This weekend, we devote our “picks” to helping the victims of the Haiti earthquake— How can you help? Your options are all around you:

Wegmans throughout the state (www.wegmans.com) will accept customer donations at checkout through Saturday January 23rd. Donations will go to the American Red Cross.

The Peapack-Gladstone Bank is collecting donations in support of the Red Cross relief efforts, in all of its branches. Checks made payable to the American Red Cross can also be mailed to Peapack-Gladstone Bank, PO Box 178, Gladstone, NJ 07934.

Students at Gateway Regional School district in Woodbury Heights will be collecting spare change for the cause through Friday January 22nd.

Millburn students will be collecting funds in the downtown on Saturday January 23rd and Sunday the 24th.

Morris County churches are holding food and water drives to aid in the relief. St. Matthew of the Apostle in Randolph, Our Lady of the Mountain and Saint Mark The Evangelist, both in Long Valley, Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Morristown, Saint Andrew Greek Orthodox Church in Randolph and St. Therese in Succasunna will be holding collections through January 31st .

The Trenton-based American Baptist Churches of New Jersey is accepting donations and is asking all of its members to collect for earthquake victims for the next few weekends. Details on www.abcnj.net.

The American Red Cross of Northern New Jersey is listing all ways you can help on its website: www.redcrossnnj.org.

Ganache Café in Hoboken (www.cafeganache.com)is working with the Haitian Evangelical Baptist Church in Jersey City to collect goods in their café.

On Saturday the 23rd, City Streets Café in East Windsor (www.citystreetscafe.com) in conjunction with For This One, Much Ministries, and Mission Harvest America will be having a fundraiser and emergency supply drop-off at the restaurant starting at 1pm. Contact 609-426-9400 for a list of items to donate.

The Atlantic Counties Sheriff’s office is putting out drop boxes at the Atlantic County Civil Court in Atlantic City, and the criminal court house in Mays Landing. They are collecting clothing, medical supplies, toys for youngsters, and non-perishable foods.

Let us know about your own efforts by clicking on the Write To Editor link below, or respond to this blog on www.njmyway.com.

Managing Editor Hilary Morris of www.mrsmonj.com contributed to this article.

My sister, brother and I grew up in the family’s veterinary hospital in Toms River.

When we were young, we actually lived in an apartment within the hospital. That probably explains our mutual love for animals. Today my brother is a veterinarian. My sister is an artist who runs a foundation to benefit animals. And for nearly 15 years I’ve hosted television programs on NJN to help homeless animals in New Jersey.

Which brings me to Kitty Humbug.

What started as a painting of a grumpy cat in a Santa hat has morphed into a holiday sensation, making everyone smile. My sister, Diana Madaras, now of Tucson, AZ, was inspired to paint Kitty Humbug after seeing the resident cat at her veterinarian’s office wearing a Santa hat, and NOT loving it.

The real-life cat, who was adopted from an animal shelter, is groomed like a poodle, giving him a unique and amusing look. I was so taken by the painting I decided to fly out to Arizona to produce a video about Kitty Humbug. Now two sisters on opposite sides of the country are having a blast, collaborating on a project in which – best of all – part of the proceeds will benefit animal charities through Diana’s nonprofit foundation.

 In New Jersey a donation will be given to the Monmouth County SPCA in Eatontown.

Today Kitty Humbug is a Poodle Cat Superstar: His You Tube video (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_qddi8cpXRI) has been viewed nearly 10,000 times.

He has his own Facebook page (www.facebook.com) where he’s encouraging good deeds through “Kitty Humbug’s Kindness Project.” He even has his own original, catchy song “Kitty Humbug the Cat” by composer David Glinski, available on iTunes. The Kitty Humbug stuffed animals and children’s books – in which Kitty Humbug saves Christmas, of course – are selling fast (www.madaras.com).

It’s been joyful developing a fun project while bonding with my sister. Our last “Sister Act” adventure raised $80,000 for charity – AND we both got to go on safari in Africa. Working with people you love, smiling along the way, and giving back. As it says in Kitty Humbug’s song… “It doesn’t get much better than that.”

Article and You Tube video contributed by Sandy Levine, freelance writer and television producer. www.sandralevine.com

There’s a retro party for a great cause this weekend, and it’s all about pajamas.

