Ten-Year-Old Celebrity Releases Video to Support Injured Service Members
Ten-year-old Lilly K may be a little girl but she is trying to make BIG changes! Best known as a cast member on Lifetime’s hit show Dance Moms, Lilly K has released a music video to raise money and awareness in support of the Wounded Warrior Project® (WWP), a nonprofit that provides free programs, services, and support during a veteran’s recovery.
Visit https://youtu.be/GLevw-OhO2s to view Picking up the Pieces: A Tribute to Our Fallen Soldiers and Their Brave Loved Ones. Dedicated to SFC Mathew Sluss-Tiller, killed while serving his time downrange, the video shows a young wife informed of the death of her husband and the effects his death have on her and her daughter, who are personally known to Lilly K’s family.
The song “Hallelujah,” sung by vocalist Justine Picarello; Lilly K’s dance and acting skills; and actual pictures and videos of SFC Mathew Sluss-Tiller and his daughter appear throughout the video to create a heartwarming, poignant storyline.
The video, created by Lilly K Entertainment Group, Inc., is intended to raise awareness about the sacrifices our military and their families make, and will hopefully inspire them to donate to the cause.
The link to make donations to the Wounded Warrior Project® is https://fundraise.woundedwarriorproject.org/RTT/fundraising/individual/Stand-by-our-Soldiers-and-their-Families-A-Lilly-K-Tribute-to-Injured-Service-Members-and-their-Fami1
For more information contact Stacey Ketchman at 910-308-6434.
About Wounded Warrior Project: The mission of Wounded Warrior Project® (WWP) is to honor and empower Wounded Warriors. WWP’s purpose is to raise awareness and to enlist the public’s aid for the needs of injured service members; to help injured servicemen and women aid and assist each other; and to provide unique, direct programs and services to meet their needs. WWP is a national, nonpartisan organization with headquarters in Jacksonville, Florida. To get involved and learn more, visit woundedwarriorproject.org
Preferred Marks 20 Years of CHAP Accreditation
It’s a milestone to brag about! For its nationally recognized standards of excellence, Preferred Home Health Care & Nursing Services, Inc. (PHHC), with headquarters in Eatontown and offices throughout New Jersey and Pennsylvania, has achieved 20 years of continuous accreditation by CHAP (Community Health Accreditation Partner, Inc.)., a demanding national accrediting organization for the home health care industry.
The rigorous evaluation by CHAP focuses on structure and function, quality of services and products, human and financial resources, and long-term viability, which signify better quality care. By achieving CHAP accreditation, PHHC also meets the Medicare Conditions of Participation and is certified as a Medicare provider.
“Preferred Home Health Care & Nursing Services has shown a commitment to excellence,” said Barbara McCann, CHAP President and CEO. “We are excited to continue our partnership with PHHC by offering support in its commitment to providing quality care and continuous improvement.”
Since 1993, PHHC has provided a wide range of medical and non-medical home health care services from pediatric to geriatric care throughout New Jersey and Pennsylvania. Preferred works collaboratively with physicians, hospitals, nursing homes, and facilities to ensure a smooth transition to one’s home. In-house services include skilled nursing care for infants, children, adults, and seniors; personal care services, including bathing, grooming, dressing, feeding, etc.; private duty nursing services; and at-home physical therapy, among others. All of the care is coordinated by registered nurses, with clinical supervision available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
New Jersey locations include corporate headquarters, 45 Main Street, Eatontown; South Orange; Robbinsville; Toms River; Galloway; Elmwood Park; North Brunswick; Wyckoff Road, Eatontown; and Mt. Laurel. Pennsylvania locations include Bala Cynwyd, Allentown, and Bensalem. Visit Preferred at PreferredCares.com. for more information.
About CHAP: CHAP is an independent, not-for-profit, accrediting body for community-based health care organizations. Created in 1965, CHAP was the first to recognize the need and value for accreditation in community-based care. CHAP is the oldest national, community-based accrediting body with more than 9,000 agencies currently accredited nationwide. CHAP’s purpose is to define and advance the highest standards of community-based care. For more information about the CHAP Accreditation process, please visit the CHAP website at www.chapinc.org. or via phone at 202.862.3413.
