Mercer Council News

On March 25, NJ Senate passed the bill S2179 that allows gross income tax deduction for charitable contributions to certain New Jersey-based charitable organizations.  The deduction allowed by the bill mirrors the federal income tax deduction for charitable contributions and is allowed regardless of whether the federal itemized deduction is taken by the taxpayer.  Mer...

On March 14, 2019 Ewing High School participated in a Day of Dialogue. Over 10 high schools in the Mercer County area participated in this event held at Rider University. Twelve students were asked to attend from each school. Day of Dialogue is a student centered forum, focused on bringing high school students from diverse backgrounds together, to promote conversation, awareness and action around ...

Last week, Ewing High School found out about two students who have had hardships hit them and their families. One student and his/her family lost their home and all of their belongings in a fire. While they are being housed by Red Cross, they will have to start from scratch to regain everything that was destroyed in the fire. Another student lost a parent to a long battle of cancer. As like any FA...

Last week, January 22-25th was National Drug and Alcohol Facts Week (NDAFW). Area schools and groups held contests, activities, and informational meetings about facts surrounding substance use and misuse. A coalition member, The Council on Compulsive Gambling of New Jersey (CCGNJ), wrote an informative article that showed more facets of addiction studies as part of NDAFW. We are grateful for our m...

 The Superbowl is approaching, and along with the hype of the anticipated game, comes the excitement associated with the Superbowl commercials that will be aired during the broadcast. Companies will use creative means to present their products and services in the hopes that consumers will buy and utilize them. Many children and teenagers will view these commercials and therefore, it is import...

     On Wednesday, December 12, our coalition hosted a holiday breakfast to review our year and to announce some big changes in our leadership. Our coalition members had an opportunity to catch up, introduce themselves to others, network and socialize over a nice breakfast of breakfast sandwiches, bagels, pastries, fruit and more. As the meeting portion began, our guests introduced ...

Holiday Dinner

A wonderful time was had by all at our Staff & Board Family Holiday Dinner.  We had the largest attendance this year and were able to celebrate with over 60 people, including staff and their families.  The food was fabulous! Malissa kept the kids (and adults) entertained with lots of fun games.  Gifts were given out and lots of laughs and family fun were shared by all.  We ...

#GivingTuesday

Since 2012, the Tuesday after Thanksgiving has been recognized as #GivingTuesday as a response to consumerism after Black Friday and Cyber Monday.  This is a day where we can give back to those in need and donate to organizations that make a difference.  Make a donation today

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Support us when you shop AmazonSmile HAS INCREASED THE DONATION RATE FOR THIS WEEK ONLY!!!!! OCTOBER 29 - NOVEMBER 2.  REMEMBER TO USE THE LINK BELOW THIS WEEK AND INCREASE THE AMOUNT OF YOUR DONATION TO US FOR JUST SHOPPING!    Click Here to shop at Amazon and AmazonSmile will donate 5% to Mercer Council. While you do your shopping we are asking you to keep...

Great news! We are finally moved into our new space. The Available School Youth Service Support Team (ASYSST) was previously located outside the school in an adjacent building, and has moved inside the school!!  We could not be more excited to be conveniently located.  It makes us feel more involved with the school and the Students.  The transition was not an easy one, yet we p...

Thank you, Thank you, Thank you, I can not say it enough.  What a success we have had for our first Benefit Luncheon and Silent Auction!  We were able to raise more than $1000 for the Geetha Arulmohan Schollarship.  Thank you to all who helped, attended, donated, and shared.  Here are a few photos from our event. Jocelyn Cooper, Executive Director  Antonia Lewis, Board Mem...

The Surgeon General VADM Jerome Adams has stated that "knowing how to use naloxone and keeping it within reach can save a life".  Every quarter, Mercer Council and the Prevention Coalition of Mercer County partners with JSAS HealthCare, Inc. to provide Narcan (naloxone) training to anyone interested in this lifesaving medication. This quarter, our training will be held on September 20th at 6 ...

One of my first assignments at Mercer Council was the 2nd Annual International Overdose event, held last year in Hamilton. I received all of the registration calls, and with those calls, came stories of questioning, heartbreak, and hope.  I heard stories of sons and daughters taken too soon; of a young father leaving behind 2 and 4-year-old sons; a young girl experimenting for the first and l...

