Family Promise of Sussex County is proud to present a job and resource fair to help support the veteran community. The fair, Service Strong, will be held on Thursday, November 7th from 6-9 pm at the Sussex County Community College Student Center Building D. There will be a variety of employers and vendors in attendance showcasing their programs, services and job opportunities specific to the veteran community.

Nationally, according to Mission Roll Call, “The number of homeless veterans is increasing – rising more than 7% from 2022 to 2023. On an average night in 2023, 20,067 veterans were living in shelters. A staggering 15,507 veterans were living without any shelter at all.” This represents about 7% of all homeless adults in the U.S. with black veterans being overrepresented among all homeless veterans. In the United States, on average about 17 veterans commit suicide a day, 38% of veterans have a mental health condition with 85% struggling to transition to civilian life. These factors coupled with increased difficulty in finding employment or a job that can support rising costs of living and rent make this population more vulnerable to being at risk of homelessness.

As we are nearing Veteran’s Day on November 11th, please remember to thank a veteran. They have sacrificed all so that we can enjoy the freedoms of living in the United States.

Veterans Day Poem: “A Salute to Our Heroes”
In fields of green and skies of blue,
We remember the brave, the proud, the few.
On this day, we pause and reflect,
Honoring those who served with respect.
From battles fought and freedoms won,
Their legacy shines like the morning sun.
They stood tall, in valor unswayed,
For the sacrifices they’ve made, we’re eternally grateful.

Family Promise of Sussex County has funds specifically for veterans’ assistance. Over 90% of veterans that we work with are stably housed. Please contact us at 973-579-1180 to see how we can help.

It’s almost that time of year, Halloween. You may think Halloween is not that big of a deal but about 70% of people in the United States participate in some way to a tune of $12.2 billion! American spending is almost evenly split between costumes and candy with costumes having a slight edge! How did the holiday come to be? According to the Library of Congress, Halloween is celebrated (in part) because October 31 is the eve of All Saints Day, a day in which Christians remember and honor the dead. Whatever your reason for celebrating it is certainly a tradition that seems to grow every year. Below are some top costume trend ideas and top candy choices for your 2024 Halloween!

The most searched Halloween costume of all time is a witch, followed by Spiderman and dinosaur. This year some popular choices are expected to come from movies including:
· Loki
· Wicked
· Dune
· Inside Out
· Clueless
· Jurassic Park

In 2023, according to Candystore.com the top ten Halloween candy choices were:

1. Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups
2. M&Ms
3. Hot Tamales (never heard of that one)
4. Skittles
5. Sour Patch Kids
6. Starburst
7. Hershey Kiss
8. Candy Corn
9. Hershey Mini Bars
10. Snickers

I find it interesting that there is a nice even mix between chocolate and what I consider candy in the top ten. Disappointed that Kit Kats are not on the list. What do you think? What will you be this year for Halloween or what do you do instead?

It’s that time of year again where everywhere is pumpkin spice and everything nice! I have to admit that I have little self-control over anything pumpkin. Pumpkin muffins, cookies, ice cream you get the idea. Maybe it’s the warm earthy spices that usually accompany the pumpkin like cinnamon, nutmeg and ginger. I can’t imagine anyone not liking it.

Last October, a marketing group called Stagwell conducted a “State of Pumpkin Spice Report”, where they “surveyed Americans to figure out if pumpkin spice is a true consumer preference or an overhyped marketing gimmick.” The results? Over half or 58% of all respondents like pumpkin spice and only a mere 15% would rather it go away.

According to Food & Wine, pumpkin spice first appeared in baking recipes in the late 18th century. In the 1930’s McCormick and Co. came out with the blended pumpkin pie spice mix. For those wondering it was 2003 when Starbucks released the Pumpkin Spice Latte (PSL) and it’s been a pumpkin spice craze ever since! I try to every year get one PSL at Starbucks, for me, for some reason they don’t have the same taste as they did back in the day. Here’s an insider tip I learned years ago if you want to have a small taste not spend so much money order a “short” at Starbucks.

So, whether you are in to pumpkin spice or not, it’s Fall Y’all. Go outside breathe in the cool crisp air and indulge in a sweet treat or beverage that makes you feel cozy and uniquely Fall. It only happens once a year, although on the way out of a supermarket this year in August I saw a display of those pumpkin flavored ginger snaps!

I’m always amazed when I find out about places, things in Sussex County that I never knew existed. Call this a list of “fun facts” that Sussex County has to offer – The Geological Edition.

Free Spring Water at Stokes State Forest

· Yes, people in the know go to Stokes to fill up on fresh spring water. There is no fee for the water only the entrance fee to get into the park.

Ever wonder how natural springs are formed, according to Study.com, Springs get their water from underground water reservoirs known as aquifers. These aquifers receive water from precipitation. Certain geological formations then cause this water to leak out at the surface at exit points, which form natural springs.

It’s not in Sussex County but in Camden County, there is a famous Crystal Springs Park, historically known for its medicinal qualities, even Walt Whitman would summer in the area and frequent the spring.

Speaking of water…#2 on the list is the Wallkill River

The Wallkill River is one of the few rivers in the world that flows upstream!

· The Wallkill River flows north rather than south. Some have said that Egypt’s the Nile is the only other river to do the same.

· Back in the late 1920’s the Wallkill was dammed to create the largest man-made lake in New Jersey, Lake Mohawk.

Lastly on this geological list is a volcano!

The Beemerville Volcano is New Jersey’s only volcanic site.

· More commonly known as Rutan Hill, this geological wonder was created over 440 million years ago

· Dormant for most of its existence, the land has since been developed into residential single family homes.

Let us know what interesting, unique places, things that you have discovered right here in Sussex County.