On Saturday, the New Jersey Chapter of the Pajama Program (www.pajamaprogram.org/pillowtalk.html) is holding its first fundraiser. The theme of the cocktail party, appropriately, is Pillow Talk, inspired by the 1950’s movie.

The Pajama Program –with 70 chapters nationwide in 42 states — provides new pajamas and new books to thousands of children in need, many who are in shelters, or living in orphanages hoping to be adopted.

Some of these youngsters have been abused or abandoned, and have never enjoyed the simple comfort of having a mother or father tuck them in at bedtime and read to them. What is more nurturing than a warm pair of pajamas, and a good story?

Pillow Talk Event Chair and Hudson County Coordinator Maria Pignataro, told us “What makes the Pajama Program so attractive to me as a volunteer is that the concept is so simple - providing warm pajamas and nurturing books to children in need.”

Chapter President Geri Schleich says “When you see a child receive their very first pair of pajamas, it is really hard not to cry. Children are always so thrilled to get them… Not only are we giving them a physical gift, but we are also creating a sense of ownership for them; not just something else being passed down from one sibling or friend to another.”

Heard enough? The party is Saturday night in the Cside Restaurant (www.csiderestaurant.com) in the Harborside Financial Center in Jersey City. The goal is to help the New Jersey chapter provide 25,000 pairs of pajamas to youngsters this year.

Try to make it – or write a check. Pajamas and books are a small thing that can make a difference for kids who need your help in a big way.

Newark—the state’s largest city, has made room for an urban farm.

In a most unlikely place, at the corner of Washington and Spruce Streets -across from Lincoln Park- there’s a Jersey Fresh garden with accompanying farm stand.

It’s all thanks to the grassroots efforts of avid gardener Lorraine Gibbons, the owner and manager of Brick City Urban Farms www.brickcityfarms.com, a mostly volunteer group dedicated to bringing fresh produce to Newark residents who may not have easy access to such foods.  Not to mention the constant stream of local school children, who help out and learn valuable life skills working a farm.

While a growing number of Farmers’ Markets are popping up in the city, what sets this one apart is that the produce is all grown right here – on about a half acre fenced-in site that was once a plot of weeds and garbage.  Now, lush vegetables and flowers vie for the sun in the midst of the brick buildings, concrete walls and asphalt streets.

In its second year, this urban garden is one of the first in En Jay to use SPIN www.spinfarming.com and Earthbox technologies www.earthbox.com.

Lorraine educated us, “SPIN stands for Small Plot Intensive farming techniques which enable us to grow a lot of produce in a small space.  The specially designed sub irrigation Earthboxes are perfect for urban settings like this one where you do not have the right soil to cultivate.  They come complete with all that you need.  And the best part is - they are portable.”

We learned that’s important since Brick City Urban Farms is borrowing this site from the Lincoln Park Cultural District www.lpccd.org.  “If LPCD sells the property and we need to move, we can easily pick up the boxes and place them on another site.”
More than a dozen visitors a day enjoy all sorts of seasonal produce.  “We love to see the kids come and eat vegetables straight from the plant.”  Tomatoes, peppers, beans, cucumbers, lettuce, kale, collards and all sorts of vegetables, herbs and flowers are coming available.

The Farm has also become a favorite for local restaurants including Hell’s Kitchen in Newark, Arturo’s Pizzeria in Maplewood and even Gramercy Tavern in Manhattan.

All profits go back into running and maintaining the farm.  Lorraine said they also ”pay it forward” by  hosting other towns interested in starting garden programs, supporting local food banks and providing Earthboxes for local schools to help children build their own community farm.

Brick City Urban Farm Stand Hours:
Tuesdays and Thursdays - 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Wednesdays - 3 p.m. to 7 p.m.
Saturdays - 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

NJMYWAY frequent contributor Pamela J. Principe-Golgolab of PNA Associates Inc.

Stephanie Weaver had a goal: to one day start a non-profit organization to help alleviate some form of suffering in the world.

While studying at Georgetown, the Moorestown native narrowed her focus on fighting poverty at an international level, but it was an article on CNN.com about the water crisis in South Africa that launched her to action.

“After learning that 1.2 billion people don’t have their most basic human need met, and that millions of people, mostly children, die every year because the don’t have a glass of clean water, I couldn’t just sit back and do nothing,” said Weaver.