Gateway Students Enjoy Special Needs Day at Liberty Science Center
On Special Needs Day at Liberty Science Center, 14 Gateway School students, Carteret, explored exhibits, such as the Touch Tunnel where they learned how to use all their senses to explore in the dark; and the “Eat and Be Eaten” exhibit where they encountered creatures like mole rats and tamarin monkeys. Students, following directions in a busy environment, also climbed the “Wonder Why” rock wall, built robots, and practiced social skills.
Erika Casablanca, the STEM instructor at Gateway, said, “The bus was quiet on the way home with tired students and staff who all agreed it was a fun and successful day.”
The Gateway School provides education, therapeutic, and behavioral support for children who have challenges, such as multiple disabilities, cognitively impairments, autistic spectrum disorder, learning disabilities, traumatic brain injuries, behavioral disorders, or other health impairments. It is one of three RKS Associates state-approved special education schools that include the Alpha School, Jackson, and the Harbor School, Eatontown.
The Liberty Science Center, Liberty State Park, 222 Jersey City Boulevard, Jersey City, NJ 07305, offers two Special Needs Days throughout the year.
For more information or for questions about school enrollment, contact Erika Casablanca at ErikaC@thegatewayschool.com. or 732-541-4400; or Dana Giblin at 732-544-9394.
About Liberty Science Center (from the website); Liberty Science Center (LSC) features experiences for guests of all ages and stages of learning every day. But on Special Needs Days, LSC offers an entire day of science learning tailored to special needs classes. The program was developed by an advisory team of special education teachers, healthcare professionals, museum staffers, and parents of special needs children. Each Special Needs Day includes live science presentations, activities, and theater shows.
RKS Associates Schools: Gateway School: 60 High Street Carteret, NJ 07008 (732.541.4400) https://thegatewayschool.com/; Alpha School: 2210 West County Line Road, Suite #1, Jackson, NJ 08527 (732.370.1150) https://alphaschool.com/ ; Harbor School: 240 Broad Street, Eatontown, NJ 07724 (732.544.9394) https://harborschool.com/
N.J. Health Care Networking Group to Meet January 9
The monthly meeting of N.J. Health Care Networking Group, a free organization for anyone in the health care industry, including those who provide ancillary products and services, is Wednesday, January 9, 2019, from 8:30 to 10:30 a.m. in Bergen County at the Mill Gardens at Midland Park, 36 Faner Road, Midland Park, NJ 07432. (The snow date is Thursday, January 10.)
The N.J. Health Care Networking Group provides an opportunity to build relationships among health care professionals, market events, and promote business. Membership is free; however, register to take advantage of member benefits, such as posting to N.J. Health Care Networking Group’s website all health care and marketing events, training information, employment listings, and access to a member directory.
For more information about N.J. Health Care Networking Group, email Lisa Gallicchio, director of community relations for Preferred Home Health Care & Nursing Services, Eatontown, at lisa@preferredcares.com, call 732-547-9886, or visit www.njhcnet.com for the monthly location and member events. Meetings take place in a different New Jersey county each month.
Celebrity to Release Video to Support Injured Service Members
It’s no secret that many wounded veterans face significant challenges when they return to civilian life. Ten-year-old Lilly K, a celebrity best known as a cast member on Lifetime’s hit show, Dance Moms, is releasing a music video created by Lilly K Entertainment Group, Inc. to raise money and awareness in support of the Wounded Warrior Project® (WWP), a nonprofit that provides free programs, services, and support during a veteran’s recovery.
The video Picking up the Pieces: A Tribute to Our Fallen Soldiers and Their Brave Loved Ones is dedicated to SFC Mathew Sluss-Tiller, who was killed while serving his time downrange. The wife and child of Sluss-Tiller are personally known to Lilly K’s family.
The video shows a young wife informed of the death of her husband and the effects his death have on her and her daughter. The song “Hallelujah,” sung by vocalist Justine Picarello; Lilly K’s dance and acting skills; and actual pictures and videos of SFC Mathew Sluss-Tiller and his daughter appear throughout the video to create a heartwarming, poignant storyline.
