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News
Gold's Gym and Mercer Street Friends Help Feed Families Through 'Your Loss is Their Gain' Contest
While some people struggle to lose weight, some just struggle to eat. Gold's Gym Lawrenceville and Gold's Gym Hamilton have joined forces with Mercer Street Friends to ask Gold's Gym members to lose weight in order to help feed families in need.
In a contest called "Your Loss is Their Gain," the Mercer Street Friends Food Bank; whose mission is to alleviate hunger through food distribution, nutrition education and assistance, advocacy and outreach; will receive $1 for every pound lost by participants, up to $3,000.
Ed McNeill, president of Gold's Gym Lawrenceville, has a long-standing history of community involvement and says the gym wanted to create a program to not only help the community but also encourage members to become more active and to lose weight.
Participants must register by March 1, 2008. The contest ends June 1, 2008. Participants will be weighed monthly by a certified personal trainer. The biggest loser will receive a trip for two to the Caribbean. During the Gold's Gym Annual Beach Party this summer, Mercer Street Friends will be presented with a check and the biggest loser will receive their prize.
Details of the contest are available at the personal training desk at Gold's Gym Lawrenceville or by calling 609.275.8900. For more information about Mercer Street Friends, the food bank, or any of their social service programs contact Director of Communications Janina Akins by phone at 609.396.1506
Photo Caption
Pictured (left to right) Barry H. Cole, Ph. D., Executive Director of Mercer Street Friends; Darius Young, Assistant Director of Personal & Performance Training; Joe Casanova, Director of Personal Training; and Ed McNeill, President of Gold's Gym Lawrenceville & Gold's Gym Hamilton, hold the blank check that will bear the donation to Mercer Street Friends.
About Mercer Street Friends
Inspired by the Quaker spirit and recognizing the inherent worth of all people, Mercer Street Friends is dedicated to the creation of a nurturing environment in which individuals may achieve independence, community and quality of life. One of four divisions, the Mercer Street Friends Food Bank, established in 1987, is a regional food bank whose mission is to alleviate hunger through food distribution, nutrition education and assistance, advocacy and outreach. The food bank receives and distributes nearly 2 million pounds of food per year, which helps to feed more than 17,000 low-income men, women and children who reside in the towns of Mercer County and neighboring communities.
About Gold's Gym Lawrenceville and Gold's Gym Hamilton
Gold's Gym Lawrenceville opened in 2005 and has quickly established itself as an area leader in fitness training and education. The 65,000-square-foot gym offers the latest fitness equipment from industry leaders, including Nautilus, Cybex, Precor and more, as well as classic Gold's Gym free weights and the best in personal training and nutritional expertise. Recently, Gold's Gym Lawrenceville acquired Gold's Gym Hamilton, formerly Hamilton Fitness Center. The two are now run under one management team.
Pauline Williams Honored as Home Health Aide of the Year
Mercer Street Friends Home Health Care employee Pauline Williams was recently awarded the distinction of Home Health Aide of the Year at an area industry luncheon. She was also honored by the Mercer County Board of Chosen Freeholders with a proclamation designating her Mercer County Home Health Aide of the Year.
Always exemplifying a spirit of excellence in her profession, Mrs. Williams has been employed by Mercer Street Friends Home Health Care for more than twelve years.
Pauline attributes her compassion to her deep faith and "to God, who loved her first." Her dedication to her profession has earned Pauline enormous respect at Mercer Street Friends Home Health Care and heartfelt admiration from the clients that she cares for. Clinical Services Manager Beverly Henderson comments, "Pauline is a pleasure to work with and it is very comforting to know that when she is assigned to provide care to a patient, it will be done with compassion and love."
Mercer Street Friends Home Health Care is a division of Mercer Street Friends, a Quaker affiliated, nonsectarian human care organization that strives to provide compassionate and practical solutions to the problems of poverty and health in the greater Trenton area. Other divisions include The Mercer Street Friends Food Bank, Adult and Parenting Services and Children and Youth Services.
Mercer Street Friends Home Health Care is a full service home health agency, certified by Medicare and Medicaid and offering a broad range of services including Skilled Nurses, Certified Home Health Aides, Physical, Occupational and Speech Therapists, Registered Dieticians and Medical Social Workers.
For more information regarding any of Mercer Street Friends many programs please contact Janina Akins, Director of Communications at 609 396 1506 or at jakins@mercerstreetfriends.org.
"Project Connect" Launched United Way Initiative Will Aid Seniors and People with Disabilities
Trenton, New Jersey-Project Connect, a United Way of Greater Mercer County initiative of service coordination aimed at seniors and people with disabilities, has been launched with Mercer Street Friends, the Quaker affiliated, non-sectarian human care organization, as the lead agency. The collaboration is expected to deliver coordinated services to hundreds of seniors and people with disabilities in the next year.
The objective of the initiative is to assist seniors over age 60 who are experiencing age-related difficulties, and people of any age with physical, mental or developmental disabilities, to remain in their own homes, live in good health and with dignity, and achieve the greatest independence possible. Eight Trenton area service agencies who are already providers for seniors and people with disabilities will take a "no wrong door" approach to help them expedite access to services in order to meet a variety of needs. Funds from the United Way of Greater Mercer County will be used to support delivery of service when there is no other payer or to expand agency programming if gaps are identified when clients are screened and assessed.
Participating agencies include Mercer Street Friends, providing home health care; Catholic Charities, for mental health and substance abuse services; Mount Carmel Guild, also providing home health care; Jewish Family and Children's Service of Greater Mercer County, responsible for care coordination for seniors, case management, life enrichment and health and wellness programs; Enable Inc., who coordinate care for people with disabilities, respite services, home modification, and friendly visiting; The ARC/Mercer, providing coordinated transportation; Mobile Meals of Trenton Ewing, providing home delivered meals; and Interfaith Caregivers, who will be responsible for volunteer coordination, friendly visiting, transportation and non-medical services. All individuals with disabilities entering Project Connect will be referred to Enable Inc. Case management services and care coordination for seniors who have short term needs will be provided by Jewish Family and Children's Service.
The key to this collaborative project is that clients will no longer have to wait for needed services, be put on waiting lists, get turned away for lack of eligibility or resources, or "a fall through the cracks." These eight agencies will "wrap" services around clients, prioritize their services, and provide care coordination and case management that will allow clients to live with dignity in their own homes and avoid costly and often degrading nursing home placements.
UWGMC mission is to improve lives by mobilizing the caring power of communities. Project Connect is part of UWGMC "Caring for Seniors and People with Disabilities" Vision Council, one of three "Community Impact Agenda" areas aimed at "Advancing the Common Good" in Mercer County through focusing on underlying causes of problems, partnering to create long-term solutions, and measuring results that change lives and improve our neighborhoods. For more information, please visit www.uwgmc.org and click on Community Impact.
Mercer Street Friends' Home Health Care division strives to promote health and wellness by providing comprehensive services that include skilled care, education, support and advocacy. It is licensed by the State of New Jersey to provide skilled nursing, rehabilitation therapy, dietary counseling, medical social work, and assistance in activities of daily living via our home health aides, who are certified by the state, licensed by the Department of Community Affairs, insured and bonded.
To learn more about how Project Connect can assist persons with disabilities or senior citizens please contact Julie Feibush at 609.987.8100 or online at JulieF@jfcsonline.org. |