As the start to the new school year approaches, it is important to ensure all children are buckled up, seated properly in vehicles, and are aware what to do to protect themselves if they ever find themselves riding in a vehicle with an unsafe driver. The image below contains safe riding tips for children. In the event a child finds him or herself riding with an unsafe driver, it is crucial to tell...

For the 4th year, Mercer Council will be co-sponsoring the Fathers and Men United for a Better Trenton (FAMUBT) annual Community Day. This is a free event open to all Mercer County residents with lots of free food, entertainment, community vendors, and, of course, backpack giveaways for students. Come out this Saturday, August 25th from 11am to 7pm for this great event located at Cadwalder Pa...

September is National Recovery Month. What does this mean? Well, it means that this is a time each year that gets attention to all those people in and/or supporting someone else in recovery. Addiction affects millions of people; in fact in 2014 alone, 21.5 million American adults (aged 12 and older) battled a substance use disorder (National Survey on Drug Use and Health). It is very easy to only ...

OPIOID MISUSE PREVENTION DAY  Prescription Opioid Drug Abuse is a worldwide epidemic that has plagued The United Statesd from coast to coast. The most abused medications are opiates, or pain relievers such as : oxycodone, methadone, hydrocodone,codeine, and percocet. The amount of prescription painkillers prescribed, and sold in the US has substantially increased. The emergency department adm...

Boom, there goes the Thunder! Mercer Council staff outing to Trenton Thunder baseball game on 8/8/18  Vanessa DeRosa, Malissa Arnold, Boomer Mascot, Ian Smith, Lisa Kauffman  Rookie, the bat dog! Cloudman, Trenton Thunder mascot Brian Bittings enjoying the game from the stands  Home team wins!

Jocelyn Cooper (Executive Director) talking with community members about prevention and the importance of community feedback!

The Mercer Council and Prevention Coalition of Mercer County were proud to be represented at 9 different National Night Out (NNO) locations throughout Mercer County.  National Night Out is an event that seeks to foster and enhance the relationships between neighborhoods/comminuties and various law enforcement agencies.  At the Lawrence Township NNO, Jocelyn Cooper engaged with children, ...

Mercer Council Staff, family and friends group shot.. thanks to Hal Sprechman's camera stand! Amy Argiriou and family, Gwen Jennings and family! Vanessa DeRosa and family, Ian Smith, Argiriou Family Jocelyn Cooper and Lisa Kauffman Food Tent! Charcuterie Board, brought to us by Nadine Cooper (Jocelyn's mom)! Staff and family enjoying the delicious food!  Each picnic goer brought a dish to sha...

Friends and Family of Mercer Council Staff gathered on 7/22/2018 at Lawrence Village Park, Bergen Street Pavilion to celebrate their history, accomplishments, future and one another.  It turned out to be a beautiful day, despite reports of bad weather.  Staff, family, children and friends enjoyed one another's company over delicious food, refreshing non-alcoholic beverages and a variety ...

Dangerous Drug Interactions: Please consult your health care provider before using prescription pain medications with other substances. Did you know that according to the CDC, about one half of deaths from prescription pain medications involve the use of at least one other drug? Mixing opioids with other substances can cause dangerous side effects, including breathing trouble, coma and even perman...

You yearn for the vitality of a more youthful you. You feel life should feel more complete what where do you ahve time to take care of you and your dreams? You feel disconnected from who you are at your core. Join Joanna as she discusses her journey from competitive athlete to overcoming adrenal exhaustion, starting over, connecting to her true self, her life's purpose an finding tru balance by ho...

Ayurveda is an ancient Indian system of medicine, which is based on the idea of balance in bodily systems. It uses diet, herbal treatment, and yogic breathing.Anupa Mohan has a passion for health and believes that everyone deserves to live happily. She has dedicated herself to studying the ancient science of Ayurveda and integrating it into modern ...

Essential Oils to Support Emotional, Spiritual & Physical Wellbeing with Allison Goldschlag Reinking All attendees will receive a FREE copy of Allison's Natural Sleep Solution E-book & Natural Home Detox E-book. At this FREE workshop, you'll learn: * Why essential oils have become so popular. * Natural ways to manage stress, prevent burnout...

This education scholarship is in the amount of $500. It is available to Mercer County residents (or individuals attending school in Mercer County) pursuing education/certification/licensure in the fields of prevention, social work, counseling or substance related challenges (i.e., CADC, CPS, LCADC, CPRS, CRSP or Bachelors in the fields of social wo...

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