The video is intended to raise awareness about the sacrifices our military and their families make, and will hopefully inspire them to donate to the cause. Lilly K may be a little girl but she is trying to make BIG changes!
See the music video Picking up the Pieces: A Tribute to our Fallen Soldiers and their Brave Loved Ones on the YouTube channel “Lilliana Ketchman,” beginning December 22. The link to make donations to the Wounded Warrior Project® is https://fundraise.woundedwarriorproject.org/RTT/fundraising/individual/Stand-by-our-Soldiers-and-their-Families-A-Lilly-K-Tribute-to-Injured-Service-Members-and-their-Fami1
For more information contact Stacey Ketchman at 910-308-6434.
About Wounded Warrior Project: The mission of Wounded Warrior Project® (WWP) is to honor and empower Wounded Warriors. WWP’s purpose is to raise awareness and to enlist the public’s aid for the needs of injured service members; to help injured servicemen and women aid and assist each other; and to provide unique, direct programs and services to meet their needs. WWP is a national, nonpartisan organization with headquarters in Jacksonville, Florida. To get involved and learn more, visit woundedwarriorproject.org
Santa Makes an Early Stop at The Gateway School
Santa recently made an early stop at the Gateway School, Carteret, to take pictures with the students and staff, and hand out gifts and candy canes to students, ages six to 21. The Gateway School provides education, therapeutic, and behavioral support for children who have challenges, such as multiple disabilities, cognitively impairments, autistic spectrum disorder, learning disabilities, traumatic brain injuries, behavioral disorders, or other health impairments. It is one of three RKS Associates state-approved special education schools that include the Alpha School, Jackson, and the Harbor School, Eatontown.
Shhhh…. Don’t tell the kids but The Gateway School staff and teachers bought the presents for the students! Instead of a staff member dressing as Santa this year, Total Santa for Hire-USA volunteered to have one of its Santas visit the school to give out the gifts.
Students were very excited to see Santa. Elliemar Castillo said, “Santa was so nice to me. I told him I wanted a feisty pet!” Noah Michel said, “I asked Santa for a present.” He got one. And another student said, “I felt so happy when Santa came to visit.”
For more information or for school enrollment information, contact Erika Casablanca at ErikaC@thegatewayschool.com. or 732-541-4400; or Dana Giblin at 732-544-9394.
RKS Associates Schools: Gateway School: 60 High Street Carteret, NJ 07008 (732.541.4400) https://thegatewayschool.com/; Alpha School: 2210 West County Line Road, Suite #1, Jackson, NJ 08527 (732.370.1150) https://alphaschool.com/ ; Harbor School: 240 Broad Street, Eatontown, NJ 07724 (732.544.9394) https://harborschool.com/
Montgomery Hired as Acct. Executive for Eatontown Commercial Flooring and Interior Concepts Company
Tonya Montgomery, Brick, has been hired as an account executive for Commercial Flooring and Interior Concepts, 615 Hope Road, Eatontown. Montgomery is in charge of supervising account management, estimating project costs, and generating sales. Commercial Flooring and Interior Concepts focuses on product selections, floor planning, installations, and maintenance.
Montgomery graduated from the Art Institute of Fort Lauderdale in 1990 with a degree in Advertising Design. Before joining Commercial Flooring and Interior Concepts, Montgomery worked at Hitech Data Floors, Edison, overseeing account management and doing estimations.
She is a member of the American Cancer Society and serves on its Golf Committee. Montgomery won first place as a National Pet Photographer, Stainmaster Pet Protect competition. She was also a state champion and nationally ranked by the National Scholastic Surfing Association, 1984-1988.
Montgomery says, “Right out of college, I chose to design and build custom sculptured area rugs, using my art degree to create one of a kind area rugs that ranged from small entry mats to mega yachts and commercial settings. When Montgomery’s style of sculptured rug making faded out, she focused on residential and commercial flooring sales.
When she is not working, Montgomery donates her time to photographing animals that are looking for a forever home and conducts fundraisers for animals.
For more information, contact Montgomery at 732-542-0022 (Office); 732-664-0519 (Cell), or visit businessflooring.net.
