Free LRRC Open House for First-time Home Buyers on May 16
Never bought a home? You have a lot to learn! The public is invited to attend an Open House for First-time Home Buyers to gain a better understanding of what mortgage options are available and how to qualify for them on Tuesday, May 16 from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. at the Lakewood Public Works Complex, 1 American Way (corner of New Hampshire and Cedar Bridge), Lakewood.
The Lakewood Resource and Referral Center (LRRC) is sponsoring the First-time Home Buyer Open House in partnership with Solutions to End Poverty Soon (STEPS) and the Township of Lakewood to provide the answers to questions, such as how much can you afford to spend? What is the best mortgage option? Would you even qualify for a loan?
Anyone purchasing a home, in the market for a home, or considering buying a home is welcome to attend this free event. Representatives from local lending institutions will be available to discuss topics about the home-buying process, with a special emphasis on how to access reduced interest rates and down payment requirements with no PMI (Private Mortgage Insurance).
Attendees will have the opportunity to discuss and review mortgage products with each lender and receive preliminary prequalification for loans. LRRC and STEPS Certified Housing Counselors will also be available to answer questions.
Each participant will receive a copy of the new second edition of the LRRC’s Home Buyer’s Handbook, which provides a summary of the entire home-buying process and important advice for home buyers, among other features. The Home Buyer’s Handbook also has a comprehensive directory of product and service providers whose services home buyers and homeowners are likely to need.
To advertise in the Home Buyer’s Handbook, call Henya Wachsman at 732-942-7560 or email ads@lrrcenter.org.
About the Lakewood Resource and Referral Center (LRRC): The LRRC, a federally-designated 501(C)(3) nonprofit organization, 212 Second Street, Suite 204, Lakewood, provides free comprehensive social services, information, referrals and assistance for government and private sector programs in such areas as housing, health insurance plans, nutrition and utilities. For more information about the LRRC, call 732-942-9292 or email info@lrrcenter.org.
Preferred Home Health Care Sponsoring a Job Fair for RNs, LPNs, and CHHAs
Preferred Home Health Care & Nursing Services is holding a job fair for RN, LPN, and CHHA positions, all shifts, on Friday, May 12, 2017, from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. in Eatontown, 145 Wyckoff Road, Suite 204.
Preferred is offering sign-on and referral bonuses, refreshments, and giveaways at the job fair.
Bring a resume for an immediate interview at the job fair. Besides a resume, bring a driver’s license, social security card, and a license as either an RN, an LPN, or a CHHA. Applicants can also apply online at PreferredCares.com.
For more information about the job fair, call 732-578-0023. For more information about Preferred Home Health Care & Nursing Services, contact Lisa Gallicchio, director of community relations, at lisa@preferredcares.com or 732-547-9886, or visit PreferredCares.com
About Preferred Home Health Care & Nursing Services: Since 1993, Preferred Home Health Care & Nursing Services (PHHC), 45 Main Street, Eatontown, N.J., has provided a wide range of medical and non-medical home health care services from pediatric to geriatric care throughout New Jersey and Pennsylvania. PHHC is accredited by CHAP (Community Health Accreditation Program), an accrediting organization for the home health care industry.
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 can be provided in-house and is coordinated by registered nurses, with clinical supervision available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
New Jersey locations include corporate headquarters, 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.
It May Not Be Too Late to Get ACA Coverage – OHI Can Help
If you or someone you know missed the January 31, 2017, cutoff date to enroll in health care coverage under the ACA, the Outreach and Enrollment team at OHI (Ocean Health Initiatives), a federally qualified health center with locations throughout Ocean County, may still be able to help some individuals and families meet specific criteria to qualify for insurance even though the formal enrollment period has closed.
OHI’s Outreach and Enrollment staff are available by appointment only to answer questions, explain changes, and help individuals sign up for health insurance; and in certain cases, they can help enroll those through appeals and exemptions.
To sign up for health insurance at the time of an appointment, enrollees must bring their social security card; proof of income, such as paystubs, W-2 Forms, or other income information; their employer’ information; and their date of birth.
To schedule an appointment call 732-363-6655. For more information about the Outreach and Enrollment department, call Sasha Andino at 848-210-0970 or visit ohinj.org.
