Purchase Tickets Here: https://cfp.ejoinme.org/tickets2024 

2024 Sponsorship Form

Cornerstone Family Programs hosts over 100 people at the 16th Annual Bowl-a-Thon!

Bronze Sponsor, Salerno Duane Auto Group, wins Highest Scoring Team Trophy! Riker Danzig takes home Highest Fundraising Team Trophy!

Morristown, NJ, October 12, 2023 — Powered by over 100 bowlers, Cornerstone Family Programs 16^th ANNUAL BOWL-A-THON on September 29^th racked up big donations and fun was had by all! Proceeds support children’s programs at Morristown Neighborhood House.

Salerno Duane Auto Group, Highest Scoring Team

In Friday’s success, Bronze Sponsor, Riker Danzig LLP, secured Highest Fundraising Team for the second year in a row! Highest Scoring Team went to Salerno Duane Auto Group. An

Riker Danzig LLP, Highest Fundraising Team

d new this year, CHUBB was awarded Most Team Spirit.

This year’s sponsors included CHUBB, Virginia and Michael Ranger, Riker Danzig LLP, Salerno Duane Auto Group, Station Partners, The Sweetie Pig Foundation, Wyndham Hotels & Resorts, along with numerous others!

Cornerstone Family Programs and Morristown Neighborhood House provide resources to people of all walks of life in Morris County, New Jersey.  Together, they impact the lives of over 6,000 residents in our community with a shared mission of strengthening communities by helping people build better lives.

Cornerstone Family Programs aims to make a difference in our community by educating our children and youth and empowering our teens, providing our families and veterans specialized services, and supporting our seniors and their caregivers.

CHUBB, Most Team Spirit

Contact:

Gwenn DellaPelle, Vice President of Development

Phone: 973-288-9241

Email: gdellapelle@cfp-mnh.org

Cornerstone Family Programs

12 Flagler Street

Morristown, NJ 07960

cornerstonefamilyprograms.org

2023 Bowl-a-Thon!

Welcome to our 16th Annual Bowl-a-Thon! This is a major fundraising event, attracting nearly 200 participants from around the Morris County community.

Join us for a fun-filled evening and friendly competition for a great cause! Enjoy networking, pizza, and cocktails with friends and colleagues. Win prizes and trophies while raising money for our children’s programs at Cornerstone Family Programs and Morristown Neighborhood House.

Date: Friday, September 29, 2023
Time: 6:00 pm – 9:00 pm
Venue: Hanover Lanes
Address: 119 NJ-10, East Hanover, NJ 07936

Sign Up Here!

MORRIS TOWNSHIP — Many seniors at the Cornerstone Family Programs Adult Day Center likely did not consider themselves artists a few weeks ago. 

But thanks to a new collaboration with the Mayo Performing Arts Center, a mural featuring their handiwork is now permanently on display at the Morris Township facility.

The artwork was unveiled Thursday afternoon in the Cornerstone building on West Hanover Avenue, marking the culmination of the Creative Aging Arts program launched in May. The eight-week program, funded by a grant from the New Jersey State Council on the Arts, teaches participants to create artwork with complex patterns and shapes while enjoying a sense of relaxation through the process. 

The program featured 16 sessions twice a week led by MPAC teaching artist Dan Fenelon. The seniors learned basic art techniques in the early sessions before planning out the final project, a 44-by-66-inch mixed media mural that used watercolors, tissue paper and markers in the design. 

“I try to make the program fit around different levels of skill,” Fenelon said. “It was kind of organic. I had to come in and sort of see where everybody was at and then kind of develop how we were going to execute the mural based on that.” 

Each 90-minute session included groups of five or six seniors working together at a time. Fenelon created preliminary sketches and asked the groups to brainstorm “uplifting” themes like trees, flowers and birds to include in the mural. 

“We got into such a routine during that time,” said Pat Kraemer, director of the Adult Day Center. “We rotated them in and everyone had opportunities, and it was just a nice, really wonderful project.” 

Among the more experienced members of the program was Roberta “Bert” Schwartz. She is a graduate of the Maryland Institute College of Art, and some of her drawings are displayed on the Cornerstone walls. 

Liz Milio, on the other hand, was never an artist and jokingly remarked, “I can’t draw a straight line.” But she soon realized that she could contribute to the mural in different ways. 