About Commercial Flooring and Interior Concepts: Commercial Flooring and Interior Concepts is a 15-year-old company that sells and installs commercial flooring, including ceramic tile; commercial carpet; hardwood flooring; resilient flooring, such as vinyl tiles or solid vinyl products; wood grain looking products, seen in hospitals, and commercial wall coverings. Other services include moisture remediation, traffic flow analysis, diagnosing flooring issues and repairing them; carpet and floor cleaning; removal of existing flooring; addressing slip and fall issues; and business interior design solutions.
For more information, visit businessflooring.net or call 732-542-0022.
Brick CPA Named Tax Manager for Toms River CPA Firm
Glenn VanPell, Brick, has been hired as a tax manager for Jump, Perry and Company, with offices in Toms River, Brick, and Manahawkin, New Jersey. As a tax manager, VanPell works extensively on tax and accounting issues with individuals, business clients, and non-profit organizations.
Before joining Jump, Perry and Company, VanPell was a tax manager for Hutchins, Farrell, Meyer & Allison, Freehold, which merged with the accounting firm of Withum Smith + Brown in 2014. Among other duties at Withum, VanPell reviewed individual, corporate, partnership and estate returns; and assisted with intern training and management during tax season.
VanPell earned his B.A. in accounting from Glassboro State College, now Rowan University, in 1988. He is a member of AICPA (American Institute of Certified Public Accountants), a national organization, and the New Jersey Society of CPAs.
VanPell serves as treasurer for the Ocean County Business Association, CAREing for Children, and the Metedeconk River Yacht Club where he was elected to the Board of Trustees.
For more information contact Glenn VanPell at Glenn.VanPell@jumpcpa.com. or call 732 240 7377.
About Jump, Perry and Company, L.L.P.: Jump, Perry and Company, founded in 1979 by Donald Jump, CPA, is a firm made up of academically qualified CPAs who are members of both the New Jersey State Society and the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA). The firm is also a member of the Public Companies Accounting Oversight Board (PCAOB), a voluntary section dedicated to the maintenance of the highest professional ethics and standards. They also members of the National Association of Housing and Redevelopment Officials (NAHRO) and the Affordable Housing Association of CPAS (AHACPA). The firm maintains an office in New Jersey and is licensed in several other states. For more information visit jumpcpa.com.
Jump, Perry and Company, L.L.P., Toms River Office, 12 Lexington Ave., Toms River, NJ 08753 Tel: 732-240-7377 Fax: 732-505-8307; Brick Office, 514 Brick Blvd., Brick, NJ 08723, Tel: 732-840-1600 Fax: 732-840-8349; Manahawkin Office, 21 Jennings Road, Manahawkin, NJ 08050, Tel: 609-978-9500 Fax: 609-978-9515
CFO of Single Throw Becomes President of World-wide Organization
This November, Jim Farrell, Freehold, the CFO of Single Throw, an internet marketing company in Wall Township, was named the president of the Family and Friends of the 508th Parachute Infantry Regiment (PIR) Association, an international organization dedicated to preserving, remembering, and communicating the history of those paratroopers in the 508th who safeguarded freedom around the world during World War II, Korea, and Vietnam, among other conflicts.
As president of 508th PIR Association, Farrell will continue the mission of the organization that has more than 500 members world-wide. He will also arrange meetings, oversee the newsletter, and continue the focus and the direction of the 508th PIR.
Farrell and his sister Liz have been a member of the Friends and Family of the 508th PIR Association for decades. They had setup a profile page on the 508th PIR website because their uncle Private Martin Teahan of HQ Company, 1st Battalion, 508th Parachute Infantry Regiment (PIR), 82nd Airborne Division, had died on June 6, 1944, near a church in Picauville, Normandy, on the first day of the Invasion of Normandy. While scouting a position, he was shot in the leg, captured, and then killed by a German soldier who thought he was reaching for a weapon.
A few days after D-Day, a French farmer in the area found an M1 Garand Rifle with the name M. Teahan engraved on the butt of the rifle. No one knew what the farmer did with the rifle for 72 years until it was discovered February 2016 by an active duty French Army Paratrooper Commander named General Patrick Collet.
