The BRICK Times Vol. 25 - No. 6
MICROMEDIA PUBLICATIONS
JERSEYSHOREONLINE.COM
June 14, 2025
Ocean County Different Faiths Join Together To Help The Hungry Salutes Its Cultural munity development proChampions grams. Originally formed Father’s in 1998 as Stop Hunger In This Week’s Edition
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Now, they began the meal packaging program in 2005. Coordinators for the international humanitarian organization, Jessica Spiller and Joe Ianni, organized the volunteers into stations where dehydrated soy, a vitamin pack, dried vegetables and rice were measured, scooped into plastic bags, weig hed , sealed and placed into bins. Photo by Judy Smestad-Nunn Each plastic bag conMembers of various religions worked together to package meals for tained the equivalent of six meals, Spiller said. the hungry. “The communities these By Judy Smestad-Nunn meals are going to will BRICK - An annual event sponsored by the Brick feed a child what might be their only meal the Clergy Association to fight world hunger was held entire day,” Spiller said as the group awaited their in the all-purpose room of Visitation Roman Cath- packaging instructions. “These 10,000 meals have olic Church on Mantoloking Road. a direct impact of ending hunger and bringing it An estimated 100 volunteers from the interfaith down to zero.” group of local clergy donned plastic gloves and The non-profit organization’s funding comes from hairnets to package 10,000 meals that were admin- a variety of sources including individual donations, istered by Rise Against Hunger, a non-profit world corporate sponsorships, grant programs, matching hunger relief organization. gift programs, and partnerships with foundations. Rise Against Hunger ships more than 40 million Rise Against Hunger is not a religious organizameals to more than 30 countries all over the world. tion, but they work with volunteers from houses The food is sent to schools, orphanages and com(Help The Hungry - See Page 4)
Poets Of Various Cultures Bring Messages Of Peace And Hope
Photo by Bob Vosseller Poet Faleeha Hassan speaks to an audience during a poetry reading held at the Island Heights United Methodist Church.
By Bob Vosseller OCEAN COUNTY – It sounds like the start of a joke, a Jew and a Muslim walk into a Methodist Church and read some poetry, but in reality, that is exactly what happened and the event held in Island Heights served as a unifying and special event. Faleeha Hassan, who is a Muslin, has written nearly 30 books of poetry and one of her most recent, is “The Maya Angelou
of Iraq.” David L. Steinberg, who is Jewish, has written 20 books - one of which is “My Enemy in the Mirror” featuring a poem that was published in Gaza in 2014. Both of these poets are Nobel Peace Prize nominees who came to the Island Heights United Methodist Church (UMC) to read passages of their work. A crowd of people sat in the pews of the (Poets - See Page 4)
Photo by Stephanie Faughnan “Flaneur” by Point Pleasant Borough High School’s Michel Zoppel was one of the teen art pieces shown. By Stephanie Faughnan TOMS RIVER - The energy in the room was electric for the 2025 “Salute to Ocean County: A Celebration of Arts and Heritage,” a vibrant tribute to the area’s creative spirit, held at Ocean County College. Presented by the Ocean County Cultural and Heritage Commission in collaboration with the college, the annual event recognized more than artistic talent - it celebrated the stories, history, and individuals who help preserve and promote the region’s cultural identity. Elected officials, educators, artists, students, and preservation advocates came together for an evening of awards, performances, and inspiration. Ocean County College President Dr. Pamela Monaco acknowledged that in higher education there’s a great deal of emphasis on technology and science, “but it’s the arts and culture that remind us of who we are, where we came from, and reminds us too – of the power of creativity.” The Path Of History Timothy G. Hart, Division Director of the Ocean County Cultural and Heritage Commission, opened the event with a short film tracing the county’s Revolutionary War history. The presentation introduced the ambitious Ocean County Revolutionary War Trail project, which aims to reintroduce the stories of figures like John Bacon and Joshua Huddy to new generations through cinematic documentaries and (Champions - See Page 5)
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