“I found that by gluing things together, overlapping different colors, that I could get an effect that I found pleasing,” Milio said. “I had a great deal of fun.” 

The Adult Day Center was established to provide an environment of social interaction for aging adults on weekdays. It is managed by Cornerstone Family Programs & Morristown Neighborhood House, a nonprofit organization that aims to help community members of all ages live happy, healthy and productive lives. 

Cornerstone partners with MPAC in a variety of child and adult initiatives, CEO Patrice Picard said, and the organization hopes to continue a program like Creative Aging Arts if funding is available. Picard viewed the finished mural Thursday not only as a beautiful addition to the center, but also a testament to the power of community among the seniors. 

“Hopefully, this will not just be a piece of art for all of you,” she said to the artists. “Hopefully, it will be in your hearts, give you joy and let you know how creative and how strong you all are. So every time you see it, that’s what you should think.” 

Kyle Morel is a local reporter covering Morris and Sussex counties. 

 Read more from the Daily Record.

Recently, several participants attended a performance of Murder On The Orient Express at the Paper Mill Playhouse in Millburn. The show is about a murder and the investigation that follows aboard a train, adapted from the very popular novel by Agatha Christie. Prior to the show, attendees took part in a Sensory Seminar led by Adele Meyer. The seminar provided excellent insight for clients who are blind or have low vision. Ms. Meyer gave a brief biography of Agatha Christie, a summary of the book as well as the two movies that were adapted from the book. Next, an overview of the ten main characters was provided. Following the character overview, an explanation of how the clues, evidence and investigation begins to unfold in the show. Without giving away any important plot points or twists, Ms. Meyer gave the audience members just enough information to better appreciate the story. Next, several costume items and props were shown. The conductor’s uniform, a woman’s jacket, a Fez hat, a cane and a train case were all examined by the attendees. We were also treated to an actor conducting her mic check in which she practiced her screams! Lastly, the scenery on the stage was described in detail including the sleeper car train as well as the dining car.

Jay Patel examines the buttons on the conductor’s uniform from the show.

Janet Zoubek Dickson, who provided the audio description, was also introduced to the audience. Audio description “allows patrons who are blind or have low vision to hear a live, objective and concise description of the action on the stage in between dialogue and/or music using an individual headset.” Paper Mill playhouse does an excellent job welcoming guests and providing accessible services for all of their shows.

The show was excellent! Although it was about a murder, several of the characters had farcical lines and mannerisms. There was a lot of laughter, and a great time was had by all. Long time Friends of the Blind client, Patty Coaker, said she had a great time and really enjoyed the show. Jay Patel also remarked that the audio description was very helpful for the show. The description included information such as “the train is moving from left to right, and Hercule Poirot is raising his hand”. The style and color of the costumes was also described.

Jay examines another prop from the show.

Friends of the Blind is funded in part by the Commission for the Blind and Visually Impaired and managed by Cornerstone Family Programs & Morristown Neighborhood House, a nonprofit organization with a mission of strengthening communities by helping people build better lives. The 200-plus year organization educates children and youth, empowers teens, and provides families, female veterans, the aging and their caregivers specialized support.

The FOB clients are provided education, training, resource referrals and connection with a carefully selected volunteer to provide help, companionship, and outing opportunities for recreational and cultural events.

Interested clients and volunteers should contact Program Coordinator Dina Glen @ 973-288-9237 or dglen@cfp-mnh.org.

Dear Friends,

Meet Kayla, Ivy, and Krissy, three sisters that will have nowhere to go this summer without the Morristown Neighborhood House Summer Camp. Their mom, Crystell, is currently unemployed and looking for a job, a very daunting feat for a single Mom. She needs to financially care for them, but she also knows she can’t leave her children alone all summer. What will they do every day? Crystell was a camper at Cornerstone’s Summer Camp when she was a child and wants her children to be able to have the same amazing carefree experience.

That is why we are committed to enrolling all three of her girls in our camp this year. During the school year, Kayla, the oldest at 13, spends most of her after-school hours caring for her younger siblings. She deserves to enjoy her summer like every other 13-year-old instead of being a “Mom” to them.

