Community Building

The Tour de Franklin is the Franklin Food Bank’s largest fundraiser. (Photo: Franklin Food Bank.) The 34th annual Tour de Franklin Charity Bike Ride, the largest fundraiser for the Franklin Food Bank, will be held on April 30 at Franklin High School.  The Tour de Franklin consists of seven events including 62-, 40-, 25-, 10-, and 5-mile rides through Somerset …

The ballroom at the Double Tree Hotel on Davidson Avenue was packed for the 25th annual Franklin Community Breakfast. More than 300 people were encouraged to keep Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s dream of racial equality and equity alive January 18 at the 25th annual Franklin Township Community Breakfast, sponsored by the Franklin Township Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Community …

FTPD officers stand with the remaining boxes of produce at the January 4 food distribution. A food distribution program that is estimated to have given out about 12,000 pounds of produce a month for more than a year is still going strong, police say. The program is run by the Franklin Township Police Department’s Community Relations Bureau at 935 Hamilton …

The Franklin Township Animal Shelter was one of 200 animal welfare organizations receiving donations from Ocean State Job Lot. (Photo: OSJL.) The Franklin Township Animal Shelter was one of more than 200 animal shelters welfare organizations receiving donations from Ocean State Job Lot’s “To The Rescue” program. The shelter received a $1,500 “Crazy Deal” gift card to purchase necessary supplies …

Submitted by the Greater Somerset YMCA. Greater Somerset County YMCA (GSCYMCA) held its first in-person Saturdays in Motion (SIM) Holiday Party since 2019 for special needs children and their families on December 10, 2022. During the pandemic, the SIM regular programming and special events were virtual through an off-shoot program called SIM Connect. A virtual holiday party during that period even …

The Franklin Township Animal Shelter was recently the beneficiary of some donations from Ocean State Job Lot in Franklin Park. (Photo: Ocean State Job Lot.) The Franklin Township Animal Shelter was one of more than 200 animal welfare organizations throughout the region benefiting from Ocean State Job Lots third annual “To the Rescue” charitable program. Recipients include municipal shelters, wildlife …

Applicants between the ages of 15 and 23 are being sought for the newly formed New Jersey Legislative Youth Council. The Council is intended to function as an advisory to the Legislature and all of its committees, commissions, and task forces on the needs, opinions and welfare of young New Jerseyans, according to a press release about the Council. It …

A township-based arts organization was one of six in the county which received grants from the National Endowment for the Arts American Rescue Plan. The Ukrainian History and Education Center received $25,000 from the NEA, which was passed through the Somerset County Board of Commissioners.

First Baptist Church of Lincoln Gardens is one of 13 local organization receiving a total of nearly $500,000 in grants from the St. Peter’s Healthcare System. The church, located on Somerset Street, received the grant to “support their wellness and care initiatives that addresses health care inequities,” according to a press release about the awards.

The Hageman House on South Middlebush Road was once again the venue for an annual visit by Sinterklaas on December 4. The celebration of Sinterklaas – who each year rides his horse from Spain to the Netherlands – is a national holiday in that Dutch nation.