About Ocean Health Initiatives (OHI): OHI, a nonprofit 501(c)(3) federally qualified health center (FQHC), has five health centers, a Mobile Medical Unit, and two school-based wellness programs in Ocean County. OHI health centers are at 101 Second Street, Lakewood; 301 Lakehurst Road, Toms River; 333 Haywood Road, Manahawkin; Manchester, 686 Route 70 , Lakehurst; 798 Route 539. Building 3, Little Egg Harbor. The school-based wellness programs in Lakewood are in the Clifton Avenue Elementary School, 625 Clifton Avenue; and Lakewood High School, 855 Somerset Avenue, Suite A. The Lakewood, Little Egg Harbor and Manchester health centers have pharmacies.
OHI provides comprehensive primary and preventative health and dental care to Ocean County’s uninsured, underinsured, and insured populations. A sliding-fee scale is available, based on an individual’s or family’s ability to pay. Services include family and internal medicine, dental, pediatrics, women’s health, behavioral health and social services, podiatry and pharmacy services. OHI has a bilingual staff available to assist patients and callers. To become a patient of OHI, call 732-363-6655. Visit www.ohinj.org for further information.
Lakewood Township Recreation Department Announces Its Spring Programs
The Lakewood Recreation Department has released the 2017 schedule of its spring recreation programs, including soccer, wrestling, girls’ volleyball, and adult programs. Registration is ongoing.
Register for spring Soccer League, a program for boys and girls at the John Patrick Sports Complex, Vine Street, Lakewood. The registration fee is $12.00; the uniform fee is $25.00 and players are asked to bring a personal soccer ball to practice.
Soccer League is Mondays and Wednesdays 6:00 to 7:00 p.m. for children ages 4-6 and ages 7-8; children ages 9-11 from 7:00 to 8:00 p.m.; and children in Lakewood Middle School from 8:00 to 9:00 p.m. On Fridays, Soccer League for children ages 4 -6 is from 6:00 to 7:00 p.m.; ages 7 – 8 from 7:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.; and for children ages 9–11 or in the Lakewood Middle School from 8:00 to 9:00 p.m.
Learn the skills and techniques of wrestling now through now to May 25 in the Lakewood High School wrestling room, Tuesdays and Thursdays from 6:30–8:00 p.m. The registration fee is $10.00. For questions or concerns, contact Coach Oscar Orellana at 732-216-7188 or email escapewrestlingclub@gmail.com.
Develop Girls’ Volleyball techniques or learn the game, Tuesday and Thursday evenings in the Lakewood High School gymnasium. Girls in Grades 4 – 7 will meet from 7:00 to 8:00 p.m.; and girls in Grades 8 – 12 from 8:00 – 9:00 p.m. No registration fee.
Only the instruction is free for adult crafts, jewelry making, crocheting, and drawing and art programs, at the Lakewood Community Center. Instruction includes Jewelry Making, Mondays, 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.; Crochet, Tuesdays, 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.; Drawing and Art, Tuesdays 1:30 to 3:30 p.m. and Crafts, Wednesdays, 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.
Programs may be cancelled because of inclement weather, holidays, school building use or school construction. Listen to WOBM for cancellations. For more information, call the Lakewood Recreation office at 732-905-3405 or visit www.lakewoodtwpnj.org.
Register Now to Participate in Lakewood’s Memorial Day Parade May 29
On Monday, May 29, 2017, members of the Lakewood Township community will be honoring our veterans, the men and women who have served and are now serving in the military, with a Memorial Day Parade and services at the All War Memorial Amphitheater at Lake Carasaljo, North Lake Drive, Lakewood.
Any organization or group that would like to participate in The Memorial Day Parade should contact Sarah Kay in the Mayor’s office at 732-364-2500 Ext. 2771 or email skay@lakewoodnj.gov.
The Memorial Day ceremony will begin at the Review Stand in Town Square, Third Street and Clifton Avenue, at 9:30 a.m. The Parade, which begins at 10:00 a.m., will then pass the Review Stand, proceed down Clifton Avenue, making a right onto Main Street (Route 88), crossing Route 9 South, and proceeding the All War Memorial Amphitheater for the Memorial Day program that will begin with the Lakewood High School (LHS) ROTC presenting the colors, the raising of the flag, an Invocation, and the Star Spangled Banner.
A wreath will be placed on Lake Carasaljo honoring our veterans, and there will be a 21-Gun Salute and Taps.
