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NEW JERSEY EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS AND DISASTER RESPONSE

PLEASE READ THIS BEFORE YOU CONTACT US:

AS IT STATES BELOW IN THE DISCLAIMER – WE ARE NOT A SHELTER!

DISCLAIMER

Homeless To Independence Inc. is a 501©3 non-profit organization. We are self supporting and we do NOT receive any government grant funding what-so-ever to pay bills for anyone in any situation. We do not give away money. We do not give out loans against any money.

This ministry is supported with generous financial donations that are used to help keep us functioning. Our purpose is to help supply individuals and families with personal needs such as food, toiletries, clothing, household items and baby/adult diapers/wipes both locally and to areas affected by disasters . At this time, we do not offer any shelter or transitional housing services. Again, we DO NOT pay any bills. We DO NOT pay any rents or mortgages.

If you are actually homeless, or about to be homeless or need emergency assistance of any kind, DIAL “211” from a land-line telephone. This will not work from a cell telephone. Tell the receiver your situation and what you need. They will give you information specific for the location you are currently in plus any referrals you may need. They have the most up to the minute information for your specific area. Dialing “211” will get you help and much more info than this office can provide. Homeless to Independence wants you to have all the information you need to get through the situation you are in.

Don’t have a land-line telephone??? Go to your local police department, library, or house of worship and ask to use their land-line telephone. They may even make the call on your behalf.

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Homeless To Independence Inc. is not responsible for misprints or cancellations of events by the event holders, landlord and/or their agent, or ourselves. Homeless to Independence Inc. also reserves the right to “NOT” offer services to people and/or persons that are rude, unpleasant, and untruthful in any way shape or form, belligerent and the like.

OCCASIONALLY, THERE WILL BE ARTICLES BY OTHER WRITERS. HOMELESS TO INDEPENDENCE MAY NOT NECESSARILY AGREE WITH THEIR VIEWPOINTS, BUT WE DO RESPECT THEM. THANK YOU FOR YOUR COOPERATION!

OFFICE CONTACT INFO:

THE VERY BEST WAY TO CONTACT ME IS TO SEND ME AN EMAIL: ANN@HOMELESSTOINDEPENDENCE.ORG

OFFICE NUMBER IS: 1-908-454-1500 LISTEN TO THE RECORDING

Please note that our office does have very limited volunteer staff and if we are one telephone line we cannot answer the other line. There is simply not enough time in the day to answer and/or return each and every telephone call.

THANK YOU!!!

PLEASE NOTE THAT ALL DISASTER RELATED MATERIALS ARE NOW LOCATED ON OUR “NEW JERSEY EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS AND DISASTER RESPONSE” PAGE!

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APRIL 2026 NETWORKING EVENTS

