volunteer Friendly Visitors in Bergen and North Hudson County.  Volunteers will provide socialization to homebound and isolated clients through regular home visits.  Please call Jeff at 201-837-9090, ext. 238 to find out more.

ECLC of NJ, Paramus,  is looking for Activity Coordinators for Adults with Special Needs.  Volunteers will assist clients as needed during activities such as sports, music shows, trivia games, etc.  Please call Mary Lou Dawson at 973-635-1705, ext. 29 to volunteer.

We have compiled a list of Summer Volunteer Projects, click here to check them out. Great for students and adults.

Introducing your Future Leaders

By Debbie Emery

Leadership learning is not just for adults! The Volunteer Center of Bergen County recently hosted a two-day Youth Leadership Institute for students entering 8, 9, and 10 grade this coming September.

21 eager and interested teens spent June 27 and 28 exploring civic engagement and their role in creating a culture of leadership for young people.  These students were from schools all over Bergen County and began as strangers but left as new friends.  The Volunteer Center’s Youth Leadership Institute delivers an interactive curriculum featuring a challenging series of lessons and exercises including community needs analysis, goal setting, team building, project planning, decision making, and other dynamic leadership skills. 

Despite warm temperatures, the energy and resourcefulness of young people kept the two days full of fun, action and a wonderful spirit of community. 

View more pictures from the training here.

For more information on this program and other training opportunities at the Volunteer Center, contact Debbie Emery at demery@bergenvolunteers.org or 201-489-9454, x118.

July “Lunch and Learn” for Volunteer Managers

The Non Profit Training and Resource Center of the Volunteer Center of Bergen County will present a Volunteer Managers’ “Lunch and Learn” Roundtable on Thursday, July 25, 2013 from 11:30 am to 1:00 pm at the Volunteer Center’s offices at 64 Passaic Street in Hackensack.

The Roundtables are free, but all attendees must be pre-registered to attend. To RSVP, call 201-489-9454 Ext. 118 or e-mail demery@bergenvolunteers.org by July 22nd.

Participants must bring their own lunches; soft drinks will be provided. Driving directions and parking instructions will be e-mailed to registered attendees before each session.

All professionals who work with or manage volunteers in non-profit, corporate, community, governmental or faith-based settings are invited to attend this seminar—part of a series of bi-monthly meetings that are informal yet interactive, with time for networking and group problem solving activities.

Each Roundtable will provide an opportunity for professional growth and interaction with colleagues as well as a forum for sharing ideas and best practices in the field. Additionally, attendees will get updates on new programs and services that the Volunteer Center has available to enhance agencies’ volunteer programs.

“These meetings have proven to be informational as well as inspirational,” says Debbie Emery, Community Volunteer Services Director for the Volunteer Center. “The lively exchanges have helped participants keep their skills sharp, find out about new ideas, and get answers to questions about making the most of their volunteer workforces.”

Happy Fourth of July!

From everyone at the Volunteer Center,

have a happy and safe Fourth of July!

Area Companies Needed to Collect School Supplies for Needy Kids

The NorthernNew Jersey Business Volunteer Council (BVC) is sponsoring a collection to provide school supplies for hundreds of children who are from low-income families, in foster care, or who are homeless.  Community-minded companies are invited to participate in the “Tools for Schools” initiative, which runs until August 31st.  Employee volunteers will collect school supplies and deliver them to non-profit organizations including Center for Food Action, Children’s Aid and Family Services, and Youth Consultation Services.

 

Sponsors for Tools for School are BD, Eastern Bergen County Board of Realtors, PSEG, Rockland Electric, United Water and Wells Fargo Advisors.

 

“The new school year begins the first week of September; children will be given a list of school supplies that they need to purchase for the year,” says Ellen Lutvak, BVC Coordinator.    “In these difficult economic times, families are struggling to pay for a roof over their heads or put food on the table.  School supplies are low on the list of priorities, and unfortunately, the children will do without.  Think of how a child will feel when all of the other children have new pencils, notebooks and backpacks, and s/he does not.”

 

The BVC will coordinate the drive with companies to collect the school supplies, based on lists that have been developed in coordination with the social service agencies. Any company wishing to participate can contact Ellen Lutvak  at the Volunteer Center of Bergen County, at (201) 489-9454 Ext. 133 to receive an organizational packet with complete instructions on how to organize and conduct the campaign.

 

The BVC, sponsored by the Volunteer Center of Bergen County, provides information and support to companies – large and small – that wish to engage their employees in the community through volunteer service.  The BVC plans and manages employee volunteer projects, arranges a county-wide corporate day of service in September and sponsors three turnkey initiatives which address literacy, hunger and education. 

 

For more information on membership in the BVC, please call Ellen Lutvak   at 201-489-9454 Ext.133 or e-mail BVC@bergenvolunteers.org, or visit www.nnjbvc.org.