A training session for volunteers interested in joining the Domestic Violence Response Team (DVRT) of 180 Turning Lives Around, Hazlet, will be held Oct. 25-Nov. 17.

The volunteer advocates, whose identities are kept anonymous, work in conjunction with the police to provide support, information and referrals to victims of domestic violence at police headquarters. The volunteer advocates are trained to empower victims to make decisions about their own lives. A DVRT volunteer is available 24 hours a day to meet confidentially with a victim. Applicants must be 18 years of age or older, have access to transportation, possess a valid driver’s license, be willing to serve on an on-call shift basis, and submit to background investigations and fingerprinting.

The 40-hour mandatory training course will be provided to successful applicants during evening and weekend hours. The police departments and 180 are committed to culturally diverse teams to better serve the community, so bilingual capability is a plus.

To request an application or for further information, call the police department in Freehold, Manalapan, Marlboro or Colts Neck. To learn more about 180 Turning Lives Around, the Web site is www.180nj.org.

Roosevelt Rec. offers

after-school theater class

The Roosevelt Recreation Department is sponsoring an after-school theater program for students in kindergarten through sixth grade.

The workshop, “Playing Around With Theatre,” will offer students an opportunity to participate in theater games, movement, and arts activities as they learn about improvisation and character development. Classes will be held from 2:45 to 3:45 p.m. Oct. 20, Nov. 3 and 17, and Dec. 1, 8 and 15. The cost is $75.

Roosevelt Recreation is also looking for ideas for new programs, activities and trips. For more information or a registration form, call Recreation at (609) 448-0539, ext. 3.

Women’s club is open

to all Millstone women

The Millstone Township Women’s Organization is a nonprofit organization, founded in 1982, which currently has more than 40 members and is growing every year. The group consists of women of all ages who have a strong focus on community service. The organization is beginning its 24th year and has successfully raised and donated tens of thousands of dollars over the years toward various facets of the Millstone community.

The club meets every fourth Wednesday of the month at 7:30 p.m., October through May, at the Millstone Township Community Center, Route 524/Stagecoach Road, Clarksburg section of Millstone. All Millstone women are welcome to join MTWO in their efforts to give back to the community.

For more information, visit the Web site www.MTWO.org or send an e-mail to info@mtwo.org.

Garage sale, toy drive for Hurricane Katrina kids

Millstone Township Junior Girl Scout Troop 646 will sponsor a garage sale and new toy collection Oct. 23 from 9 a.m to 2 p.m. at the Millstone Township Community Center, Stagecoach Road, Clarksburg section of Millstone. Proceeds from the garage sale will be used to buy toys which, along with the donated new toys, will go to the young victims of Hurricane Katrina. For more information, call Lisa (609) 259-3698.

Millstone women’s group to meet Oct. 26

The Millstone Township Women’s Organization will hold its monthly meeting Oct. 26 at 7:30 p.m. at the Millstone Township Community Center, Stagecoach Road/Route 524, Clarksburg section of Millstone. Meetings consist of a short business session, a program, and social time with refreshments. Township women of all ages are welcome to attend. Visit www.MTWO.org or e-mail info@mtwo.org.

Millstone Middle School

to hold High School Fair

The Millstone Township Middle School will host its annual High School Fair Oct. 20, 6:30-8:30 p.m. in the middle school’s gymnasium. Parents and students are invited to attend and receive literature from the local public and private high schools.

Jewish center to host

Shopping Spree Nov. 20

Perrineville Jewish Center (PJC) will hold its second annual Shopping Spree from 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Nov. 20. The event will take place in the PJC social hall, located on Perrineville Road in Millstone. Vendors will include the Pampered Chef, Tastefully Simple and Osbourne Children Books. There will also be jewelry, handbags, toys, Judaica items from the synagogue gift shop, and 2006 Entertainment Books. A continental breakfast will be served for a nominal fee. For more information, call Cathy Fleischacker at (609) 758-1193.

‘Turkey Poker Run’ for Make a Difference Day

In honor of National Make a Difference Day, on Oct. 22, The Food Bank of Monmouth and Ocean Counties will be sponsoring its first “Turkey Poker Run.”

