Operation Shoebox Packing Event - Berkeley College and VFW Community Event - Saturday 10/19 11-1

You, your friends, and family are all invited to participate in the first Berkeley College Operation Shoebox Packing Event! This event will take place at the VFW Post 809 in Little Ferry, NJ on Saturday, October 19 from 11:00 AM - 1:00 PM. Please RSVP to Nicole Turnbull at NLL@berkeleycollege.edu to register. If you are interested in helping to plan this event, please contact Nicole Turnbull. Help is needed to recruit volunteers, fundraise for Operation Shoebox, coordinate raffle prizes, and maximize community outreach the day of the event. All participants will receive a free Berkeley Cares t-shirt and a certificate of participation from SDCL on behalf of Berkeley Cares as well as our eternal gratitude for saluting our nation's heroes!

Living the Dream: 50th Anniversary March on Washington

          Living the Dream: for 24 hours on August 24, 2013, students and staff from Berkeley College will journey to Washington, DC, joining thousands who will again March on Washington to commemorate and honor a moment and movement that inspired hearts and changed history.  Learn more about the 50th anniversary celebration and the Berkeley College #mkldream50 trip here or visit http://storify.com/dociacino/berkeley-college-mlkdream50.

         Please read this special guest blog post, which comes to us from Berkeley College student, Kyeisha Harrison. 

Source: Kyeisha Harrison

          Two years ago, the thought of taking away my precious weekend to attend a rally for anything was not even an option. My time is valuable, and after putting in a 50 hour work week, I preferred to spend my leisure time on my couch.  A lot has changed since then, and today I am elated at the thought of being able to gain a practical learning experience from attending the 50^th Anniversary of the March on Washington.  I am going to be a part of history that my children will one day read about in books.  I have just recently become interested in civil rights and I believe that this experience will not only deepen my knowledge, but my also drive my passion.  

Source: www.npr.org

There are so many benefits that I, as an African-American woman, have received from Dr. King’s March on Washington that I often forget , and shamefully, some things for which he fought and stood for of which I’m even unaware. I love that I have the opportunity to educate myself further on injustices and civil rights laws.  I feel empowered in knowing that I will be utilizing my rights and privileges to be a part of the movement to make a change. 

Source: www.bet.com

         

I no longer want to just live and reap the benefits of others’ hard work, sweat, blood, and tears.  I have a new passion to be a part of a changing Nation. I want to channel my energy into something other than Twitter or Facebook.  I want to make a difference for not only myself, but for generations to come.  I want to march, and listen and be vocal for the needs of so many.

Source: www.archives.gov

      

This August, I will be marching for change and equality.  I will be speaking for those who have not yet found their voices, and listening to those of wisdom and knowledge who can impart a lively dream in my life.  I am not sure if Dr. King’s dream will ever completely come true, but I do know that it has come close to life, and we will never move further if we do not take one step at a time.  This will be the first march that I have ever attended and the first of many steps that I will take. I am attending  the 50^th  Anniversary of the March on Washington to not only commemorate the greatness of what Dr. King did and said 50 years ago, but to also begin my march, walking step by step in making a difference.  

Somerset Patriots ballplayers pitch in to pack care packages for US troops overseas

       

         BRIDGEWATER - Somerset Patriots ballplayers will drop their bats and gloves on the field and climb the steps to the concourse where they will help volunteers put together personal care packages for US troops deployed overseas at TD Bank Ballpark on Saturday, Aug. 3.

                The VIII annual Somerset Patriots packing begins at 11 a.m. on the concourse with an orientation and opening ceremony. Volunteers can enter the ballpark through the main gate.

                All volunteers will be given a voucher good for a free ticket to a future Patriots game.

                The ballpark will be busy that day. In addition to the packing, several hundred season ticket holders have been invited to the ballpark to partake in batting practice on the field, with check-in scheduled between 10:45 am-12:30 p.m.  The Patriots will play the Southern Maryland Blue Crabs at 7:05 p.m.

                Those who attend the packing are encouraged to bring donations of food and toiletry items. Personal or travel size items are preferred. Suggested personal care items include toothbrushes and toothpaste; shampoo; moist wipes; foot powder; razors and ear swabs. Needed food items include beef jerky, cans of tuna; cans of fruit; small bags of snacks; one-ounce boxes of cereal; microwave popcorn; trail mix and dry soup.

                Operation Shoebox will also feature a selection of shirts, hats and other items to raise funds used to ship the care packages overseas.

 Please email NLL@berkeleycollege.edu to sign up!

Honoring our Heroes!

