COMMUNITY SERVICE

If you've got little time, you've got a little time to spare.


Outpost in the Burbs is driven by volunteers - regular, extraordinary folks like yourself - who spend some of their spare time engaged in improving the quality of life in Northern New Jersey. There are volunteer opportunities at the Outpost itself: You can help out with Administration or Fundraising; contribute to our bimonthly newsletter, The Outpost Reader, maintain our Reader mailing list; catalog our would-be circulating listening library; procure donated supplies or equipment; or post flyers that advertise our concerts. As an Outpost volunteer, you also have an opportunity to help produce our nearly-famous concert series by working on Publicity, Hospitality or Entertainment committees. In a nutshell: there's a job waiting for you. If the wider community is where your interest lies, then read on:

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

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.

SAUURDAY September 20, 9:00am
Soup Kitchen Workdays

There are two 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 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.

Apparently, cooking is fun! Taking a break in the Christ Episcopal kitchen during the February 2007 event are (l. to r.) Pat Guiliano, Irma Heywood (from Christ Episcopal), Mary McGee (the ringleader), Collin Minert and Rev. William Guthrie.

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.

Last was:
SATURDAY, May 10, 7:30am
Check here for date of next workday
Habitat for Humanity

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.

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

Last was:
SATURDAY, May 31, 10:00am
Check here for date of next workday
Adopt-A-Highway

Help us make the Grove Street ramps off Route 3 a cleaner place on March 24th! We’ll be donning our stylish orange safety vests (Boy George loves his!), catching some sun and taking care of business. E-mail John or Steve to let us know you'll be there to clean up. (We will meet at the site, parking on Notch Rd.)

Last was:
SATURDAY, June 14, 8:30am
Check here for date of next workday
Community FoodBank

Your Saturday morning free time can be time well-spent at the Community Foodbank. 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 conatct Jennifer here.


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.

If you want additional information or have an idea for a new community service project call Steve at (973-744-6560) or e-mail.




OUTPOST IN THE BURBS
40 S. Fullerton Avenue
(FIRST CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH)
Montclair, NJ 07042-3396
973-744-6560

DIRECTIONS TO OUTPOST IN THE BURBS