Youth

CFNJ Morris Committee Sends 100 Campers to Museum

August 7, 2013 Thanks to a grant from the Community Foundation of New Jersey’s Morris County Fund, more than 100 campers from Dover were able to visit the Museum of Early Trades & Crafts in Morristown.  And the Whole Foods Market of Madison helped out too, providing healthy lunches for the campers.…

Union Beach Campers Write Home

July 24, 2013 Earlier this summer, we told you the story of a group of Madison residents who worked together to sponsor camperships for children from Union Beach, a town truly ravaged by Hurricane Sandy.  Click here to read that story. …

Helping Kids Cope with Childhood Anxiety Disorder

July 9, 2013 Kids are known for being afraid of the usual round-up of scary things: spiders, the dark, monsters under the bed. Most of the time, kids outgrow these fears and move on to more rational concerns like paying rent, first dates and graduating from college.…

School Lunch Half a World Away

June 6, 2013 One of our signature campaigns here at the Community Foundation of New Jersey is to promote greater access to school breakfast throughout the state.  In our School Breakfast Update, we made the case that: Feeding kids first thing in the morning boosts performance, gives the school nurse a break, and positions the state to claim federal reimbursements annually.…

The Case for Play: How Recess Makes Schools Safer

May 17, 2013 As bullying in schools increasingly gains media attention, new studies have emerged that link environmental factors to kids’ behavior in schools. Better school breakfast or lunch programs, for example, can improve academic performance and social interaction. Awareness of bullying and the appropriate methods for dealing with it can also help create safer schools.…

Madison “Adopts” Union Beach, Provides Summer Camps for Youth

April 17, 2013 For most kids, summertime is something to look forward to after the long months of winter: a reprieve from school, homework, and being cooped up inside. But for the kids of Union Beach – most of whom saw their homes destroyed by Hurricane Sandy – this summer will come with some hardship. …

How to Get a 7th Grader to Write… in the Summer

April 1, 2013 Seventh grade. Essays. Summer school.  Any middle school kid might consider these to be various forms of short-term punishment. But for over 500 New Jersey middle school students, essays are no longer the stuff of ruined weekends and vengeful English teachers.…

Covenant House Post-Sandy

February 11, 2013 We’ve seen the devastation Hurricane Sandy has wrought on countless New Jersey communities – leveling homes, flooding cars, and destroying personal property.  Of course, the true toll is on our state’s people, who now must rebuild not just their homes, but also their lives. …

Honoring a Son to Help Kids Cope

February 8, 2013 The Todd Ouida Children’s Foundation was created following September 11, 2001 in order to celebrate Todd’s life and create a meaningful legacy. Born out of Todd’s own successful struggle with childhood anxiety, the mission of the foundation is to provide financial support for children’s mental health initiatives, raise awareness, and provide information for those seeking help.…