April 03, 2026   |   Read online A bunch of new scheduled events Save this for your calendar Dear Reader, This week has been a funny one for me. A series of out-of-the-blue, random, impossible to prevent or prepare for challenges showed up in my life. These kinds of things happen to all of us, all the time. You have a plan for your week that you feel good about, but then someone in your household gets sick, a tree branch falls on your shed, your computer dies, whatever! And you’ve got to keep it all together. Here are two things you can do if you find yourself in a situation where you realize that you suddenly have more on your plate than you may be able to entirely handle. Stop and reprioritize your tasks. Pausing to think when you’re already falling behind can feel wrong, and it’s easy just to handle whatever is in front of you and keep moving. I definitely feel the allure of simply handling tasks as I see them about instead of doing the tough work of reflecting on what is most important to prioritize. Communicate proactively with everyone you can. When you’re on track to fall behind, that’s going to affect other people to. Simply warn them! That gives them the opportunity to step in and assist for your shared success. And be open about what you have going on too – the people in your life usually want to know, and understanding builds trust. I’ve finally got all upcoming events between now and May 15th ready to share! This is going to be my longest events email ever. Stay with me! Our monthly private chef executive dinner is this upcoming Tuesday. It’s going to be beautiful out there – come join us! Register The NJx Hackathon is really exciting. We’re expecting 200 people to join us for a 24-hour event in partnership with Lovable, an AI based application builder and one of the fastest growing startups of all time. The event is backed by 1435 Capital, with additional support from StartupGrind Princeton, mTap, the New Jersey AI Hub, and Cogent Connections. I’ve been having a blast putting this together. Given how quickly the world is changing right now because of new technology, getting students together to learn how to build with the latest and greatest tools is one way we can collectively keep up. The Hackathon isn’t so much a single event as a three day calendar of events. It begins with a free networking social and game night on Friday, April 10th between 6 and 10pm at the 1435 Capital office. Register The actual Hackathon begins the following day. The NJx Hackathon competition is open to all high school, college, and graduate students. But there are opportunities for everyone to be a part of the event! We’re looking to have a few mentors on hand throughout the 24 hour event. Current mentors include current and former startup founders, executives and investors with tech experience. We can use the help of anyone who is a capable with technology. We’re also seeking volunteers to assist me in running the event in 4 hour intervals. You’ll get to see how larger, logistically complex events are organized and gain a lot of hands on experience. Students can get service hours from volunteering (NJX Venture Summit Corporation is a recognized 501(c)(3) nonprofit). Finally, we’re also welcoming the public to sit in on 2 fantastic talks about agentic AI happening from 10:30 to 11:30am on Saturday morning. Register (Student Competitors) Register (Mentors) Register (Volunteers) Register (AI Talk Visitors) Next we’re doing an investors lunch social on Thursday, April 23rd in Skillman, NJ. All accredited investors are welcome. Register (Accredited Investors Only) Our first Tea Party of 2026 will be on April 29th, from 5:30 to 7:30pm! Our tea socials in the Bayada Home Health Care Mansion have become one of my favorite traditions. The tea party will fill up quickly, as we cannot overcrowd this historic space. Register Our May executive private chef dinner will be May 5th! Early bird pricing still available. Register If the private chef dinners aren’t your speed, join us the next day for our annual spring networking social at the same venue, featuring the fire pit (yes we’re making s’mores!), grotto, alpaca farm, and greenhouse! Early bird tickets available. Register Next up, were having a cake party at the 1435 Capital office on Friday, May 15th!  Cake!!! Our next quarterly Real Estate Investors Dinner will be on June 2nd! Register Our 4th NJx Venture Summit will be on July 8th! Each event brings together roughly 200 people and 35 startups to showcase innovation happening in New Jersey. Register Have a Good Friday!  Chris P.S. I was honored to speak with David Thompson’s personal branding class at Temple about entrepreneurship and networking in mid-March. Thank you for having me David! Our investors panel at Earth’s End Speakeasy in Princeton was packed! (This is only half the room!) Thank you for hosting us Jeffery Palermo!

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HAPPENING IN MERCER COUNTY, NEW JERSEY

 

Newsletter April 1, 2026 APRIL NUTRITION PROGRAM EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS         Click here to email the Nutrition Program for Older Adults.   FOOD PANTRY AT LAWRENCE LIBRARY       TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE WORKSHOPS       UPCOMING EVENTS AND PROGRAMS                               SUPPORT FOR PREGNANT AND/OR POSTPARTUM WOMEN

 

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HAPPENING IN OCEAN COUNTY, NJ

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UPCOMING NETWORKING! 

Dear Reader,

I had a tough time sleeping last night, which is unusual for me. Usually working hard during the day is a great way to ensure you sleep well too!

One thing I spent a lot of time thinking about is this newsletter! I have many ideas for thoughtful and useful things to share with you.

I take a lot of inspiration from a guy named Nick Gray. I first learned about him from his newsletter, and later was lucky enough to get to know him personally. His book The 2-Hour Cocktail Party is far and away the book I’ve most often recommended people read over the years. I’ve even bought extra copies to give away as gifts! People often come back to me to share that they actually read it and that the book inspired them, which warms my heart.