Starting with a small wine tasting fundraiser at school to benefit the water crisis, Weaver essentially turned “wine into water” laying the foundation for her non-profit organization: A Drink for Tomorrow.

By partnering with businesses, primarily focusing on those in the wine industry, Weaver is planning fun and tasty events to draw attention to a global crisis.

Stephanie and her team, all of whom are volunteers, are getting support from Moorestown and Philadelphia area wineries, liquor stores and most recently a home improvement company and party planner.

One of the events, hosted by The Wine Cellar in Cinnaminson, is an on-going wine tasting of South African and American wines, specifically chosen since those countries have been affected the worst by the water crisis. The Wine Cellar donates $.25 for each bottle sold and is currently running this promotion for 6 weeks with the final event on June 30th.

“Whether a wine store or winery owner wants to donate a percentage of proceeds for his or her choice of brand, varietals, or every bottle in the store,” added Weaver, “they would still be helping us turn water into wine.” 

For more information on how you can help Stephanie turn wine into water as a volunteer or a participating merchant, visit her website at adrinkfortomorrow.org. This NJ MYWAY story was written by Hilary Morris of Mrs. Mo’s New Jersey, Baby! http://mrsmonj.com

New parents take great pains—and spend plenty of cash – to buy the perfect cribs, strollers and high chairs for their precious babies. But once baby becomes a big boy, what to do with all his stuff?

Maternal Wings (www.maternalwings.com) has the answer: donate your unwanted baby items to less fortunate moms-to-be who really need them.

Claire Pavlinec of Howell founded the nonprofit group in 2005 after her two children outgrew their baby gear, and she wanted to find a good use for it. “I asked a case manager at a local clinic whether she could use the items and she said yes. The more I brought in, the more requests she had.”

Now case managers from 5 clinics in Monmouth and Ocean counties turn to Maternal Wings to help impoverished moms acquire great stuff for their babies that otherwise is out of reach.

Top on the Wish List? Safe places for babies to sleep, such as cribs and sturdy playpens, as well as car seats and strollers.

“Anything you normally would get at a baby shower we can use,” Pavlinec says, “excluding toys.”

The group accepts donations of new and gently used baby items, takes them to a storage unit for sorting and packaging, and then delivers them to moms in need.

“It’s very rewarding and the moms are very grateful,” says Pavlinec. “I love what I do.”

Article and video contributed by Sandy Levine, freelance writer and television producer. www.sandralevine.com

1010 WINS Reporter Alice Stockton-Rossini is getting on a bike this weekend for a great cause. Read on.

Nothing like riding 85 miles for someone you love.

That’s what my husband and I think about every year when we ride our bikes in the Coast to Coast Bike Tour to raise money for MS (www.bikems.org).

My brother’s significant other has been battling the disease for more than a decade. But to look at Millee you would never know she suffered a day in her life. 

She is tall, with long dark hair, she is always impeccably dressed and adorned with larger than life jewels on her wrists, fingers and around her neck. She is latino and when I think of her I think  "spicy". She’s exotic in the way she carries herself, in the way she dances, in the way she lives her life. 

Millee  refuses to let MS get the best of her. She suffers episodes every month or so and winds up in the hospital on an IV with treatments that make her weak and sick. She has lesions that move around her brain and affect her in various ways;  some days she can’t walk.  Other times she can’t see.  Then miraculously, she recovers and she’s wearing six inch heels, dancing with my brother and loving life.  She is truly an inspiration and a fighter.

So what’s 85 miles?  The ride is actually 170, beginning at Monmouth University and ending in Cape May, over 2 days.  One year we had the time to do the whole ride, but for the last several years, all we can squeeze in is one day, riding through the beautiful beach towns of the Jersey shore.

Each town with its own flavor.  From the "tent" homes in Ocean Grove to the 50’s flamingos of Wildwood, to the gorgeous quaint and rustic b-n-b’s of Cape May. 

To bike the coast is to see it - taste it and feel it in all of its glory and if this year is like years past, the wind in your face.  Which makes going over the bay bridges really hard and annoying but it beats the battle Millee and those like her fight every single day.

You can sign up to ride, or make a donation for Alice’s effort at http://main.nationalmssociety.org/site/TR?px=2149088&pg=personal&fr_id=10561

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This is the time of year when there is a benefit for a worthwhile cause every weekend. For those fortunate enough to have the means to attend, the networking and fun can be a great reward for that charitable donation.

