Craig Valenti (left in photo) and Marnie Kaller (right) gave a talk on Hurricane Sandy reliefe and rebuilding in Union Beach, NJ. Their work was carried out with the Presbyterian Church of Morristown, NJ. The PCM Outreach Committee has set up a Hurricane Sandy Relief Task Force to initiate and coordinate Hurricane Sandy relief efforts in New Jersey on an ongoing basis. They partnered with the Gateway Church of Christ of Holmdel, NJ. Most work was done on one-day trips to Union Beach.

Craig and Marned illustrated the extreme damage caused by Sandy with an excellent digital photo show. Also included in the show were photos of volunteers at work removing mildewed materials and installing fresh new sheetrock. Photos showed homeowners helping the restoration process.

The homes in Union Beach are modest dwellings of working class families. Most of the homes in the community were destroyed by Sandy. Without insurance for covering the cost of repairs, the community is in desperate need of assistance.

There are also one-week work trips to Point Pleasant, NJ.

The audience enthusiastically applauded the inspiring presentation. Please visit the website of the Presbyterian Church of Morristown to learn what you can do.

Kiwanis August 20 Meeting Program: Dr. Joseph Murphy spoke on "Organic Food - Is it Worth the Price?"

Dr. Joseph Murphy spoke at the Kiwanis August 20th breakfast meeting on "Organic Food - Is it Worth the Price?" Dr. Murphy is a member of the Kiwanis Club and very active in Chatham. His presentation was captured on video by Tom Salvas, local videographer, for use by the Mayor’s Wellness Committee. This is associated with the NJ State Mayors' Wellness Campaign.

Dr. Murphy began by telling everyone that he worked for many years in the food industry. After that, he started his own Chiropractic practice and continued his work in nutrition, teaching his patients how to eat healthier. An important factor is organic versus inorganic farming, produce, etc.

 

Organic farming means getting back to basics as far as what farming was years ago. It was all natural. When synthetic farming started, new materials and methods were introduced into the farming process.

USDA Organic Seal

The US Department of Agriculture had a distinctive seal for certifying that food is Organic. The definition of organic food may be found on the USDA website. It costs more to produce organic products.

Organic food is free of synthetic pesticides fungicides and fertilizers. Some people believe that eating organic food makes you healthier. Also, organic food is better for the environment, in general. Organic food is considered better for children. You can learn more about healthy eating at Dr. Murphy’s Chatham Patch Blog. Members of the audience enthusiastically applauded the helpful and interesting presentation.

Kiwanis sponors 2013 Summer Reading Club picnic at Library of the Chathams

 Tom Mullin with Laura Weinbraum, Children's Librarian

 John Cooks, Mal looks

 Pat joins the fun

 Many hands make light work.

 Arranging the chips.

 The line starts moving.

 The end of the day.

Layout of tables and grill.



Kiwanis August 13 Meeting Presentation: Katie Olson, Director of Development at Cornerstone Family Programs spoke on their recent reorganization.

Katie Olson, Director of Development at Cornerstone Family Programs spoke on their recent reorganization at the August 13 Kiwanis meeting held at Charlie Brown’s Restaurant in Chatham Township. The service organization previously known as Family Service of Morris County (FSMC) is now known as Cornerstone Family Programs. FSMC merged with another service organization, Morristown Neighborhood House.

FSMC has be in operation for 200 years.

Cornerstone Family Programs is a private, non profit organization. Katie gave an overview of the organization’s mission and major projects. To learn more, please visit their new website.

Kiwanis August 6 Meeting Program: Bill Nauta from Chatham Borough presented Emergency Management

Bill Nauta (right in photo), Chatham Emergency Management Coordinator, spoke to Chatham-Madison Kiwanis Club about the preparations and planning for future emergencies like last year’s Sandy experience. He was introduced by John Eyre (left in photo).

Bill is not the “doer” during emergencies. That is the role of the Police Dept., Fire Dept., Emergency Squad, Red Cross, etc. Bill brings all the players together. He also helps find places for people displaced by emergencies. He discussed problems uncovered during Hurricane Sandy and steps taken to prepare for future problems.

The audience appreciated hearing about the detailed preparations that Chatham is making for future emergencies. To learn more, please visit the Chatham Office of Emergency Management website.

Kiwanis August 6 Meeting Announcements

Tom Mullin announced the August 15 Chatham Library Childrens’ Reading Club picnic and he passed around a signup sheet. Monty Montague announced that he has a draft version of new Kiwanis Club bylaws and he requested members to review the draft before is approved. Send him an email to receive a copy for review.

Kiwanis July 30 Meeting Program: Alan Robertson and Joan Frey spoke on "Tulips and Windmills".

 Alan Robertson and Joan Frey spoke on "Tulips and Windmills", a description of their tour of the Netherlands and Belgium. They took many great photos and shared with the audience. A small selection of photos are shown below. The audience enthusiastically applauded this informative and entertaining presentation.