This event, sponsored by Bank of America Private Clients Group, will take participants on a 70-plus-mile journey to five charities in Monmouth and Ocean counties. At each charity, participants will receive a playing card and at the end of the run, a prize will be awarded for the best poker hand. Any participants who would like to make a monetary or “most needed item” donation to any or all of the charities, will receive a raffle ticket for each donation made. If a turkey is donated, two raffle tickets will be awarded for a chance to win raffle prizes.

The charities involved are in Neptune, Brick, Lakewood, Jackson, Imlaystown and Freehold and the tour will end at The Cabin in Howell where all prizes will be awarded. Refreshments will be provided at every stop.

Registration will be at The Food Bank on Route 66 in Neptune between 10 and 11 a.m. The cost for each driver is $20 and every passenger is $5. Children under age 12 ride free. Motorcycles, cars and families are welcome. The event will be held rain or shine.

Details and preregistration: (732) 918-2600 or www.foodbankmoc.org.

Community invited to

NGA’s charity luncheon

Once a year for the past 82 years, residents from the Allentown, Upper Freehold and Washington Township areas have been meeting as a group to support an organization known as the NGA. Many residents know this association as New Garments Always or The Needlework Guild. Founded in England in the late 1890s, the Allentown chapter is one of the oldest in the United States.

During the annual covered-dish luncheon, the women who are affiliated with all the area’s churches and organizations have an opportunity to share stories, laughter and a sense of community involvement and connection. The members come together for the purpose of collecting new garments, toiletries and gifts for local charities.

Last year, the group collected 1,601 items of new clothing and toiletries plus $650 in donations. Members of some of the agencies come and speak about their programs. Some agencies use the new items for gifts during Christmas and birthdays. Agencies such as Children’s Home use the newborn clothing items to send each child home to a foster family in a new outfit Each agency has a different story to tell.

The local NGA luncheon is open to the community and will be held Nov. 11 at noon at St. John the Baptist Roman Catholic Church, Allentown-Yardville Road, Allentown. During this year’s program, the St. John’s Children’s Choir will perform. All are welcome. Anyone who is unable to attend but would like to donate may call Rosemarie Totten at (609) 259-9737.

Classes on panic disorder, guitar, writing offered

Millstone Township Community Education will offer the following classes at Millstone Middle School. Guitar lessons for ages 10 and older will be offered by Jack Melman, owner of Renaissance Music and Arts and a guitar teacher for 10 years, in both beginner acoustic and electric lessons, and advanced electric guitar. Beginner lessons are for those who have no previous experience; advanced lessons will delve into theory and technique. Lessons will be held Mondays, Oct. 24-Dec. 19 (no class Oct. 31 or Nov. 28), 6:45-7:30 p.m., 7:45-8:30 p.m., and 8:45-9:30 p.m. The fee is $120.

“Refine Your Personal Image” will discuss colors, styles, shapes and how to shop with confidence. Sharon Kornstein, owner of Image Design Consulting, will conduct the class Oct. 26, 7-9 p.m.; the fee is $22.

A workshop on panic and anxiety will offer advice on how to cope with the disorders, whether for oneself or for a loved one. Panic Relief, a nonprofit educational group serving people with panic disorder, will conduct the class Oct. 26, 7-8:30 p.m., in the school library. The fee is $25.

“How to Get Published” will offer advice on how to attract editors, agents and readers. Author, editor and writing coach Christopher Klim will conduct the class Oct. 22, 11 a.m.-3 p.m., in Room 166. Fee is $65, and attendees may submit a five-page manuscript for critique according to the following rules: the manuscript must be double spaced, left-justified, have at least 1-inch margins, and include a self-addressed, stamped envelope for return comment.

Call Barbara Schulze, Millstone Township Community Education, at (732) 446-6802, ext. 17, or e-mail schulzb@millstone.k12.nj.us.

Community Dance Night

in Roosevelt Oct. 29

Roosevelt Recreation will sponsor a Community Dance Night from 7-10 p.m. Oct. 29 at the Roosevelt School. The event will be led by Candace Woodward-Clough, who has training in ballroom dance, jazz, tap, acting and singing. She has acted, danced or choreographed several Off-Broadway and summer stock productions as well as movies, soap operas and videos. The event will begin with an hour of brief instruction of various types of dances, based on the interest of those in attendance. The remaining two hours will be devoted to an open dance party. No dance experience is required, and adults and children are welcome. Light refreshments will be served. For more information, call Recreation, (609) 448-0539, ext. 3.

