MORRIS COUNTY — The Morris County Prosecutor’s Office is dedicated to educating the general public about the risks and potential hazards relating to Child Sexual Abuse Material Child Pornography and the misuse of technology by children.

They also continue to promote increased awareness of the recommended safeguards that can help to prevent the victimization of our children. During the past several years, there has been a dramatic increase in online activity among our nation’s youth. Law enforcement agencies across the country are seeing a rise in sexually explicit material by children of all ages. This material includes activities such as “sexting” and sending or soliciting nude photographs.

With a generation of youth utilizing electronic means of communication and engaging online as content creators, it is important for parents to have open communication with their children about content sharing and exercise good judgment when it comes to how they interact with others online or through other electronic means, such as email, text messaging, and social media.

With boys and girls involved in these potentially dangerous behaviors, parents should have age-appropriate conversations with their children beginning as soon as they have access to any technological device.  Conversations with children should include a clear explanation as to why it is so important not to send, not to ask others, and not to share sexually explicit images, videos, or other content.

Children must be mindful of what they post and share through these electronic means, because social media and technology document everything, even photos and messages a child may assume was deleted or temporary, or that were intended to be private.  Data shared through electronic means can be accessed and potentially disseminated to others even after being deleted.  Moreover, individuals communicating with children through electronic means can misrepresent their true age, gender, or identity.  The dissemination of electronic data may subject the child to harassment or ridicule, and even create the potential for extortion or kidnapping.

Morris County Prosecutor Robert J. Carroll said, “We at the Morris County Prosecutor’s Office want to enable our youth to make smart choices about how they interact online and through electronic means, as poor decisions can have unfortunate consequences.”

Anyone with any questions can contact the Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Unit or the Sex Crimes/Child Endangerment Unit of the Morris County Prosecutor’s Office at (973) 285-6200.  Persons may remain anonymous.

MORRIS COUNTY — Colleagues at the Weichert Corporate Headquarters Campus and various sales offices recently completed 2.5-mile Fun Walks to help fight food insecurity. In all, 63 walkers hit the pavement with the miles walked converted into 481 meals.

Weichert’s Fun Walk was part of a companywide MOVE 2 Fight Hunger Challenge presented by Weichert Workforce Mobility and Nelson Westerberg. The Challenge supports Move for Hunger, a national nonprofit organization that aims to offer a sustainable solution to reduce food waste and feed the hungry.

“At Weichert, we have always stressed the importance of giving back to the communities where we live and work,” said Aram Minnetian, president of and COO of The Weichert Family of Companies. “It was great to see so many of our colleagues join together for a little exercise and camaraderie as we moved to fight hunger.”

The M2FH Challenge runs from June 1 through July 5. Colleagues can provide meals to feed the hungry by participating in any activity – from walking and running to cooking, dancing, or even reading a book. Their progress is tracked using atlasGO, a hybrid activity/social media app. The activities earn points that will be converted to meals at the end of the Challenge. The challenge goal is to earn 75,000 meals to support the cause.

Sales associates and colleagues at Weichert’s Rumson and Middletown sales offices participated in their own M2FH Challenge Fun Walks.

“We met at Popamora Point, which is a beautiful part of the Henry Hudson Trail in Atlantic Highlands,” said Christina Weiner, sales manager of Weichert’s Middletown office. “It was a great opportunity to enjoy nature and enjoy each other’s company away from the office while logging miles for meals to support a great cause.”

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p style=”font-weight: 400;”>According to Move for Hunger, more than 42 million Americans face hunger every day, including 1 in 6 children. Meanwhile, 35 percent of the food produced in the United States every year is wasted. Move for Hunger’s network of socially responsible relocation companies provides its customers, clients, and residents with the opportunity to donate their food when they move. Members of Move for Hunger also volunteer to host/assist with community food drives, participate in cause marketing campaigns and create employee giving programs. Since 2009, Move for Hunger has delivered 26 million pounds to food-to-food banks across the United States and Canada — the equivalent of nearly 22 million meals.

For more information about Weichert, Realtors or to find your local office click here.

Since 1969, Weichert, Realtors has grown from a single office into one of the nation’s leading providers of homeownership services by putting its customers first. A family of 18 full-service real estate-related companies, Weichert provides an integrated real estate, mortgage, insurance, and title settlement solution — branded as All Under One Roof ℠— to simplify the home purchase experience for buyers and sellers, in most markets. Weichert leverages its customer website, click here, one of the nation’s most visited real estate websites, to help families and individuals realize the dream of homeownership through quick and easy access to listing information and its services to real estate professionals nationwide. According to several national surveys, Weichert enjoys greater public trust than other family-owned and -operated businesses. For more information, Weichert’s customer service center can be reached at 1-800-USA-SOLD.

