Last year Family Promise of Sussex County (FPSC) held its first veteran outreach event, Service Strong Veterans Fair. With Sussex County Community College (SCCC) as our gracious host it was an opportunity for veterans to learn about services available to them and employment opportunities. It was so successful that we are hoping for it to be an annual tradition. This year the veterans fair will be on November 6th from 6-8pm at Sussex County Community College – Bldg. D. Thanks again to SCCC!

We at Family Promise of Sussex County serve all community members whether single, male, families and of course our veterans. This year through a private grant we were able to secure two transitional housing apartments specifically for veterans. Since 2019, FPSC has served 161 veterans across various housing, prevention and crisis programs. Of those 161 individuals over a half of them were 55 years or older and 13% were survivors of domestic violence. I am proud and pleased to report that 83% of them successfully exited our programs into permanent housing.

As Veterans Day is quickly approaching, please remember to show gratitude towards those who sacrificed everything for the benefit of all of us. Please also consider supporting us so that we can continue serving our community including our veterans. You can find donate and volunteer links on our website and thank you and thank you to our veterans too!

The best pizza to some is like naming their favorite child. There’s great debate as to who makes the best pizza is it New Jersey, New York, Connecticut or even Chicago with their deep dish pie. If I am only given one choice, pizza for me is the one food I could eat everyday for the rest of my life.

While I have not had every pizza in the county, I have always said that Dominick’s in Newton, specifically their Palermo pie is the best around. I am pleased to report that Food Network in a recent online piece where they announced the 50 slices you need to try in each state, named Dominick’s Italian Restaurant and Pizzeria as the one in New Jersey! Not just in the county but the whole state of New Jersey! The restaurant has been family owned and operated since the 1960’s with brothers Peter and Sal at the helm. The post states, “Their pizzeria is now known as the oldest one in Sussex County. The duo sell a fantastic Brooklyn pizza that’s a bit on the spicy side, as well as the rare New York-style Palermo square pie with marinara, red onions, herbs and spices.” To a certain someone I say, “I told you so” and now I want to go to Dominick’s and try their Brooklyn pizza!

Let us know in the comments section who your favorite pizzeria is. What’s your go-to slice? If I’m not eating the Palermo I like a good old fashioned grandma slice – square pie, thin crust kind of like a margherita slice – simple tomato sauce, mozzarella and fresh basil. What’s not to like?

Now that I got your attention, I’ll get to the Dorito story in a bit. Let’s first talk about snacking as I’m eating a small bag of honey roasted peanuts. According to Innovamarketinsights, the United States accounts for over ¼ of snack sales globally! Salty snacks in particular seem to be favored with potato-based snacks as most popular, followed by popcorn, snack nuts and seeds, corn-based snacks and pretzels. Another snack trend is sustainability whether through innovative packaging or using plant-based ingredients. It also is how the Dorito came to be and as a bonus – I’ll answer the age-old question what’s inside a Kit Kat bar?

When Walt Disney first started Disneyland in 1953, he utilized many corporate sponsors to help offset some of his costs. The Frito-Lay Company was one such sponsor. They hosted Casa de Fritos a place where you could eat Mexican type cuisine. One of the workers noticed the amount of tortillas that were being thrown out at the end of the night and decided to cut them into smaller pieces, season with taco flavoring, fry and voila the Dorito was born!

Kit Kats also have a sustainability origin. They are one of my favorite mass-produced candy bars but I must admit I never really gave any thought to the filling inside of the wafers. Well, I’m here to tell you that the filling is actually made out of broken bits of Kit Kat bars. Yes, there are people who look for the misshapen, not quite right Kit Kats and they use that to make the filling! Quite ingenious and economical.

Who knows what other snack facts are out there…please share in our comments below. What are your favorite snacks? Do you prefer salty or sweet?

Every October a week is set aside to acknowledge and celebrate the hard work that Family Promise does across its national network of affiliate providers. Those in this field know the challenges in ensuring families and individuals have access to adequate housing, resources and the opportunity to build a better future. While we should always stop and acknowledge our collective wins along the way, this week in October is a reminder to reflect on what we have accomplished and provide us with the energy and strength to continue our vision and mission because everyone deserves a home.

Here is a list of some of our 2024 achievements:

· 5,941 case management hours logged

· 1,940 households assisted with utility benefits

· 901 households received stabilization services with 85% of them moving to permanent housing

· On May 16th we hosted our first Casino Night fundraiser and on November 8th we held our first Service Strong Veterans Fair. Both events were so successful that they have now become an annual tradition!

We could not have done this without the support of you, our community. In these uncertain times we need your continued support now more than ever. Please consider donating your time or resources. Visit our donate and volunteer pages for more information and thank you.

You can donate here!
https://familypromisesussex.org/index.php/families-and-individuals-facing-housing-insecurity-need-your-help-today/

If you live in New Jersey, I probably don’t even have to tell you that stat as sobering as it sounds. For those who want to know which state is number one according to Elaine Ng, the field director of HUD’s Economic and Market Analysis Division, “Of the states that were affordable in 2019 but became unaffordable by 2023, Arizona experienced the largest decline in affordability and the greatest gap between median gross rent and median renter income.” But back to Jersey, those who call NJ home know the cost of living is quite high compared to other states – just look at our property taxes!

Imagine then, how individuals who are unsheltered or at risk of homelessness who are just trying to stabilize their housing must feel. According to, National Low Income Housing Coalition, “More than one-third of New Jersey residents are considered “cost-burdened,” meaning they spend over 30% of their income on housing, with a large portion of these residents (74% of extremely low-income renters) severely cost-burdened (spending over 50% of income).”

So how did New Jersey get here? Part of it is our proximity to New York City and major national hubs. Rutgers University economist James Hughes said, “New Jersey is the most densely populated state in the nation, and that land is scarce, expensive and extremely regulated.” These realities compound the difficulty in new housing production – even more so affordable housing!

“The demand for affordable housing in New Jersey has reached a critical point and it is an issue that (will) only continue to grow,” said Miosha Lawrence, homeownership coordinator for the Camden-based Parkside Business & Community in Partnership organization. “Many young professionals are leaving because they cannot afford to purchase here, or even rent here,” Lawrence said as she advocated for continued funding for New Jersey’s Affordable Housing Trust Fund.

We in New Jersey want to be known for many things like our beautiful beaches to our mountainous terrain and the birthplace of Bruce Springsteen and Jon Bon Jovi and some say the best pizza in the country! Please, New Jersey, let’s help our residents be able to stay and flourish in this great state of ours.