“Sometimes I need a break from caring for my siblings and it will also be so nice for my sisters to play with kids their own age” – Kayla, 13

We desperately need your help. Please be as generous as you can and help children like Kayla, Ivy, and Krissy enjoy everything that summer camp has to offer – field trips, enrichment activities, sports, healthy meals, and of course, friends. We have so many other children also waiting for camp scholarships. Your gift will bring smiles and incredible memories to these girls while giving mom the peace of mind that her children are safe, well-taken care of, and enjoying a summer like every child should.

We sincerely thank you for your generosity to keep our Neighborhood House children safe and happy this summer as every child deserves to be.

With gratitude,

Gwenn Heller-DellaPelle
Vice President, Development
Cornerstone Family Programs

DONATE NOW!

Each year, the NJ SIM Foundation holds our Technology Exchange & Charity Golf Outing to support the NJ SIM Foundation’s Grant program.  Based on the overwhelming response last year, we are pleased to announce that we will be returning to the New Jersey National Golf Course in Basking Ridge, NJ for this golf outing.  New Jersey National is a premier private golf club nestled in the lush meadows of the Watchung Mountains.

The Society for Information Management (SIM) is a national association of senior IT executives, prominent academicians, selected consultants, and other IT thought leaders built on the foundation of local chapters, who come together to share and enhance their rich intellectual capital for the benefit of its members and their organizations.  While membership within SIM is based on strict guidelines, we do offer Corporate Sponsors access to our membership through select events during the year.  Our annual Technology Exchange & Charity Golf Outing is one of these events.   As a matter of fact, it is our largest and most successful event each year.

This year we will be recognizing Cornerstone Family Programs & Morristown Neighborhood House as the primary beneficiary of our golf outing.

This event is completely funded through the participation of our Corporate Sponsors.  As a corporate sponsor, your company representatives will have the ability to meet senior technology executives who are interested in learning about your solutions and service offerings and how you can help address their business and technology challenges.  This is a casual, fun-filled day where you can meet with leading technology executives from the tri-state area to build relationships and market your brand.

For more info, sponsorships, and registration visit https://nj-sim-foundation.perfectgolfevent.com/.

November 2022

Dear Friend,

Safety. Reassurance. Loving. Nurturing. Gratitude. These are just some of the words Sherina uses when describing the incredible impact that Cornerstone Family Programs and Morristown Neighborhood House has had on her and her daughter, Amayla.

As a single mom, raising her daughter Amayla, Sherina was juggling a full-time job and working towards her college degree. Due to behavioral issues at preschool, Sherina would anxiously fear receiving a phone call to pick up her daughter. Unfortunately, most days, she did receive that call. Amayla was diagnosed with ADHD at age three and had to leave four different preschools because of issues associated with her diagnosis. The staff at those schools were unable to properly manage Amayla’s behavior. Sherina was tasked to figure out a solution for herself and her daughter. At a point of desperation, a bright light shined on Sherina and Amayla. There was an opening at the Morristown Neighborhood House, and Amayla was able to be enrolled in the preschool program.

Both Sherina and Amayla are now thriving because of the teachers and staff at “The Nabe”. They have given Amayla encouragement, are rooting for her success, and showering her with love and hugs. The Nabe has given Sherina the reassurance that her daughter is well-cared for and safe. In fact, she has even been able to complete her degree at Rutgers University and landed herself a full-time job!

Your generous contribution helps us continue to provide children a safe place to receive a quality education, nutritious meals, and to develop social and emotional skills. The demand for our programs has increased dramatically, and with your support we will meet that demand and be able to plan for challenges that may lie ahead. The staff, volunteers, and the nearly 6,000 members of our community we serve each year including children, teens, families, female veterans, and seniors and their caregivers – THANK YOU!

Your donation will help so many people. We are fortunate to have such a caring community supporting all of our programs so that everyone has a chance to live a happy, healthy, and productive life. Together, we are creating a stronger community!

With sincere gratitude,

Patrice Picard, Chief Executive Officer
Cornerstone Family Programs

PS: Your gift today of $100, $250, $500, $1,000, $2,500 will make a difference in the lives of your neighbors tomorrow. Can I count on your support? Download and print the PDF version of this letter and mail in the attached form today!

Meet Sherina and Amayla! Watch their video interview.