Hi! My name is Queso and I’m a three-year-old Chihuahua!

I was recently rescued from a municipal, open-admissions shelter in New York who took me in when my family could no longer care for me. I was dropped off with my brother, Chalupa, but we are not bonded.

My foster family says I do great with other dogs, cats, and could probably live with children six and up! I am potty trained and am crate trained!

I know some basic commands like “sit” and “come” but with some yummy snacks, I will learn even more in no time! My foster family says I am very snuggly with them and with my furry foster siblings. So I hope you like a good cuddle session! I am very sweet and love affection.

I really enjoy playing with my doggy foster siblings. I also just love getting attention, especially when it involves belly rubs and scratches under my chin.

If you are interested in adopting Queso, please fill out an application by clicking here.

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PARSIPPANY — Katelyn and Rachael are two Cadettes from Girl Scout Troop 95613 who are working earning their Girl Scout Silver Award.

“It is our responsibility as Girl Scouts to help improve our community. We both recognized a problem with the over population of feral cats in our neighborhoods,” said Katelyn.

The girls decided to hold a workshop on August 15 at the Bethel in Mt. Tabor to educate and raise awareness on feral cats. The workshop included three expert guest speakers from Mt. Pleasant Animal Shelter, People for Animals Spay/Neuter Clinics, and the rescue community.

The topics included trap and release, information about spaying/neutering feral cats, and making shelters and appropriate feeding stations for feral cats.

As part of the workshop, guests were able to build a feral cat shelter. They partnered with the Parsippany Home Depot and was able to have them donate all of the supplies needed for this portion of the workshop.

In place of charging for our workshop, we asked guests to bring a donation for the local animal shelter.

“We created a flyer and advertised for our event in key public locations and on social media. Prior to the workshop, we met with Mayor Michael Soriano of our town to help spread awareness and gain support for our cause so the message we have started can be ongoing in our town. We helped the community by helping them learn how to take care of feral cats,” said Rachael.

PARSIPPANY — New Jersey Blood Services will be conducting blood drives open to the public. The following drives are scheduled in the near future:

Parsippany Town Hall, 1001 Parsippany Boulevard, Parsippany – October 10, 2018 – 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.

Presbyterian Church of Morris Plains, 400 Speedwell Avenue, Morris Plains – October 13, 2018 – 8:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.

New Jersey Blood Services, a division of New York Blood Center (NYBC) is asking for help to maintain an adequate supply of all blood types, but especially O-negative – the “universal” blood which can be transfused into anyone in an emergency.  In addition, hundreds of additional blood drives need to be scheduled to meet projected hospital demand.  Current inventory of several blood types is running below the desired target level.

“It’s simple:  hospital patient demand for blood often outpaces our best efforts to recruit donors and schedule blood drives,” said NYBC Executive Director of Donor Recruitment Andrea Cefarelli.  “There are always reasons but we have to overcome that for the sake of hospital patients who need us.”

“This is one of the toughest times of the year,” Cefarelli added.  “We’re asking for our dedicated supporters to roll up their sleeves to make sure we’re able to provide our hospital partners with whatever they need to take care of their patients.”

Blood products have a short shelf life – from five to 42 days, so constant replenishment is necessary.  Each and every day there are patients who depend on the transfusion of red blood cells, platelets and plasma to stay alive. But blood and blood products can’t be manufactured. They can only come from volunteer blood donors who take an hour to attend a blood drive or visit a donor center.

To donate blood or for information on how to organize a blood drive. Please call Toll Free: 1-800-933-2566 or click here.

If you cannot donate but still wish to participate in bringing crucial blood products to patients in need, please ask someone to donate for you, or consider volunteering at a local blood drive.

Any company, community organization, place of worship, or individual may host a blood drive. NYBC also offers special community service scholarships for students who organize community blood drives during summer months. Blood donors receive free mini-medical exams on site including information about their temperature, blood pressure and hematocrit level. Eligible donors include those people at least age 16 (with parental permission or consent), who weigh a minimum of 110 pounds, are in good health and meet all Food & Drug Administration and NY or NJ State Department of Health donor criteria. People over 75 may donate with a doctor’s note.

PARSIPPANY — You may be busy raising your family or serving as a caregiver for relatives and regret not having the time to help improve your community. The Kiwanis Club of Greater Parsippany has a solution to that dilemma. On Thursday, October 25, from 6:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m., you can help improve the lives of others and have fun while doing so by attending the Kiwanis annual wine tasting at the Hanover Manor in East Hanover.  This wine Tasting is the Kiwanis Club’s largest fundraising event with the goal of supporting programs that benefit children and youth. Through the wine tasting event, the Kiwanis club members support Camp Nejeda, a camp for children with Type 1 diabetes.

The local programs funded by the Kiwanis Club include: sponsored youth programs in the Parsippany Troy Hills school district, such as Key Clubs in both high schools, Builders Clubs in the middle schools, and K-Kids Clubs in all of the elementary schools; Parsippany Day Care Center; Parsippany Library; the Stickley Farms family fun day and numerous other 501(c)3 organizations that serve children and families.  In addition to this financial support of children’s leadership development and service initiatives, the club meets the basic needs of the less fortunate families in our community by providing food and food cards, toiletry items, and blankets through a partnership with the Parsippany-Troy Hills Township Community Center. The Club also supports state and national organizations that serve the needs of children and their families.

Proceeds from this wine tasting will also provide financial support to the work done by Camp Nejeda, located in Sussex County. This organization has been providing summer camp and other programs for children with type 1 diabetes and their families since 1958. In addition to providing eight weeks of traditional Summer Sleep-Away camp, Camp Nejeda offers Family Camps, Day Camps, Spring and Fall weekend programs, Adult Weekend, Nurse Education seminars and much more. These camps allow children to meet other children like themselves who have to deal with the daily challenges of diabetes.  Many children from throughout Morris County benefit from this excellent program aimed at helping children relax and play during their time at camp and worry less about the pressures associated with this disease.

Joe Canals is a co-sponsor of the wine tasting event. The event includes silent and live auctions; delicious hot and cold buffet; wines and liquors; and an opportunity to help raise money and do good for others.

Tickets are only $65 each. Kiwanis is a 501(C)3 organization and your contribution is tax deductible to the extent permitted by law.

If you would like to purchase tickets, please click here.

PARSIPPANY — Kiwanis Club of Greater Parsippany Foundation made a donation to The Stickley Museum at Craftsman Farms to help fund the activities of the Fall Family Day.

The Fall Family Day will be held on Saturday, September 15 from 12:00 Noon to 4:00 p.m. at The Stickley Museum at Craftsman Farms, 2352 Route 10 West, Parsippany.

Join in celebrating the fall harvest and Craftsman Farms’ agricultural past at our 12th Annual Farm Family Day.  This traditional fall festival is the museum’s biggest family program of the year.

Fall Family Day features seasonal fun with hayrides around the grounds of Craftsman Farms, and pumpkin painting.  Indoor and outdoor scavenger hunts encourage children to explore the landscape that was once the Stickley family’s home and farm. Craft activities and handicraft demonstrations exercise young minds and hands.  Bring the whole family and arrive early for a picnic on the grounds!  And inside Stickley’s Log House, tours will be suspended for the day and families are invited to stroll through the museum Open House at their own pace.

Activities offered on the grounds during Fall Family Day include:

• Hayrides
• Pumpkin painting
• Craft activities
• Games & races
• Scavenger hunts
• Hand craft demonstrations