Participants in the Memorial Day ceremony include Senator Robert Singer, Assemblymen Sean Kean and David Rible, Lakewood Mayor Ray Coles, Deputy Mayor Menashe Miller, and Committeemen Isaac Akerman, Mike D’Elia, and Meir Lichtenstein.
Participants are requested to be at their assigned location no later than 9:30 a.m. Bus transportation will be available to transport marchers from the lake back to the starting point of the parade.
New Jersey Health Care Network May 9 Meeting
The monthly meeting of NJ Health Care Network, a free organization for anyone in the health care industry, is Tuesday, May 9, 2017, from 8:30 to 10:30 a.m. at the Willow Creek Rehabilitation and Care Center, 1165 Easton Avenue, Somerset, N.J., 08873.
The NJ Health Care Network provides an opportunity to build relationships among health care professionals, market events, and promote business. Meetings take place in a different New Jersey county each month.
For more information about NJ Health Care Network, 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.
Leadership Is about Purpose, Not Position™ May 11 HR Meeting
Achieving breakthroughs in an organization is based on three critical factors. Jack Gottlieb, CEO of the Total Solutions Group, a global strategic consulting, training and coaching organization, will define the approach, processes, and evaluation necessary to get the results every organization wants at the monthly meeting of JSAHR (The Jersey Shore Association for Human Resources), open to the public, Thursday, May 11, 2017, from 7:45 to 10:00 a.m., at the Jumping Brook Country Club, 210 Jumping Brook Road, Neptune, N.J.
The registration fee, including a full buffet breakfast, is $30.00 for JSAHR members; $40.00 for nonmembers; $25.00 for guests and those in-transition, and $10.00 for full-time students. The sponsor of the meeting is Retirement Income Advisors.
Register online at jsahr.shrm.org/events or email admin@jsahr.org or call Christine Higgins, JSAHR chapter administrator, at 732-701-7155.
JSAHR, a SHRM affiliated chapter, is a Gold Excel award winner of SHRM (Society for Human Resource Management.) This program is pending one (1) SHRM and one (1) HRCI (Human Resource Certification Institute) recertification credit. www.hrci.org
About Jack Gottlieb: Jack Gottlieb is the CEO of the Total Solutions Group, a global strategic consulting, training and coaching organization that partners with organizations to deliver what is REALLY Most Important™ for an organization to fully thrive while delivering the value their customers and people truly need. Total Solutions Group ensures this generates the results their people will take ownership of and replicate going forward for their organization. Under Gottlieb’s leadership, Total Solutions Group has worked with more than 125 companies, ranging from organizations that are small scale startups to mid-size organizations in hyper growth mode, to large and publicly traded like Microsoft, Comcast and Toyota.
Lakewood Arbor Day Celebration April 28
The public is invited to Lakewood Township’s Arbor Day celebration and tree plantings sponsored by Lakewood Township and the Lakewood Shade Tree Commission, Friday, April 28, 2017, at 3:00 p.m., at the Larry D’Zio Park, Locust Street, Lakewood.
At the ceremony, with help from the Lakewood Public Works Department, officials will plant three Kwanzan cherry trees (Prunus Serrulata Kwanzan) in the park. Lakewood has been awarded “Tree City USA” for more than 30 years for its outstanding urban forestry.
The first celebration of Arbor Day in the United States took place in 1872. The holiday, held on the last Friday in April, was created to encourage individuals and groups to plant trees and realize their importance. Lakewood has embraced that concept, holding Arbor Day ceremonies and planting hundreds of trees over the years.
Craig J. Theibault, vice chairman of the Lakewood Shade Tree Commission, said, “You know what they say, ‘The best time to plant a tree is 30 years ago; the second best time is today.’”
Theibault, who holds a B. S. degree in Ornamental Horticulture from Delaware Valley College of Science and Agriculture, has been a member of the Ocean County Shade Tree Commission since 1992. Besides serving on the Shade Tree Commission locally, Theibault has also served as a member of the N.J. Community Forestry Council, a 20-member advisory board to the State Forester, since 1999.
Certified Financial Planner to Speak about Health Care Issues at Spring Conference
William C Stratton, Avon, CFP®* an associate of Shapiro Financial Security Group, Inc., with meeting locations in Hazlet, Toms River, and throughout New Jersey, will be a speaker at the spring conference of the Financial Planning Association of New Jersey (FPANJ®), Hilton Meadowlands, 2 Meadowlands Plaza, East Rutherford, NJ 07073, on Thursday, May 4, 2017. Stratton’s talk “Health Care Planning and Controlling Costs” will focus on the rising cost of health care, a trend that is unlikely to change anytime soon.
