North Hudson Community Action extends free hotel stays for fire victims thanks to Oritani Bank donation
Families displaced in the recent Kennedy Boulevard apartment fire in North Bergen will have more time in local hotel rooms at no cost to them while they search for new homes, thanks to North Hudson Community Action Corporation (NHCAC) and a $10,000 donation from Oritani Bank. The 60-unit building is completely uninhabitable after the five-alarm fire, leaving its residents scrambling to relocate.
Mayor Nicholas Sacco has been organizing relief and relocation efforts and working closely with NHCAC President Joan Quigley, the Red Cross, and community groups to help fire victims. The Oritani Bank donation will pay for 133 additional nights in local hotels for affected families.
“This devastating fire completely turned the lives of hundreds of people upside down and we are all doing whatever we can to help them relocate,” said Mayor Sacco, who has also organized food and clothing drives. “This generous donation by Oritani Bank, made possible by North Hudson Community Action, will buy the displaced families more time in local hotels free of charge while they look for housing. I would like to thank Joan Quigley for working closely with us to help these people pick up the pieces and move forward.”
After the Sept. 28 fire many of the building’s residents began staying with family and friends in the area. Dozens had received shelter at North Bergen High School the night of the fire, thanks to North Bergen officials. Starting on Sept. 29, North Bergen and the Red Cross began paying for hotel rooms for fire victims. After a couple of nights, the NHCAC stepped in to pay for the next five. Federal regulations limit the amount of nights the organization can pay for with its operating budget, leading Quigley to solicit the private donation in order to keep offering the free hotel rooms to the families.
“The pain these families have been put through, losing almost everything they own, is simply awful, and North Hudson Community Action wanted to act quickly to help them in their time of need,” said Quigley, a former state assemblywoman. “We were glad to offer the displaced families as many nights in hotels as we could pay for, and when it was clear that more was needed, I was thrilled to find a corporate partner in Oritani Bank, willing to step up and help the community. This is exactly the kind of public-private partnership that NHCAC prides itself on facilitating.”
North Bergen Pre-K breast cancer walk set for Friday, Oct. 18
The North Bergen Pre-K will hold a walkathon fundraiser on Friday, Oct. 18, to benefit the Susan G. Komen Foundation for Breast Cancer awareness and research. There will be two walks, one at 10 a.m., and one at 1:30 p.m.
For more information, to donate, or to register call the Pre-K Main Office at (201) 295-4200.
Breast cancer seminar scheduled at Palisades Medical Center
Palisades Medical Center is sponsoring a Breast Cancer Education Seminar on Monday, Oct. 28, from 6:30 to 8 p.m. at the Palisades Medical Center Auditorium, 7600 River Rd., North Bergen.
Registration begins at 6 p.m.
The featured speaker will be Bret Taback, M.D., director of the Breast Center at Palisades Medical Center.
Admission to the event is free, as is parking. There will also be free transportation available from 60th Street & Bergenline Avenue, starting at 5:30 p.m.
Refreshments will be served.
For more information, or to register in advance, call Nikki Mederos at (201) 854-5702.
The event is being held in observance of October being National Breast Cancer Awareness Month.
Haunted happenings at township library
The North Bergen Free Public Library “dares” township youth to take a tour of its “Haunted Stacks” on Friday, Oct. 18 at 4 p.m. at 8411 Bergenline Ave.
The event will be full of activities, including a spooky story, a magician’s tricks, and face painting. Goodie bags will also be given out.
For more information, call (201) 869-4715 or visit www.nbpl.org-www.facebook.com/nblibrary.
North Bergen Concerned Citizens offering free classes on immigration, relationships
The North Bergen Concerned Citizens Group offers a roster of free social services in an effort to fulfill its commitment of providing assistance and resources to township residents.
Upcoming events are: the North Bergen Chess Club (beginners, intermediate, and advanced), every Sunday from Oct. 13 to Dec. 15., from 1 to 6 p.m.; “Bankruptcy Chapter 7 & Immigration,” by Carlos A. Ferrer, Esq., Alum & Ferrer – Attorneys at Law, on Saturday, Oct. 19 at 2 p.m.; and “How to Develop a Healthy Family Relationship,” by author Jorge Luis Seco, also on Oct. 19, at 7 p.m. (preceded by a brief presentation by Maria Rivera of the Strengthening Families Program).
For further information or to register, call (201) 766-4108 or email: northbergencitizens@gmail.com.
North Bergen children invited to free Halloween party
The free township Halloween party will be held on Thursday, Oct. 31, from 6 to 8 p.m., at the North Bergen Recreation Center.
The event is open to all North Bergen residents from infant through nine years old. Registration is not required.
“Children will start by coming into the Recreation building, where they will receive a goody bag and proceed to pick a pumpkin and exit the building,” said spokeswoman Nicole Bellucci. “Once they have, they can choose one of two options, to ride the pony or go on the hayride.”
For more information, call the Recreation Center at (201) 861-9601.
County Animal League holding wine tasting fundraiser
The Hudson County Animal League is inviting everyone to help them celebrate their 20th Anniversary of saving the lives of homeless and abused animals through a wine tasting event sponsored by Bridgeview Liquors of Bayonne.
The wine tasting will be held on Nov. 9, from 4 to 6 p.m., at the Bayonne Museum, 8th Street and Broadway in Bayonne.
Tickets, at $15, can be purchased in advance by contacting Barbara Devaney at bdevaney3@verizon.net or (201) 436-1848. You can also pay through PayPal by visiting the group’s “Donate” page. Tickets, at $20, can also be purchased the day of the event.