The premise is that everyone is capable of being a party host, and needs to give it a try. You might have all kinds of reasons why you personally should not try hosting (I have no time, I have no where to host, I have no one to invite, and so on) and Nick elegantly disarms every possible objection, even sharing his contact details inside the book and offering to assist you personally (spoiler!). He provides detailed, approachable instructions for how to host your first social gathering, and you can easily read the whole book in under two hours while also enjoying beautiful and fun illustrations by the amazing Fru Pinter.

But why should you try being a party host? The answer is that bringing people together in-person and helping them make new friends they may never have met otherwise is one of the most high-impact things you can do. It builds community and helps you become healthier and more fulfilled too. Nick got me into hosting events, and it’s completely changed my life. I started off by using his formula and used it as a springboard to experiment with all kinds of event formats. I’m still experimenting, organizing a 24-hour hackathon for the first time next month just as one example!

Maybe I will be able to share some of the things I’ve learned from hosting 50+ of my own events here! Speaking of ideas for newsletter posts, this is the main reason I’m mentioning Nick. His friends newsletter has very little to do with events at all! Every new post is jam packed with interesting and useful information I simply don’t see elsewhere. He is also sometimes very open about personal matters in a way that allows readers to learn and grow from his experiences.

I aspire to be as useful to all of you as I feel his newsletters are to me, and to include useful thoughts and links to resources in future newsletters in addition to all the event programming. Thank you for listening. Now, on to the events!

First off, there will be a biotech investors breakfast at 23 Orchard in Skillman, NJ, this Thursday.

Register

This Friday, we’re hosting an early Pi Day Party / Game Night at 1435 Capital! It’s going to be an exceptionally good time. We will have a truly cool piece of technology for you to experience that has never before been showcased before in New Jersey! And some really good pie too

Register

Our next monthly Executive Private Chef Social Dinner at Chimney Hill Estate will be on Tuesday, April 7th! There is still time to join early bird for a reduced cost ticket.

Register

We’re putting on a 24-hour Hackathon the weekend of April 11th-12th, running from 9am on Saturday through 4pm on Sunday, open to high school, college, and graduate students! Also open to bringing on sponsor partners – reply to me for more information on that!

Register

Our next Quarterly Real Estate Investors Dinner will be on June 2nd!

Register

Our 4th NJx Venture Summit will be on July 8th! Each event brings together roughly 200 people and 30 startups to showcase innovation happening in New Jersey.

Register

There will also be events on April 1st, 10th, 23rd, May 5th and 15th, and June 6th that are already planned and need to be stood up. I’ll hope to have those all ready to share next week!

Wishing you a joyful day,

Chris

P.S. A bunch of additional items!

Some photos from our most recent real estate investors dinner on March 3rd!

Had a great time visiting NJ FAST this past Wednesday with Amar Hirani to meet local startups!

My dear friend Lisa Linkowsky is co-hosting a seminar for job seekers on April 7th from 8 to 9:30am. She is one of the smartest and most thoughtful people I know, so I’m confident this event will be worth attending. Check it out!

Register

I came across a bombshell 60 Minutes video yesterday investigating the potential cause of Havana Syndrome, a variety of unexplained permanent neurological impairments experienced by US service members and diplomats over the last 10 years. This mystery had always caught my attention. Really sad stuff, but I invite you to watch.

