Toms River residents are in need this year more than ever after so much of the township was affected by Hurricane Sandy. Local Thanksgiving events are offering anyone regardless of need to join in their festivities for a hot meal and camaraderie. Here is a partial list of Thanksgiving dinner events being held around Toms River. Volunteers at Ocean County College are hosting a Thanksgiving dinner on campus at 1 p.m. Thursday. Call 732-255-0348 to reserve your seat. Toms River Elks# 1875, at Washington and Clifton, is having a Thanksgiving dinner seatings are: noon to 1 p.m., 1 to 2 p.m., 2 to …

From around the country and next door, so many have pitched in to help Toms River since Hurricane Sandy hit Oct. 29. National organizations, local churches and neighbors are volunteering after Hurricane Sandy here in Toms River. Here's another collection of videos on the volunteerism that abounds throughout Toms River over the past few weeks. More videos here and here.

Volunteers organized by the state Department of Environmental Protection will give the Barnegat Bay watershed a fall cleaning this week. The state's third Barnegat Bay Blitz is set to take place Thursday, and officials say they expect thousands of volunteers to roll up their sleeves and work to tidy up the estuary before winter sets in. For Toms River, volunteers can contact Dorothy Alexander, Recycling Coordinator, at Toms River Township Public Works, at 732-255-1000 ext. 8187, to sign up. The cleanups target a wide variety of locations, including wetlands, stream banks, stormwater discharge…

One of the larger seasonal festivals in Toms River brought together the Silverton community on Saturday Oct. 13. It featured a day of fun, community education and fall activities. Silverton Fire Company, at its Station 29 on Kettle Creek, hosted its 5th Annual Fall Festival and Poker Run. The fun started at 11 a.m. and ended at 5 p.m., and Lt. Mike Cocco said this year's festival was one of the largest yet, drawing a possible record number of crowds. Fire truck demostrations and presentations, including some of the vintage pieces at the station, took place throughout the day. A pumpkin patch…

Neighborhood watch groups remain an essential tool to keeping residents safer and are helping to solve and prevent crime, Toms River Police said. The tips residents and neighborhood watch groups have sent in have recently led to arrests, police said at the monthly Toms River Neighborhood Watch meeting last night in police headquarters. "Tips from people are always coming and going. I want to thank the public's latest bit of information that led to many arrests," Sergeant Shaun O’Keeffe said. Often crime victims attend the neighborhood watch meetings, deciding to get involved. Toms River …

The Egan family were unable to save anything from the destructive fire that took their home at Laurel Chase in August just before their three sons returned to college. Tim and Erin Egan and their sons, Peter, Parker and Sean have found a deeper satisfaction in the simple life despite the loss of all material possessions.  Two of the Egan boys were in the home when the fire started and ran out barefoot when they were alerted to the situation. Tim and Erin arrived to find their home in flames. "Tim and I stood in front of our home and watched it burned down.. The fire chief said we had 15 …

Small, community gardens organized throughout the township is something Toms River's Recreation Committee should consider with the help of volunteers, committee members discussed recently. The Toms River Recreation Committee discussed at its meeting Monday the possibility of creating small community gardens throughout the town. The idea was suggested by commission member Faye Wilson, who said they could start out “very small” and be maintained by a list of people who register to partake in the project. Wilson said the gardens could be either flower or vegetable gardens, noting she read an …

Today, we highlight Caregiver Volunteers of Central Jersey (CVCJ).  We asked Executive Director and volunteer Lynette Whiteman to share information for the community about CVCJ where their many services; including the Canine Program, reaches out to the areas senior citizens. How long have you volunteered with this organization? I am the Executive Director and also a volunteer with our Caregiver Canines® Visiting Dog Program. I have been with this agency for 10 years.Describe a typical day as a volunteer for this organization. Volunteers help us out in a myriad of ways. They can drive someone …

The Children's Home Society (CHS of NJ) has opened and will manage their third Family Success Center, the Ocean County Family Success Center, a non-profit organization funded by the Department of Children and Families to prevent child abuse.   On May 29 they welcomed the start of its first Parent Advisory Board.  "Under the principles of family support and with the framework of the Five Protective Factors, eight members representing various segments of our rich diverse community in Ocean County, including grandparents, made the first step towards a commitment of shared leadership at the …

In our regular look at local volunteer groups in Toms River, we're looking at the Toms River Special Education Parent Teacher Association, a PTA who meets regularly to discuss and hold events for the special education students of the Toms River Regional School District. Here is more about TRSEPTA, as discussed by volunteer Ashley Gawlik.How long have you volunteered there for? This is my second year working with SEPTA.Describe a typical day as a volunteer for the organization. What sort of activities do you do?     In order to provide a higher quality education for students with special needs…