In the Vicinity
News and events on the retail, social, and civic scenes.

In the Vicinity By Sean Carlson & Brendan Conway helping hand is getting a round of applause this month. Kathleen DiChiara, executive director of the Community FoodBank of New Jersey, has been awarded the New Jersey Humanist Award from the Congregation of Humanistic Judaism of Morris County. DiChiara began her mission from the back of her station wagon in 1975—the Community FoodBank later became a registered nonprofit as part of the national Feeding America organization. is year, with the help of 23,000 volunteers, the FoodBank distributed nearly 34 million pounds of groceries throughout 18 of the 21 counties in New Jersey. "If somebody had asked me when I started if I was ready to give thirty plus years of my life to helping the hungry, I would have said no," says DiChiara, who at the time was a housewife with two small children. "But I learned early on that there is a different kind of hunger, a spiritual hunger, and I wanted to create something to respond to that." e New Jersey Humanistic Award honors state residents who have made significant contributions to improving the lives of residents by applying humanistic values. To see how you can give a hand to the Community FoodBank of New Jersey, visit www.NJFoodBank.org. For more information on the New Jersey Humanistic Award or the Congregation for Humanistic Judaism, visit www. CHJMC.org. A Feeding New Jersey H Recycles Beauty ave you ever wanted furniture that wasn't just a same-old model, right out of the factory? Or maybe you have some old china that you no longer use, sitting in your cabinets. In either case, the recently opened fine consignment store—Home Again Design—is the place for you. Home Again Design, opened in May 2009, houses a vast inventory of objects, each finely crafted and beautiful. e choices change constantly as customers purchase new furnishings or sell their own fine home items. e store's design and set-up shifts right along with its inventory, as consigned furniture is moved and arranged into small, stunning rooms. "A lamp could be on a shelf one week, and few might notice it," says Leslie Rodgers, Home Again Design co-founder. "And then when you put it on a table next week, everyone says it's great." Rodgers says the store incorporates items into a design setting to help people envision their potential. anks to the store's peaceful atmosphere and everchanging supply of well-crafted items, a visit to Home Again Design will always yield something new. "People come in and check us out, and we talk to them about how we do things," says co-founder Kathy Collier. " en they become hooked, and they come in every week. Some people come in almost daily, during their lunch breaks. ey say it's therapeutic." So whether you're looking for a new, carved dining table, beautiful china, or a glowing brass lamp—or even if you're not quite sure what you're looking for—you're guaranteed to find something you love at Home Again Design. Visit the shop at at 1330 Springfield Ave., New Providence, or call 908464-8800. he tiny island of Singapore has gained worldwide praise for the quality of its school system—its children regularly score among the highest in international rankings. Local children at the Gill St. Bernard's School in Gladstone are now learning how to compete with the best of them with the help of an innovative program known as Singapore Math. Singapore Math is a program that focuses on problem solving. It emphasizes mastery rather than variety, with assessments throughout the year to determine whether the child has mastered the concepts before moving on. "Teaching is more meaningful with Singapore Math," says Sara Swartz, a third grade teacher at the Lower School. " e children gain a greater amount of self confidence because they really understand the concepts." For more information on the Gill St. Bernard's School or the Singapore Math program, visit www.GSBSchool.org or www.SingaporeMath.com. T Gill School Math Adds Up to Success Bill Jackson teaches a class of Singapore Math at the Lower School 6 Vicinity MAGAZinE February 2010

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www.chjmc.org
www.gsbschool.org
www.singaporemath.com


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