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January/February 2014 Newsletter
Message from the Executive Director
13th MLK Celebration
New & Retiring Trustees
Coalition Earns Arts Grant
Civic Engagement Institute
2013 Preschool Open House
Pictures Tell the Story
Need Your Support
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Contact Us
516 Prospect St.
Maplewood, NJ 07040
973-761-6116

E-mail:  [email protected] 
 
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Message from the Executive Director, Nancy Gagnier

NG 2012 Headshot

"[I wish] For all people of color-and people of other marginalized identities-to have greater connection to their communities....  I also wish that no matter how many different identities one holds, that we can find our similarities and stand in solidarity to help one another achieve equality and racial justice." L'lerr�t Jazelle Ailith
 
This was just one of a number of hopes for attaining racial justice in the coming year outlined in "A Racial Justice Bucket List for 2014" from Colorlines, News for Action.  I urge you to read the whole set of responses to see the range of issues.  Here at the local level, we too are looking ahead to 2014, which holds great promise and possibility for building connections to community among all residents.  In 2013 we took stock and considered new pathways to achieving our mission of integration and inclusion.  Five trustee-led task forces were convened to address these topics: finding ways to engage more youth in our mission; creating a resource for conflict resolution; bringing more opportunities to the community for learning and discussion; improving our communications; and broadening our approach to inclusion.  In the coming year, you will see some new work and events that address those areas.  In June, for instance, look for our first Cultural Heritage Festival.  Don't miss our usual events like the MLK Observance & Volunteer Fair, Conversations on Race, and Integration through the Arts programs. And look for our second Civic Engagement Institute; piloted in 2013, we will be convening a new class in the spring of 2014. 

Thirteenth Annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day Celebration

 

 Don't miss this inspirational community event! 

 

The 13th Annual Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Observance is on Monday, January 20, 2014, 2:00 pm at Congregation Oheb Shalom, 170 Scotland Road in South Orange, New Jersey.
 The esteemed Rev. Dr. M. William Howard, Jr., pastor of Bethany Baptist Church in Newark, NJ is the featured speaker. Performers include the Gregg Bufford Jazz Trio, Voices in Harmony Choir, Columbia High School Special Dance, and Kenny Vaughan in a re-enactment of a Dr. King speech. Rehearsals for the choir are open to all  from 7:45 pm to 9:15 pm at Oheb Shalom on Jan. 7th and 15th and 12:45 on Jan. 20th.  Volunteer activities in South Orange and Maplewood will be promoted throughout the Dr. King holiday weekend and will end wth an on-premise Beloved Community Volunteer Fair that includes real-time service opportunities, as well as information from local organizations about serving through the year. Both events are free and open to all.

Welcome New Trustees & Thanks to Retiring Trustees  

  We welcomed three new trustees to our board in December - Celia King, Ken Pettis and Ed Schwarz. Both Celia and Ken are returning to the board after long hiatuses.  Celia King is a former trustee and a former member of the Maplewood Township Committee where she served as Vice Mayor.  Ken Pettis is a founding Coalition trustee who served as both Mayor and Vice Mayor of Maplewood.  Ed Schwarz is a South Orange resident and business owner who has volunteered on South Orange government committees and in Newark service organizations.  Our heartfelt thanks go out to retiring trustees Alan Noel, David Giles, Tammy Haynie, and Robin Patton for their service to our board.


Coalition Garners Arts Grant 
Photo From 2013 Gertrude McFuzz ( Ravenda and Mirabal)
Once again the Coalition on Race has been awarded a grant from the Essex County Local Arts Program. The award for 2014 will allow the Coalition's Integration through the Arts Committee to complete the two projects they designed that use the arts to bridge racial barriers.  The first is a children's production that will be staged at SOPAC in March.  This theatrical performance includes Dr. Suess' The Zaks followed by a musical adaptation of the Czech fairy tale opera, Rusalka (The Little Mermaid).  The second project is called Doors - Pathways & Possibilities which is a multidisciplinary, community effort that will create 4 to 8 unique doors based on the experiences of the participants.  Each door creation will be led by a local artist team. 

Civic Engagement Institute Holds Graduation

 

 

Fourteen people graduated from our first Civic Engagement Institute at the end of November after devoting 6 Saturday mornings to training.  These graduates are ready to serve a local nonprofit or township committee following this education in volunteering, time management, government structures, and more.  Thanks to all the trainers who volunteered their time and professional skills to make this a valuable learning experience. 


 

Preschool Open House 

 

Little GirlsThe Schools Committee hosted this event on November 30th at Columbia High school for parents looking for local  preschool and childcare options.Thanks to the 26 agencies that attended and thanks to Renee Joyce of South Orange-Maplewood Schools for her presentation on what to look for in a quality childcare and preschool program.

Pictures!        

Holiday Party at Giorgio's

 

Our website is full of pictures of all that we do.  We call your attention here to two of our celebratory events from late in 2013: take a look at pictures from our fundraiser Celebrating Integration and our annual Holiday Party to see how delighted our supporters, volunteers, trustees, and staff are to be engaged in this integration mission!

        

 

Help Us With Your Financial Gift!

 

We made our end-of-the-year appeal to our supporters, but we still need your help to reach our  fundraising goal!  Read our appeal here or DONATE NOW