Source: Havana Syndrome investigation is “a massive CIA cover-up” | 60 Minutes

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Upcoming Event: County Executive Dan Benson Announces 14th Annual Mercer County Cultural Festival and Invites Vendors to Apply       Trenton, NJ — Mercer County Executive Dan Benson announced that the 14th Annual Mercer County Cultural Festival & Food Truck Rally will be held on Saturday, June 6th, at Mercer County Park in West Windsor. “In Mercer County, we understand that our diversity is our strength,” said Mercer County Executive Dan Benson. “During this 250th year of American Independence, we’re proud to bring our community together again to celebrate the people and cultures from every part of the world who have come together through every step of our history, and made Mercer County, and our nation, the vibrant and incredible place that we know today.” The Mercer County Cultural Festival celebrates diverse cultures through live music, traditional dance performances, authentic food trucks, a beer garden, art demonstrations, heritage crafters, activities for children, and more. The Cultural Festival also provides an opportunity for vendors, performers, and organizations to reach a large audience of local residents. Applications are now open for businesses to apply to participate in this year’s Cultural Festival as a craft vendor (selling culture/heritage-related goods) or a food truck/food vendor. Businesses and non-profits may also apply for space to share information about their organization. The application for vendors and organizations can be accessed at https://forms.office.com/g/HHz7JUVrre. The application for performers (musicians and dance groups) is available at https://forms.office.com/g/YzDvPN99zc. Applications must be submitted by April 3rd. Given the growing success of the annual Cultural Festival, the County has placed a cap on the number of vendors and performers able to participate. All submitted applications will be reviewed to select a line-up that represents a broad spectrum of cultures. Those who are selected to participate will be notified by April 10th. Payment will be accepted and processed after the line-up is determined. For more information, please contact the Mercer County Division of Culture and Heritage at (609) 278-2712 or at culturalfestival@mercercounty.org.   County News

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UPCOMING NEW JERSEY BUSINESS MIXER

Posted as a public service for small businesses’ – we thrive together!

Thank you for supporting Homeless To Independence Inc. and the people we serve!

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there are none listed on the USDA’s site

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ADDICTIONS RESOURCES

PODCASTS, CLASSES, CONFERENCES, ETC.

Mercer County Community College offers a podcast for employment tips in the area. Career exploration and soft skills needed for success in today’s job market. Improve your resume, develop a plan, utilize social media, market yourself, hone your interviewing skills, become a better communicator and pinpoint your areas of improvement. Click here to listen!

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HAPPENING IN CAMDEN COUNTY, NEW JERSEY 

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IN CUMBERLAND COUNTY IN SOUTHERN NEW JERSEY ON MONDAYS

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=192392698382773&set=a.146988806256496&type=3&theater

PLEASE REACH OUT TO Ken Corson below for more information!

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THROUGHOUT NEW JERSEY!
Project Medicine Drop
Drop Box Locations

The effort to stop the abuse and diversion of prescription drugs begins at home – and must include the opportunity for New Jersey consumers to dispose of their unused medications safely and securely at any time throughout the year.

With New Jersey’s Project Medicine Drop (NJPMD), we are placing secured drop boxes in the headquarters of local police departments. Consumers from anywhere in New Jersey can visit the boxes seven days a week, to drop off unneeded and expired medications – and keep them away from those at risk of abusing them.

The drop boxes accept solid pharmaceuticals such as pills, capsules, patches, inhalers, and pet medications. They cannot accept syringes or liquids.

For the hours of availability and other information, contact the police departments or call the New Jersey Division of Consumer Affairs at (800) 242-5846.

http://www.njconsumeraffairs.gov/meddrop/Pages/locations.aspx

POSTED 03-27-17
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MERCER COUNTY, NJ

wheelchair-flag-flyer-pcil

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We have just received this:

Good afternoon all-

Governor Christie wanted to express his appreciation for all that you and the members of your organization do in our communities. I have attached a note from him recognizing your efforts. Please feel free to pass it along to your membership and anyone who deserves recognition as a volunteer.

Thank you and best wishes for continued success.

Thank You Note from Governor Christie

May 7th 2013

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NERRC is one of six Regional Resource Centers funded by the U.S. Department of Education. The Center provides special education technical assistance to help state education agencies improve their systems of early intervention, special education and transition services for children with disabilities. Find more resources
for parents and educators in your state.

For more information visit this link: http://www.disability.gov/state/new_jersey/education

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Provides information, education, support and advocacy for families and professionals.
Serves all New Jersey residents with autism, including pre-school age children, youth ages 3-21, young adults
ages 14-21 and adults.

For more information visit this link: http://www.disability.gov/state/new_jersey/education

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“TO LOVE ANOTHER PERSON IS TO HAVE COMPASSION FOR THEIR CURRENT SITUATION
AND TO HELP THEM REGARDLESS”

Ann Martin-Frey

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WE LEAVE NO STONE UNTURNED WHEN IT COMES TO HELPING OTHERS!!