General Collet, determined to find who M. Teahan was, searched the 508th PIR website for an M. Teahan. He found the match and notified Liz and Jim Farrell. Farrell said, “We knew the moment we found out that the rifle was our Uncle Matty’s, he was coming home after 72 years. That moment changed our lives.” That’s how Farrell and his sister become a life-time members of Friends and Family of the 508th PIR Association.
Uncle Matty’s rifle was the catalyst for a journey that has led Farrell to writing the book Uncle Matty Comes Home, creating Facebook and Instagram pages, and meeting Rock Merritt, known as “Mr. 508,” age 95, who actually knew Farrell’s uncle and is one of the most famous 82nd Airborne, World War II people still alive.
According to Farrell, Merritt “is really the rock of the 508th. He has been nominated three times to be Sgt. Major of the army, the highest enlisted rank possible, and every president of the United States wants to meet him.”
It was Merritt who asked Farrell to become president, a request Farrell couldn’t say ‘no’ to. Farrell said, “In life it is often the unexpected, the things that come out of the blue, that lead you to a direction in life you never anticipated. Before 2016, I only knew Uncle Matty had died in WWII, no other details. This journey has taken me overseas, brought me to relatives I never knew existed, created a closer family, and has made me president of this organization.
About Jim Farrell: Born in Bronx, N.Y. in 1956, Farrell graduated from Rice High School in Harlem. In 1974 he enlisted the army, became a military policeman, and deployed to Korea. After serving in the army, Farrell earned a B.S. in accounting (1983) from SUNY, Binghamton.
In 2000, Farrell and Larry Bailin co-founded Single Throw for which Farrell oversees the company’s direction, finances, and operations.
Farrell served on the Board of Directors of the Lakewood Chamber of Commerce, was first vice president and then president (2007-2008). He also chaired the technology, finance, and E-newsletter committees. Through his leadership, the Lakewood Chamber was one of the first to have its own blog and podcasts of business issues. Farrell was instrumental in developing the first websites for the Lakewood Chamber of Commerce. In 2009, the Lakewood Chamber honored him as a Citizen of the Year.
Farrell is a member of the Monmouth/Ocean Chapter of the Financial Executives Networking Group, which he founded, and is a member of the Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation.
Alpha School Students Deck the Halls with Themed Holiday Trees
Students in the Alpha School, Jackson, one of three RKS Associates state-approved special education schools, have spent October and November preparing to decorate their class holiday tree. Each class tree designed its own tree with a specific theme, such as a literary tree with books and ornaments made to represents characters from the books, a sweet shop candy tree with candy ornaments and a gingerbread house at the top, an emoji tree with emoji ornaments made out of salt dough, a beach themed tree with sea creatures and seashells, and a Hawaiian themed tree with flowers and gingerbread men in grass skirts and swimming trunks.
Erika Casablanca, STEM instructor, said, “The collaborative team effort it took for the students to create such beautiful trees can be treasured by all who are fortunate to step through the halls of the Alpha School. When you open the doors of Alpha and you see all the beautiful lights on the trees and ornaments crafted by the students, you can’t help but smile. I mean if the Grinch could see this, his heart would have grown four times as big!”
The Gateway School, Carteret, and the Harbor School, Eatontown, are two other RKS Associates state-approved special education schools. All three schools provide education, therapeutic, and behavioral support for children who have challenges, such as multiple disabilities, cognitively impairments, autistic spectrum disorder, learning disabilities, traumatic brain injuries, behavioral disorders, or other health impairments.
For more information or for school enrollment, contact Erika Casablanca at ErikaC@thegatewayschool.com. or 732-541-4400; or Dana Giblin at 732-544-9394.
RKS Associates Schools: Gateway School: 60 High Street Carteret, NJ 07008 (732.541.4400) https://thegatewayschool.com/; Alpha School: 2210 West County Line Road, Suite #1, Jackson, NJ 08527 (732.370.1150) https://alphaschool.com/ ; Harbor School: 240 Broad Street, Eatontown, NJ 07724 (732.544.9394) https://harborschool.com/