MORRIS COUNTY  — Twenty-five young adults who’d left high school without graduating stood proud in their caps and gowns last night, all having earned their New Jersey high school diplomas through determination and support from NewBridge Jobs Plus.

About 100 relatives and friends cheered the graduates from Dover, East Hanover, Fairfield Jefferson, Kinnelon, Madison, Mine Hill, Morris Plains, Morristown, Mount Olive, Netcong, Randolph, Roxbury, and Wharton at a ceremony held at the Morristown Beard School.

“Taking that first step toward independence can be a struggle — these NewBridge Jobs Plus associates did that and more!” NewBridge CEO Michelle Borden said. “They sought help along the way and didn’t let challenges get in the way of their accomplishments. Their stories are examples of fortitude, determination, and now, celebration.”

Favio Jasso left Morris Hills High School in Rockaway because he’d missed too many classes to graduate on time. NewBridge Jobs Plus “helped me get ready for life, beyond the academics,” said the 18-year-old from Dover. Jasso was awarded a Parker Endowment Scholarship, funded by retired NewBridge CEO Robert L. Parker.

NewBridge Jobs Plus has helped young adults turn their lives around since 1983, longer than any other such program in Morris County. Participants learn at their own pace, receiving academic support, life and professional skills training, career and college coaching, and counseling to overcome emotional challenges. Located at the NewBridge Parsippany Center, the program is free to area young adults, and transportation is provided to Morris County residents.

Cassandra Reyes, a 2017 NewBridge Jobs Plus graduate, congratulated the Class of 2022 for their accomplishments and urged them to pursue higher education. “You’ve already put your foot in the water so you might as well swim!”

Reyes, the commencement keynote speaker, was a single mom when she graduated and studied biology at Montclair State University for three years. She revised her plans when she had a second child. Reyes is now a nursing student at Fairleigh Dickinson University in Florham Park and works full-time as an emergency room receptionist at Saint Clare’s Hospital in Denville.

“You are going to hit bumps in the road, and that’s OK,” the 23-year-old said. “Remember that life doesn’t have a timeline set in stone.”

Class of 2022 graduate Raequan Houston said the staff at NewBridge Jobs Plus not only helped him with math but taught him about personal finance. “That was a big help,” the 20-year-old said. Houston left St. Benedict’s Preparatory School in Newark as a junior, and got jobs at ShopRite and later FedEx.

Houston mostly kept to himself when he first arrived at NewBridge, but eventually warmed up. “I started to talk a lot more,” the Madison resident said. “I’m grateful for the opportunity NewBridge gave me,” said Houston, who received the Alumni Appreciation Scholarship Award. He intends to study music recording at the County College of Morris.

Jasso had been struggling with depression even before the onset of the pandemic. Sports and time with friends had helped him manage it, but when classes went remote and extracurricular activities were suspended, “I couldn’t take care of myself,” the 18-year-old said.

Jasso immersed himself in his job, creating online marketing content, but neglected other aspects of life, including school and his health. He enrolled in NewBridge Jobs Plus last August. He’d completed all the requirements within three months and earned his diploma.

“There’s a strong sense of community there, and they help you succeed with every aspect of your life,” said Jasso, who lost 30 pounds and launched a freelance business creating web content. Jasso will study business administration at CCM in the fall.

Other scholarship recipients were:

• Angelina Spellmon, who received the James Ryan Memorial Scholarship Award, created in honor of a NewBridge founder
• Samantha Rolfes, awarded the Lakeland Bank Scholarship Award
• Devin Ortiz, winner of a Parker Endowment Scholarship

“I am so proud of this graduating class, especially for their perseverance during these still uncertain times,” said NewBridge Jobs Plus Director Amy Sheppard. “We feel honored to have been a part of their journey.”

NewBridge Services is a leading provider of counseling services, housing, and educational programs in northern New Jersey, helping thousands of children, adults, and seniors each year. A 501c(3) nonprofit, NewBridge treats mental illnesses and addictions; teaches skills for coping with stress, grief, and challenging relationships; helps children who have been abused and neglected — and their families — heal; builds and manages affordable housing; offers school-based programs that teach children and adolescents resiliency skills for healthy emotional development; helps young adults succeed in their education and prepare for careers; and supports seniors so they can remain independent. Throughout its 59-year history, NewBridge has remained true to its mission of bringing balance to people’s lives by tracking shifts in communities’ needs and providing innovative, effective programs to meet them.