We hear the American Cancer Society’s Starry Night Gala on May 16th is full of A-listers, like Donald Trump, New York Jet players, and a performance by celebrity dancers from Dancing With The Stars.

The 2009 honoree is Joseph Trunfio, President and Chief Executive Officer of Atlantic Health.

Benefit Co-chair Ed Walsh of The Walsh Organization (www.walshcompany.com) found out about the event by accident. He’s a top golfer at Trump’s National Golf Club in Bedminster, where the gala is held.

He overheard a discussion about the benefit one day after being on the golf course—and with the specter of cancer looming large over several of his closest family members, Walsh decided to “join up immediately.”

Walsh promises this won’t be a typical “boring black tie event.” The dancing—he says, is spellbinding.

“When they dance their three or four songs, everybody was absolutely silent, “ he told us.

Walsh dedicates his work to the people with cancer in his family. He’s resolved not to let our nation’s economic woes put a damper on this year’s benefit.

“Certainly organizations like this need as much help as they can from people who can give,” he said. Walsh is bringing 40 employees along. He invited them last year too, and they had a blast.

You can make the Starry Night your night to remember by clicking on Starry Night Gala Returns to Bedminster.

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Want to know how serious the supporters of St. Hubert’s (www.sthuberts.org) are about winning a massive makeover of their beloved animal shelter?

They are calling, writing, and e-blasting animal lovers and members to visit the Zoo Too website (www.zootoo.com), the social networking site for pets and pet lovers. Once there, they can click away and enter their shelter’s zip code (07940) on different pages.

It’s part of a nationwide contest Zoo Too is conducting for a worthy shelter recipient. The grand prize is a facility makeover worth a million dollars in cash and donated services.

This past Sunday St. Hubert’s supporters rallied as Zoo Too representatives made a visit to Madison. The idea was to form a human and dog chain and encircle the grounds of what would be a new building.

Born from a gift from philanthropist/animal lover Geraldine Rockefeller Dodge, St. Hubert’s has grown into one of the oldest, largest and best known animal control organizations in the area, and cares for nearly 5,000 animals each year. The shelters in Madison and North Branch are known for their colorful fundraisers, including the annual Cotillion Ball where pets dress up to accompany their owners in an evening of ties and tails.

This year, the stakes are higher than ever; the two shelters are crowded and the faltering economy means more and more pets will be abandoned by owners who can no longer afford to care for them.

So the St. Hubert’s folks are hoping they’ll hit the magic number that means a new shelter for their best friends. It’s all within a stroke of the keyboard– and every click counts!

A year ago, Chris Ferdinand of Morris Township figured out that her mission was not just selling jewelry, but giving it away.

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Chris and her husband own Ferdinand Jewelers in New Providence. (www.ferdinandjewelers.com) Through the shop, they get to know customers, but when one of their best clients—a woman named Barbara– stopped coming by, they became concerned. Turned out she was battling ovarian cancer. And when they visited Barbara in the hospital she said “I miss my bling.”

Chris ordered up some sterling rings with cubic zirconia stones—the hospital was not the place for real bling—and brought them to Barbara’s bedside. The woman’s face lit up, and Chris’s idea was soon realized.

Operation Bling (www.operationblingfoundation.org ) delivers sparkling and fun jewelry, for free, to hospitalized cancer patients. Now affiliated with four area health care providers (Morristown Memorial, Overlook Hospital, Hackensack University Medical Center, and the Summit Medical Group) Operation Bling is in full swing.

“I’m very honored to be given this mission,” Chris told us. She said the idea came to her during a prayer. The website has posted a prayer list for dozens of cancer patients, and she’s enlisted local churches and synagogues to keep these names in the hearts of their membership.

Just in time for Valentine’s Day, you can stop by the shop in New Providence, and buy a bag of bling, (earrings, bracelets, Chris calls them “stylish, drippy things.”) All of the proceeds are donated to the Foundation. A fundraiser is planned for March 1st, at Il Capriccio Restaurant in Whippany.

“Such a small thing has a huge impact,” Chris says of her efforts. Operation Bling brings some sparkle – pleasure, and fun for those who may need it most.