Nicole Turnbull here, Director of Student Development and Campus Life at Woodland Park and Paramus at Berkeley College. I have a confession to make - I am a proud military sister! I am so thankful for all of our Berkeley students who have served our country in the United States military and so happy they chose Berkeley College to further their education. 


Check out this great video of my brother, Air Force Staff Sergeant Kyle Luthman and cousin Nels Luthman, Vietnam Army Veteran, being interviewed for Cablevision. They discuss their work as Military Working Dog Handlers and how much it means to receive a care package when you are deployed overseas. They were recently honored at the Somerset Patriot's Stars and Stripes Game on Sunday, July 7, 2013. Rod Hirsch, also gives some info about Operation Shoebox, of which he is the founder and Executive Director. 

Left to Right: Sparky Lyle, SSgt Kyle Luthman, MWD (Ret.) Fara, Nels Luthman, Rod Hirsch

You will soon be hearing more about our Berkeley College Operation Shoebox packing event, planned for October of this year. Woodland Park Student Denise Castillo and I had a great time helping to pack over 230 care packages on Saturday, July 13 at Verona Park during the Anthony Fasano Foundation Bocce Bash fundraiser event! To read more about the Bocce Bash, click here.

Left to Right: Denise Castillo, Nicole Turnbull

A big thank you to all of our troops deployed overseas and all of the veterans who have protected our freedom. We salute you!

Join our team in the fight to help create a world without type 1 diabetes!

Image from www.jdrf.org

Join us for the 5K JDRF Walk on Sunday, October 13. 

Location:

Express Scripts
100 Parsons Pond Drive
Franklin Lakes, NJ

Time:

Registration starts at 9:00 AM

Walk starts at 10:00 AM

We're taking steps to help JDRF progressively remove the impact of type 1 diabetes (T1D) from people's lives until no one has to fear developing this disease. By joining our Walk to Cure Diabetes team and making a donation to JDRF, you'll raise money to help fund critical T1D research and create a world without T1D.

Type 1 diabetes is a life-threatening autoimmune disease in which a person's pancreas stops producing insulin. It strikes both children and adults suddenly and changes life as they know it forever. It cannot be prevented and there is no cure.

JDRF is the only global organization with a strategic research plan to fight T1D. Every dollar JDRF is able to direct toward research comes from donors like you.

The challenge we've set ourselves - to raise money for JDRF and to walk - is modest compared to the daily challenges of life with T1D, which involves a 24/7, unrelenting cycle of blood sugar testing and insulin injections to manage the disease.

Will you accept the challenge to make a difference by walking with us? Visit our fundraising page here or copy/paste  http://www2.jdrf.org/goto/BerkeleyCares into your browser and click the "Join this Team" button, make a donation, and start fundraising!

Thank you for your support, and we'll see you on Walk day!

Second cousins – both dog handlers – honored for military service in Vietnam and Afghanistan

 
Disclaimer: The content of this post is taken entirely from OpShoeboxNJ.org, author Rod Hirsch

July 7, 2013 will be a proud day for the extended Luthman family as Air Force Staff Sergeant Kyle Luthman and Vietnam veteran Nels Luthman are honored for their service to their country 40 years apart from one another.

The Somerset Patriots and AT&T will honor both men for their military service during the Sunday, July 7th “Stars’n’Stripes celebration at TD Bank Ballpark in Bridgewater, NJ. Gates open at 4 p.m. The ceremonies will precede the game, with the first pitch scheduled at 5:05 p.m. The game is sponsored by Operation Shoebox NJ.

Tickets are $10 and are available by calling (908) 698-0333. All proceeds will be donated to Operation Shoebox New Jersey.





Kyle and Nels are second cousins and share a common bond beyond family. They are proud members of an elite group within the military community - expert military dog handlers. To read more about this story visit OpShoeboxNJ.org

Operation Shoebox NJ - Mailing Addresses Needed

 

 

Operation Shoebox New Jersey remains strong and steadfast in its resolve to maintain a supply line of personal care packages for US troops deployed around the world. They are in constant search of overseas APO and FPO mailing addresses and your help is needed to help expand their mailing list.

Please mention this to friends, family, neighbors, co-workers, people you come in contact with during the day on the street, shopping, mail carriers, wherever.

They are eager to ship care packages ANYWHERE around the world - they are not limited to Afghanistan and the Mideast. They also can and do ship to Navy and Coast Guardsmen onboard ships and submarines.

Thanks to all!

For more info visit:

facebook.com/opshoeboxnj

twitter.com/opshoeboxnj

www.opshoeboxnj.org