Stratton’s presentation will cover the current healthcare system, health care protection options, and techniques for controlling health care costs. He will speak about how government and employer health benefit plans have been shifting more of the health care costs to the user; the need for clients to be aware of how their health care planning decisions affect their health care costs and how they might be able to control these costs.
Stratton, the past president of the New Jersey Chapter of FPANJ, received the Distinguished Service Award and the National FPA’s Heart of Financial Planning Award. He is a past president of the Estate and Financial Planning Council of Central New Jersey.
For further information, contact Kenneth Shapiro at 732-739-8991 or visit www.ShapiroFSG.com.
* CFP® (Certified Financial Planner)
About Shapiro Financial Security Group: Founded in 1982, Shapiro Financial Security Group, Inc. (SFSG), with meeting locations in Hazlet, Toms River, and throughout New Jersey, specializes in providing individualized tax, financial planning, and investment services to pre-retirement and retirement aged clients, in New Jersey and throughout the United States. Staffed by CPAs and Certified Financial Planners®, SFSG places a high priority on client education, including alternatives for developing prudent and tax efficient planning strategies. SFSG does not receive commissions or sell any investment products. Visit SFSG at www.ShapiroFSG.com or call 732-739-8991 for more information.
Ken Shapiro, CPA and Financial Planner, to Speak to Professional Group -Monumental Changes Are Afoot!
Kenneth B. Shapiro, CPA/PFS, CFP®*, Toms River, president of Shapiro Financial Security Group, Inc., with meeting locations in Hazlet, Toms River, and throughout New Jersey, and Elder Care attorney Robert Brogan, Point Pleasant, will be addressing more than 100 members of the Monmouth Ocean Chapter of New Jersey CPA Society (NJCPA) in a joint session as part of the CPA continuing education program, Season Pass, at Jumping Brook Country Club, 210 Jumping Brook Road, Neptune, N.J., from 8:30 to 10:30 a.m., Thursday, May 4, 2017.
Shapiro and Brogan will cover such topics as Advising Aging Clients and Their Families;
Proposed Changes to Income Tax, Medicaid and Medicare; How These Changes Affect Special Needs Planning; Asset Protection and Bloodline Trust; Recent and Pending Changes in Federal and NJ Estate/Income Tax Laws. A question and answer session will follow.
Shapiro, a CPA (Certified Public Accountant), holds designations as a Personal Financial Specialist (PFS) and a Certified Financial Planner (CFP). He is the president of the Monmouth Ocean County Chapter of NJCPA and serves on the Investment Committee, which oversees the financial investments for the Society.
A past two-term board member for FPANJ (Financial Planning Association of New Jersey), Shapiro has been awarded the organization’s “Heart of Financial Planning” and its “Lifetime Achievement” awards. In 2014, the New Jersey Society of Certified Public Accountants (NJSCPA) named Shapiro one of only six top financial planners in New Jersey. He has more than 30 years’ experience in the financial industry in the public, private, and educational sectors.
For further information, contact Kenneth Shapiro at 732-739-8991 or visit www.ShapiroFSG.com.
About Shapiro Financial Security Group (SFSG): Founded in 1982, Shapiro Financial Security Group, Inc. (SFSG), with meeting locations in Hazlet, Toms River, and throughout New Jersey, offers investment management services, comprehensive fee-based financial planning, and tax preparation services. It specializes in providing individualized tax, financial planning, and investment services to pre-retirement and retirement aged clients in New Jersey and throughout the United States. Staffed by CPAs and Certified Financial Planners®, SFSG places a high priority on client education, including alternatives for developing prudent and tax efficient planning strategies. SFSG does not receive commissions or sell any investment products. Visit SFSG at www.ShapiroFSG.com or call 732-739-8991 for more information.
CPA Licensing Requirements: According to NJ CPA, “CPAs licensed in the state of New Jersey are required to renew their license every three years per the New Jersey State Board of Accountancy. They must show proof of having taken 120 hours of continuing professional education (CPE) by an approved CPE provider within the relevant triennial period, and it must include a live New Jersey Law & Ethics course.”