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World Kindness Day is held on November 13th each year. It is an international observance introduced by the World Kindness Movement in 1998. The mission of the World Kindness Movement (WKM) is to inspire individuals and connect nations to create a kinder world. People often say it is harder, takes more effort to be mean than to be nice or kind. Here are some simple tips to show kindness to others.

· Buy someone else’s coffee in line
· Pick up the phone and call a friend or family member who you have not spoken to in a while
· Smile or say Hello to someone random you come across
· Offer to help a friend or neighbor with grocery shopping, yard work, baby sitting
· Be Respectful, say please, thank you, let others go before you in line
· Volunteer your time or donate to a local charity or non-profit
· Make and send a care package to someone who needs it

The mission for this year’s World Kindness Day is to highlight the importance of empathy, understanding, and cooperation to create a more harmonious and caring world. Even small acts of kindness have big impact. What do you do to spread kindness?

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.

Remember how on April 8th of this year, the whole country was united in witnessing the solar eclipse’s path across the country. Well, it’s happening again on October 2nd. For those lucky enough to be in Hawaii or South America, they will have an opportunity to see the annual solar eclipse named the “ring of fire” as it starts its journey in Hawaii and sets in South America namely Chile and Argentina.

According to Britannia, “Solar eclipses may be classified as either total, in which the Moon completely covers the Sun, or annular, in which the Moon obscures all but an outer ring of the Sun. Whether an eclipse is total or annular depends on the distance between these three objects”.

This got me thinking about what I call the Full Moon Phenomenon. You know when situations and people seem to be a little bit off. I bet if you take a look at the calendar when you notice things are “extra” it will be around the same time as the Full Moon!

The word lunatic is derived from the notion that changes in one’s mental state were related to lunar cycles. As far back as Ancient Rome and Greece there is a thought that one’s behavior could be traced to the Full Moon. However, according to, Healthline, “Scientists continue to study how the moon influences various physiological and psychological systems. For now, though, it appears the effect of this heavenly body on your body is less powerful than once believed.”

The next Full Moon will be on October 17th . It also will be the supermoon for 2024 which means it will be closest to earth than any other full moon this year! I don’t know about you, but I still feel there is a direct link to one’s behavior and the Moon. What do you think, have you observed the Full Moon Phenomenon?

Yes, you heard me pickles were the hot food trend this Summer 2024! The rise in pickles’ popularity can be traced to the pandemic when people were looking for easy and shelf stable food. Fermentation of all kinds had a moment – remember all of the homemade bread baking and trouble finding flour and yeast in the supermarket.

But back to pickles. One study showed that 86% of Americans enjoy pickles with Baby Boomers having the highest percentage at 90%. I have to admit that I do not like the shelf stable pickles but must eat the ones in the refrigerator section. Baby dill pickles to be exact, you know the jar…cold with that crunch!

Pickles date back as early as 2030 BC in Mesopotamia. Even Cleopatra attributed some of her beauty to pickles. Don’t like cucumbers, me either but there’s something about that sour, salty, briny taste which pairs well with so many foods, or who are we kidding on its own right out of the jar.

You can now find pickle pizza, pickle beer, pickle potato chips just to name a few and the hot craze this summer the pickle sandwich! You substitute the bread for a giant pickle! Here’s a basic outline of the sandwich, make it your way and it’s low carb too! Slice the pickle in half and core out some of the inside to make room for the filling. Then you choose the ingredients for the inside it could be tuna, sliced turkey, ham, experts though recommend lettuce that is shredded, probably helps with the moisture. Hungry yet? Try the pickle sandwich and let us know what you think.

While technically we are still in Summer, Fall is in the air. I have already noticed some leaves changing color and falling from the trees and saw my first “Spirit Halloween” shop being advertised in a local strip mall. How do you and your family cope with the change in season and back to school? Below are some tips to help you and your kids transition from summer to fall and back to school.

· Establish a school sleep schedule. According to the Mayo Clinic, children aged 6 – 12 years old need 9 to 12 hours of sleep a night!
· To help give them and you a good night’s sleep it is important to turn off all electronic devices. It is recommended to do so at least an hour before bedtime.
· Engage your child in preparing for school. Involve them with shopping for school supplies and clothes, picking out a healthy lunch and after-school snacks. Children who are part of the process are more likely to try, wear, eat what they helped choose and or prepare.
· Take some time from schoolwork to do an activity that makes them happy like playing an instrument, doing some kind of craft, art project, or just going outside, run around and get some fresh air!