OB OLDBRIDGE OLD BRIDGE
ALL AROUND
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Pursuing Progress
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Mayor's office of Economic Development
VOL 8, NO 2
A Publication for the community of Old Bridge
LET’S FOCUS ON THE MENTAL ONLY A MONTH AFTER WELL-BEING OF OUR KIDS dinary loss and disruptions. CLIMBING Here in central New Jersey, EVEREST, JAR our YMCA provides extensive mental health counselOF HOPE CEO ing and social services and we’re seeing an alarming rise WILL NOW RUN in the need for mental health support among youth and teens. 158 MILES Kristen Brophy-McCauley, a Throughout the pandemic, the licensed professional counselor for the YMCA, visits with children enrolled in the Y’s Freehold Child Care Center to support their social and emotional learning.
Jim Raffone, Founder/CEO of JAR of Hope (https://www. jarofhope.org), returned from climbing to the highest basecamp on Mount Everest - 18,372’ - only three weeks ago. During this nauseating, breath-sapping, cramping, stomach-sickening effort, his four-man team raised $180,000 toward researching a cure for a very-rare, fatal childhood disease called Duchenne muscular dystrophy. Now, only a few weeks later, Raffone will make a 158-mile fund-raising run with Jar of Hope Treasurer Joe Ippolito, in cooperation with Manasquan Bank. The June 13-17 event is called “A Rope For Hope” in recognition of the bank’s logo. They’ll stop at fifteen Manasquan Continue on page 7
The coronavirus pandemic has taken a harsh toll on the mental health of people of all ages and backgrounds, especially our children and teens, who’ve experienced extraor-
YMCA of Greater Monmouth County has worked closely with public school officials, the Society for the Prevention of Teen Suicide, the Mental Health Association, and other partnering organizations to address the growing mental health needs of our youth. Bu t w e c a n d o m ore . Here are three ways our community can work together to
improve mental health outcomes for our young people: Expand Access to Mental Health Care – Offering more outpatient mental health services to young people on their school campuses will provide easy and equitable access to care and remove transportation barriers for families. Increase Mental Health Training – Educators and youth-serving organizations need training to appropriately identify and respond to signs of mental health issues. Equipping them with the right tools can help them address children’s critical needs. Advocate for Mental Health Continue on page 27
PICKLEBALL COURTS AT MANNINO PARK ARE NOW OPEN!
Pickleball is a sport that has been soaring in popularity both nationally and locally and the need for dedicated pickleball courts was evident in Old Bridge. Two years ago the Township placed pickleball lines on two Tennis Courts and the residents flocked to those courts on a daily
basis. With that popularity, the Township also offered lessons to youth, adults, seniors and special needs participants. As the Township knew the growth was coming they dedicated Capital funding in 2021 for 2 courts at Mannino and are currently constructing 3 additional
Pickleball courts, when those are completed the Township will have 5 dedicated Pickleball Courts at Mannino Park. The Township held a Ribbon Cutting ceremony on Friday, June 10 to open the two Pickleball Courts that were completed. The event was held by Mayor Owen Henry and there were approximately 30 local Pickleball players on hand to cut the ribbon and start playing. Pickleball is a racket/paddle sport that was created by combining elements of several other Continue on page 6
JULY 2022