It is a sad commentary on our society that the men and women who serve our country in combat, return home with injuries that are not always as visible as a physical wound and therefore not adequately treated. Greg Kucharewski shared with our club how a fishing program is making a difference in the lives of these veterans (young and old) by utilizing healthy outdoor activities. In addition, they can then connect veterans to VA Services offices, outreach centers, NJ Coastal Parks, local fishing clubs and other veteran organizations. By having an activity that encourages them to leave the house, connections can be made and new friendships are formed (and sometimes an old friend is found) that can truly give the vet a spark of hope. As a survivor of PTSD himself, Greg understands the roller coaster that many find themselves on following combat duty; the high-highs, and the lower-than-low lows, the flashbacks and the sleepless nights. By partnering with other community/local organizations and seeking out vets, the activities that he and his team of volunteers can offer truly offer a hand-up to those in desperate need. If you would like to be part of this program, or need additional information, contact Greg at: 732.785.9278 or gkucharews@jcaa.org.Welcome to our Club! Where Service and Fellowship Flourish!
We meet Wednesdays at 12:15 PM
The Renaissance
The Renaissance
1110 Valley Rd & Hwy 35 S
(Just North of Wegman's)
Ocean, NJ 07712-3977
United States of America
(Just North of Wegman's)
Ocean, NJ 07712-3977
United States of America
Phone:
(732) 292-1955
Fax:
(732) 292-1992
Email:
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Member Spotlight
MANSA NICOMEIn June of 2018, Brenda Skinner sponsored her fellow State Farm Insurance Agent Mansa Nicome to join The Rotary Club of Asbury Park. They became friends when they both became agents 10 years ago. Mansa was born in Trinidad and came to America at the age of 5, living in Brooklyn, N.Y. where he continues to reside today.Mansa was graduated from the prestigious Brooklyn Technical High School followed by receiving his degree in Economics at Stony Brook University and then his MBA in Corporate Finance from Dowling College. He holds insurance licenses for Life, Health, Property & Casualty as well as Series 6 & 63 in New York and New Jersey. Mansa was motivated to higher education while watching his father work hard to support his family while attending pharmacy school.Mansa started his career with State Farm Insurance Companies in 2001 and held various positions in claims, human resources and agency management. In 2008 he was selected to become an agent, something very difficult to attain. He opened his office in Neptune City and continues to commute each day from Brooklyn to his office.Mansa is a brother of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. He has chartered two Toastmasters International public speaking clubs. His professional designations include an Associates in Claims (AIC), Associates in Service (AIS), Competent Toastmaster (CTM) and the advanced financial planning, Chartered Financial Consultant (ChFC), all very high recognitions. Besides Rotary, Mansa is involved in Asbury Park/Neptune Township’s National Night Out, Central New Jersey Chapter of NOBLE and Neptune’s Black History Month. Mansa enjoys golf, traveling and spending time with his family which includes his wife of 16 years Abigail, daughter Madison and sons Mason and Jordan.Our club welcomes this new member with great appreciation knowing he will become a great Rotarian in the years to come. Mansa comments about our club and Rotary.“I didn’t know what to expect when Brenda and Howard Orr invited me as a guest so many moons ago. At first I came for the food…lol. However everyone truly embraced me and made me feel right at home. It’s an honor to be surrounded by so many smart, successful and selfless individuals. I’m looking forward to many years of serving the community and making lifelong friends”.
It is a sad commentary on our society that the men and women who serve our country in combat, return home with injuries that are not always as visible as a physical wound and therefore not adequately treated. Greg Kucharewski shared with our club how a fishing program is making a difference in the lives of these veterans (young and old) by utilizing healthy outdoor activities. In addition, they can then connect veterans to VA Services offices, outreach centers, NJ Coastal Parks, local fishing clubs and other veteran organizations. By having an activity that encourages them to leave the house, connections can be made and new friendships are formed (and sometimes an old friend is found) that can truly give the vet a spark of hope. As a survivor of PTSD himself, Greg understands the roller coaster that many find themselves on following combat duty; the high-highs, and the lower-than-low lows, the flashbacks and the sleepless nights. By partnering with other community/local organizations and seeking out vets, the activities that he and his team of volunteers can offer truly offer a hand-up to those in desperate need. If you would like to be part of this program, or need additional information, contact Greg at: 732.785.9278 or gkucharews@jcaa.org.
It is always a pleasure to hear about programs that offer young people an alternative for their future; opportunities different from what they may face when growing up in Asbury Park. The Beat Bus does just that. Ryan Garmond, Program Manager at Lakehouse Mobile Recording Studios, shared with us that through music children of all ages are given a way to express their creativity. This year the Asbury Park Music Foundation launched a state-of-the-art Mobile Recording Studio with the mission to bring music education to under-served youth across New Jersey. The newly renovated school bus is outfitted with industry standard recording gear including 10 modular workstations and a sound booth equipped to record vocals, pianos, guitars and drums. This versatile program offers During School Program, After School Program, or an Explorer Program. They can also do a During and/or After School Program. When exceptionally talented students are discovered, they are able to work one-on-one with them to help them develop their full musical potential. But no matter the ability, exposure to this program gives students a way to create and collaborate. To learn more see their website: asburyparkmusiclives.org
Each year, our Club, provides dictionaries to area 3rd graders. This year, we delivered 809 dictionaries to schools including Ocean Twp (3 Elementary schools and Hillel Yeshiva), Deal (Elementary school), Neptune Twp (4 Elementary schools, Holy Innocents Elementary, and Summerfield Academy) Asbury Park (4 Elementary schools and Mt Carmel Elementary) and Bradley Beach (Elementary school). The dictionaries are made possible by a donation from Investors Savings, which also generously provides a space to process and box the dictionaries for delivery to the schools. Look in your 3rd grader’s back pack. You will see a new dictionary.
Thanks to Amy and the rest of the committee for providing a valuable resource to our schools.
Our members gathered on Wednesday Oct 24th to bring awareness to and celebrate Rotary World Polio Day 2018 at Anchor's Bend on the Asbury Park boardwalk. We had a great turnout, good fellowship and as always lots of fun.District Governor Bill Donnelly and PDG Diane Rontondelli also attended to mark the occasion.
Thank you to the board for their efforts in putting this together for our club and especially, Dina, Jacquie, Roy and Kip. They "painted the towns" with our message posted on the digital signs in Asbury Park, Neptune and Ocean.
