Adopt-A-Highway

NJDOT has cancelled the Adopt-A-Highway program.

John McCormack, Outpost Adopt-A-Highway volunteer coordinator, and the Outpost Board of Trustees would like to thank everyone who has volunteered over the years to help keep the Grove Street ramps off Route 3 litter-free.

Pictured is Outpost's former Adopt-A-Highway leader Heather Palumbo (white sweatshirt) as she takes a break with the other volunteers, having collected an (Outpost) record (at the time) 17 bags of debris.

Community FoodBank of New Jersey

Upcoming dates:
Check back soon for upcoming dates.

Your Saturday morning free time can be time well-spent at the Community Foodbank of New Jersey. Much of the food that's produced in this country never reaches a consumer's table, but through this volunteer opportunity you'll assist the Foodbank in getting the food to the charities that feed the needy. We'll meet in the church parking lot at 8:30 a.m. and carpool to Hillside. We'll return to Montclair at 11:00 a.m. To let us know about your interest contact Jennifer here or email her at volunteers@outpostintheburbs.org.

Outpost volunteers (l. to r.) Terry Hagelthorn, Mitch Schor, Jennifer Freed (the boss), John McCormack, and Steve Cutaia celebrate a couple of hours well-spent at a recent FoodBank workday.

Habitat for Humanity

Upcoming dates:
A Saturday is being scheduled - stay tuned for date.

Build hope with those (the future residents of the buildings) for whom the ownership of decent housing is still an unfulfilled dream. Sign up by leaving a message for Jolynda at volunteers@outpostintheburbs.org.

Habitat for Humanity Reprise - Saturday, May 17, 2003
There were smiles all around as Outpost volunteers (clockwise from bottom left) Yem Makonnen, Craig Levine, Mark Nathan, Heather Palumbo, Dina Gavenas, Steve Cutaia and Elliot Feldman built community with 2nd grade teacher, single mom and future homeowner Kimya Jackson. The weather was great, the work energetic and the rewards enormous.

Human Needs Pantry -
Starting Off On the Right Foot

The following article and photograph first appeared in the May - June 2003 Reader.

Around the first of the year (2003), Outposter and first grade teacher, Heather Palumbo, contacted me with the information that her school's first grade classes were collecting food in celebration of their first 100 days of elementary school. Heather also asked me if I would drop by and say a few words to the students. I immediately contacted the Human Needs Pantry in Montclair and asked if they were interested in participating. They were and on February 19 Warren Ross, a food pantry board member and I drove to the James Fallon School in Wayne to meet with the children and thank them for their donations. Warren brought a can of corn with him and traced the path the can takes to get from the field to their table. The children were GREAT! Special thanks to Heather and her fellow 1st grade teacher Eileen Haig for starting out their students with such a great project, and to the students for the 339 items they contributed to the Human Needs Pantry of Montclair.

- Steve Cutaia

Pictured above, Heather Palumbo and Warren Ross (left) of the Human Needs
Food Pantry along with her first grade class and Mrs. Haig's class. Steve
Cutaia (right) of The Outpost looks on.

Soup Kitchen Workdays

Mary McGee arranged to pay for much-needed repairs on the stove at the soup kitchen.
This thankful letter is from the pastor of the Christ Episcopal Church.

All Soup Kitchen volunteer opportunites are on SATURDAYS and begin at 9:30 AM.

February 6
March 6 & 20
April 3 & 17
May 1
June 5 & 19

There are more opportunities to help bring nourishment to the clients of the soup kitchen at Christ Episcopal Church in East Orange. Space is limited to six or seven volunteers each workday, so be sure to contact Mary at mcgeewest@yahoo.com as soon as possible. We'll carpool to East Orange from the First Congregational Church parking lot at 9:00 a.m. and return at approximately 2:00 p.m.