Roosevelt nursery school

to hold pasta night

Roosevelt Community Nursery School will host a pasta night fundraiser Nov. 6 from 4-7 p.m. at Roosevelt Borough Hall. The school will also kick off its Joe Corbi sale that night. Volunteers for cooking are asked to call (609) 426-9523.

AHS Class of ’85 slates 20-year reunion

The Allentown High School Class of 1985 will hold its 20-year reunion Oct. 28 from 6:30 to 10:30 p.m. at Spano’s at The White Sands, Point Pleasant.

For more information or to order tickets, e-mail Holly at shhoff8@yahoo.com; or call Lisa, (609) 758-8820, or Karen, (732) 928-8186.

Volunteers needed

to help elderly adults

HEARTH (Helping Elderly Adults Remain in Their Homes) is looking for volunteers interested in helping older adults maintain their independence and improve their quality of life. HEARTH is a program of Family and Children’s Service, Long Branch.

Handymen (or women) are needed to perform minor home repairs. Examples of possible tasks would include installing smoke detectors and bathroom grab bars, repairing steps and railings, and fixing minor leaks. This would be a flexible-time commitment.

Companions are needed to provide friendly visits to lonely seniors, chatting with them or assisting them with their weekly shopping, for example. The position is available to sociable, compassionate people interested in brightening someone’s life for just a couple of hours a week.

For more information, call Andrew McKillop, HEARTH coordinator, at (732) 222-9111, ext. 173, or e-mail amckillop@fcsmonmouth.org.

Roosevelt slates dancing,

museum trip, movies

The Roosevelt Recreation Department offers yoga at Roosevelt Borough Hall on Tuesdays from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. The cost is $60 per person. Kym Kulp, a certified yoga instructor who teaches at the Peddie School, conducts the class. Yoga mats will be provided, but participants may also bring their own. Walk-ins are welcome.

Recreation will screen several foreign films at borough hall this winter. The series will begin Dec. 6, 7:45 p.m., with “The Unbearable Lightness of Being,” the story of a doctor in 1960s Czechoslovakia.

A trip to the Newark Museum is scheduled for Nov. 19, with registration deadline Nov. 5. The bus will leave the Roosevelt School at noon and return at approximately 6 p.m. The cost is $10.

Community Dance Night, “Dancing With the Stars,” will be held Oct. 29, 7-10 p.m., at the Roosevelt School. The event will be led by Candace Woodward-Clough and will begin with an hour of instruction of various types of dances, based on the interests of those in attendance. The remaining two hours will be devoted to an open dance party. No dance experience is required, and adults and children are welcome. Light refreshments will be served.

The movie “Beetlejuice” will be presented Oct. 22 at 7 p.m. at the Roosevelt School.

For more information, reservations, or to suggest new programs, activities or trips, call recreation at (609) 448-0539, ext. 3.

Elks Ladies Auxiliary to

host gift auction Oct. 28

Millstone Elks Ladies Auxiliary will host its second annual gift auction Oct. 28 from 6 to 8 p.m. at the Elks lodge, Burnt Tavern Road, Millstone. Dinner will be offered during “shopping” time. For more information, call Dena, (732) 833-9363.

Jewish center to welcome

new members

The Perrineville Jewish Center will sponsor a traditional breakfast honoring its newest members for the 2005-06 year. All members of the center are welcome to attend. Anyone interested in joining the Perrineville Jewish Center may call Lori Feibus, membership vice president, at (609) 259-6479.

Hospital auxiliary to host

‘Harvest Dance’ Nov. 5

The Millstone Township Hospital Auxiliary will hold its annual “Harvest Dance,” sponsored by Millstone Elks Lodge 2613, from 7 to 11 p.m. Nov. 5. The Lodge is located on Burnt Tavern Road in Millstone. The event will feature a buffet dinner, cash bar, and music provided by a disc jockey. Tickets are $20 per person. All funds from the event will benefit CentraState Medical Center, Freehold Township. Call (609) 259-2684.