The daily burdens thrust upon families who are battling pediatric cancer are many, and the Ashley Lauren Foundation (ALF) is an independent, New Jersey-based non-profit organization that depends on the support of the community to address those needs. This is its mission, and it is one that Monica Vermeulen, Founder and CEO of ALF, aims to fulfill regularly. Even though the pandemic has caused all fundraising events to be cancelled, ALF is finding new ways to bring in funding. But they could really use support from the community, and there are two very specific ways you can help – buying raffle tickets and/or a box from Delicious Orchards. Here’s a great chance to win some money and do some good. Tickets are now available for a 50/50 raffle that will be drawn on September 30 in honor of National Childhood Cancer Awareness Month. Tickets are $25 each, and they will be selling up to 1200 tickets. One half of the proceeds of the 50/50 Raffle to winners will be divided as follows: first place – 80%; second place – 10%; and third Place – 10%. Need to send a gift? Enjoy delicious treats? You can do both and help the kids. Delicious Orchards of Colts Neck is partnering with ALF. Vice President Chris McDonald explained, “Delicious Orchards is excited to team up with the Ashley Lauren Foundation to help raise funds during these difficult times. Due to several events having to be rescheduled or canceled we came up with a way to safely raise funds for a tremendous organization. We have created a Special Ashley Lauren Bakery Box that will be sold online only. For every box that is sold $20 will be donated to the Ashley Lauren Foundation! This box will be available for a limited time, so please place your order today. This sweet Bakery Box contains a Delicious Orchards Brownie, Apple Crumb Cake, Chocolate Chip Cookies, Oatmeal Raisin Cookies, and of course a dozen of our Famous Apple Cider Donuts. Send to your Family, Friends, and Clients and help support this wonderful organization. You can place your order by visiting deliciousorchardsnjonline.com.”

“The Ashley Lauren Foundation has been continually assisting children and their families throughout these very difficult times,” shared Vermeulen. “We have been receiving many new referrals on a weekly basis in addition to the many, many families we have already been helping. These children are fighting for their lives and need as much help as possible. Just because we have a pandemic, the cancer that each child has does not stop! In fact, it makes life more challenging for these families because many of the parents are now out of work and their bills are piling up, rents, mortgages, and utilities cannot be paid, food is needed, travel expenses back and forth to hospitals are needed and so much more. It doubles and triples the adversity that they are going through. These are the practical needs, but these children, in addition to suffering from this disease, are confused about what is going on. They need your help.”

In addition to paying bills for the families, ALF makes sure they are still bringing smiles to the children, which is so desperately needed. They deliver toys, send birthday gifts, plan birthday drive-bys, and anything else that can be done to bring some sense of happiness and normalcy. For more information, please visit AshleyLaurenFoundation.org, or call 732.414.1625, or to donate directly you can now Venmo your donation to account @TheAshleyLaurenFoundation.

Headshot of Carolynn Ozar

The family of the late Carolynn Ozar Diakon and Resources Real Estate have announced the creation of The Carolynn Ozar Diakon Foundation, an organization to support the philanthropic interests of the company’s founder who passed in January. The foundation, which is currently in development, will focus its support on empowering women facing life challenges of all kinds as well as promoting the legacy of the local philanthropist. It will be directed by her husband, Robert Diakon, their three grown children Gabriel Diakon, Christopher Ozar and Brett Diakon, as well as Thomas McCormack, Broker of Resources Real Estate. “Carolynn was a driving force in our community and an inspiration to many,” said her husband Bob Diakon. “Through the work of the foundation we wish to keep alive the values that were important to her and serve as an ongoing tribute to her memory.” Some of the activities in the planning stages include a student scholarship provided by NJ Real Estate Prep, a real estate school co-founded by Ozar Diakon, ongoing social media outreach to promote her teaching, and fundraising events to provide financial support to some of her favorite causes.

FEATURED PHOTO: (left to right) The Community YMCA’s Board Chair Jennifer Lakefield, President & CEO Laurie Goganzer and Chief Operating Officer Jennifer Dunn, along with Board chair of the YMCA of Western Monmouth County Stacey DeAlmeida, celebrate the merger of the two YMCAs to create the second-largest Y in New Jersey.

The Community YMCA and YMCA of Western Monmouth County announced today that effective Sept. 1, 2019 they will join together as one YMCA association to strengthen individuals, families and communities throughout greater Monmouth County. Collectively, the YMCAs will serve over 36,000 members and participants, employ more than 1,200 people and engage approximately 650 volunteers with an annual operating budget of $25 million, which will make the new association the second largest YMCA in New Jersey. The decision to merge is the result of nearly one year of analysis and planning. A task force of eight board members representing both Ys recommended the merger, which was unanimously approved by both boards last night. Members of the task force were Russ Azzarello, John Badenhop, Stacey DeAlmeida, Tim Hogan, Jennifer Lakefield, Craig McGraw, Ted Nappi and Janet Phillips. Since January 2019, the two YMCAs have operated under a management services agreement in which The Community YMCA has provided leadership to the YMCA of Western Monmouth County. Laurie Goganzer has been serving as president and CEO of both associations and Jennifer Dunn as chief operating officer. The agreement will continue until the merger takes effect. “This union creates an exciting opportunity to serve more individuals and families through a shared mission focused on youth development, healthy living and social responsibility,” Goganzer said. “I am truly grateful to our board members, task force and board Chairpersons Stacey DeAlmeida and Jennifer Lakefield for their commitment to the Y mission to make a deeper in the communities we serve.” Combined, the association will have 11 facilities including: health and wellness branches in Freehold, Old Bridge and Red Bank; outdoor day camps in Millstone and Wall; a community center in Freehold; counseling and social services centers in Eatontown, Matawan and the Leonardo section of Middletown; a child care center in Matawan; and administrative offices in Shrewsbury. Additionally, both Ys provide before and after school care services in 40 schools across Monmouth County and The Community YMCA provides therapeutic counseling to children in 53 schools in eastern Monmouth County and parts of Ocean County. “Coming together will enable both Ys to benefit from shared resources and enhance our ability to respond to vital needs in our communities, including affordable child care, suicide prevention and mental and behavioral health care,” said Lakefield, who will become chair of the new board and chief volunteer officer of the unified Y. DeAlmeida, incoming first vice president of the new board of directors, noted that since 2000, a growing number of YMCAs across the country have successfully merged and achieved greater community impact and sustainability. “This is an important milestone for The Community YMCA and YMCA of Western Monmouth County. We believe we will only be stronger together,” she said. The two Ys have a history of collaboration, including once jointly owning and operating YMCA Camp Zehnder, sharing marketing initiatives, and hosting an annual Dr. Martin Luther King event for 31 years. Dunn, who has been overseeing operations at both Ys noted that “our teams are excited about moving forward as one Y and are already working together to ensure a smooth transition for our members and program participants.” For more information about The Community YMCA, call 732.671.5505 or visit www.TheCommunityYMCA.org. For more information about the YMCA Western Monmouth County, call 732.462.0464 or visit www.ymcanj.org.

“Since we opened Catsbury Park in September 2017 we have been floored by the overwhelming love and support from the community,” said DJ Bornschein, Founder, Catsbury Park. “We’ve already had over 100 adoptions. The Catsbury Park Cat Convention is our way of giving back to the cat loving community of New Jersey on an even larger scale. We are thrilled to be hosting so many cats, cat lovers, and presentations at the historic Convention Hall on the boardwalk of America’s coolest small town!”

The proceeds from this event will go to Catsbury Park as well as other local rescues, shelters, charities and or organizations, including: The Brodie Fund, Jersey Shore Animal Foundation, Camden County Animal Shelter, Paul the Cat Guy, and Asbury Boardwalk Rescue Inc.

For more information, visit catsburyconvention.com.

County Clerk Christine Giordano Hanlon is reminding everyone to check their passports if you are planning spring travel out of the country. Many countries require six months validity on a U.S. passport, so it is critical to check the expiration date in advance if you already have a passport. Spring break is one of the most popular times of year to travel. By applying for a passport now, travelers will save themselves the aggravation of rushing to get a passport and will also save money by not having to expedite service. In addition, to take advantage of travel deals, it is essential to have a valid passport. Hanlon reminds residents that some airlines require a valid passport number when booking international flights. Passport applications are accepted at the County Clerk’s two Passport Offices:

• Freehold – Monmouth County Clerk’s Office located in the Market Yard (south of Main Street). The hours are Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.
• Neptune – Monmouth County Connection at 3544 Route 66 (near Home Depot) The hours are Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.; Tuesday and Thursday from 10 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.; and Saturday from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m.

Passport services are also available at the Mobile County Connection at the Monmouth Mall, which is open on the first Thursday of each month from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. The Mobile County Connection is located on the upper level of the Monmouth Mall, adjacent to Boscov’s. To obtain a passport, it is necessary to have a certified birth certificate with a raised seal, social security number, a passport photo 2×2 inches in size, and current identification such as a driver’s license or government identification. Passport photos are available for a fee of $10 at both locations. Parents who are making a passport application for a child under the age of 16 are required to appear together or submit additional documentation. “Make sure to contact the Passport Office prior to appearing at a County passport office to be sure that you have the proper documentation and payments,” said Hanlon. For more information about applying for a passport and the documentation that is needed, please go to the County Clerk’s webpage at www.monmouthcountyclerk.com, or contact the Freehold passport office at 732-431-7324 or Neptune at 732-303-2828.

The Monmouth Museum will present two new exhibitions: The 39th Annual Juried Art Exhibition and the Member Miniatures Exhibition with an opening reception on January 13, 2018 from 4:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. at the Museum located on 765 Newman Springs Road, Lincroft, NJ, on the campus of Brookdale Community College, parking lot #1. The Opening Reception is Free to attend. Both Exhibitions will run through March 11, 2018. The 39th Annual Juried Art Exhibition is a representation of the creative talent and contemporary art trends across the nation. This year the Museum is presenting an eclectic mix of international artworks in their Main Gallery ranging in media from painting and sculpture to photography and print making. 351 artwork submissions were received from 164 artists, and 71 pieces have been selected for this exhibition. The Member Miniatures: big ART in small packages exhibition is being presented for the fourth year. In appreciation of their Artist Members, the Museum will be highlighting their small works (that is no larger than 12 inches’ square framed) in a juried exhibition that will be displayed in the Nilson Gallery, and the Hallway Gallery. The small works are in a variety of media. For more information about the Monmouth Museum exhibits and programs call 732.747.2266, or the website is www.monmouthmuseum.org.