MORRIS COUNTY — Senator Joe Pennacchio (R-26) introduced a resolution to express support for the federal “Equal Representation Act,” which would modify the apportionment of United States Representatives and electoral college votes based on the population of United States citizens.

“Appropriating representatives to the United States Congress based on citizenship is the only formula that allows for accurate representation in our federal government,” said Pennacchio. “It is imperative that the right of each American citizen to receive equal representation in government is protected from dilution.”

More than 10 million people have illegally entered the United States under the tenure of President Biden, which, according to current estimates, has increased the total population of illegal immigrants in the United States to more than 20 million people and the total population of noncitizens to more than 30 million, Pennacchio said.

“The noncitizen population is so large that if they were all located in one state, it would be apportioned 40 congressional districts and 42 electoral votes in presidential elections. In no world does that echo the sentiment of equal representation,” Pennacchio said.

The United States House of Representatives introduced H.R. 7109, known as the “Equal Representation Act,” on January 29, 2024, and passed the bill on May 8, 2024. Enactment of the bill would ensure that the allocation of congressional seats and electoral votes among the states would be apportioned based on the United States citizen population and would not be diluted by the country’s noncitizen population, said Pennacchio.

Additionally, Senator Pennacchio has introduced companion legislation that would protect the process of redistricting New Jersey’s legislative seats by only counting New Jersey citizens during that process.

PARSIPPANY — NJ Sharing Network (NJSN), the non-profit organization responsible for recovering donated organs and tissue in the Garden State, recently presented Volunteer Recognition Awards to residents for their outstanding efforts in supporting its lifesaving mission. The awards were presented during NJ Sharing Network’s 2024 Volunteer Appreciation Reception at its headquarters in New Providence.

“Volunteers are the heart of our mission. They help strengthen our public education efforts, encouraging more people to say ‘YES’ to save lives by registering as organ and tissue donors,” said Alyssa D’Addio, Vice President of Hospital and Community Services, NJSN.

Donate Life Group Leader Award presented to Cathy Cerbo, Owner of Cerbo Lumber.
NJSN’s Donate Life Groups (DLG) bring together local advocates and volunteers to take action and educate their communities about organ and tissue donation. The Donate Life Group Leader Award recognizes a DLG member who has energized grassroots efforts to support NJSN’s lifesaving mission.

• Cathy Cerbo took an active lead in the Morris County DLG in 2016. Her father, Nick Cerbo, started the group after receiving a lifesaving heart transplant. Cathy kept the group active and energized throughout the pandemic and is continually developing creative ways to attract new DLG members.

Community Hero Awards were presented to Lakisha Bray of Plainfield and Rudy DiGilio of Washington.
Volunteers are key in NJSN’s community outreach and public education efforts. The Community Hero Awards are presented to individuals who have gone the extra mile in sharing our lifesaving mission.
• Lakisha Bray of Plainfield is a powerful and resilient woman who is spreading the importance of organ donation through her story of losing her daughter and sister. Lakisha’s daughter, Talea, was born with cerebral palsy and passed away just before her 21st birthday. Talea was able to save three lives with her donations. Just six months later, Lakisha’s sister Tabitha died while waiting for an intestinal transplant. Lakisha has become a powerful advocate for NJSN’s mission to honor their memories.
Are key. Rudy DiGilio of Washington, NJ, was inspired to support NJSN after donating one of his kidneys to his brother. Since becoming a volunteer in 2018, he has represented NJSN at countless community events. He has also conducted speaking presentations at local high schools, businesses, and the Liberty Science Center.

Youth Volunteer Awards were presented to Lavarra M. Hines, Jr. (LJ) of West Orange and Dhivyasree Manimaran of Piscataway.
NJSN’s youth volunteers add energy and creative ideas to our outreach projects and activities. The Youth Volunteers of the Year Awards are presented to local high school students who go the extra mile to raise awareness about organ and tissue donation in his/her school and local community.
• Lavarra M. Hines, Jr. (LJ) of West Orange has been a youth volunteer for over ten years. LJ was inspired to get involved with NJSN after his godfather passed away, and he became an organ donor. LJ created an NJSN 5K Celebration of Life team in memory of his godfather. As a student at Newark Academy, LJ has helped coordinate NJSN presentations in the school’s driver’s education courses for the past two years.
• Dhivyasree Manimaran of Piscataway has been volunteering for NJSN since middle school. She is now a key Piscataway High School’s Donate Life Club member and will serve as the club’s president in the 2024/2025 academic year. Dhivyasree has helped grow the DLC’s student membership and has been instrumental in community awareness events throughout the year.

Jim Rhatican Legacy Award presented to Richard Hayes of Monroe Township.
The Jim Rhatican Legacy Award is named in memory of longtime NJSN volunteer Jim Rhatican, a liver transplant recipient who shared his story of hope with students, teachers, and parents as part of NJSN’s High School Heroes Program. The award recognizes a volunteer who has made a powerful commitment to educating local students about the importance of registering as an organ and tissue donor.
• Richard Hayes of Monroe Township has been a key volunteer for NJ Sharing Network since 2011. As a liver transplant recipient, Richard has made powerful presentations to over 5,000 students about registering as organ and tissue donors to help save and enhance lives.

Wrapped In Love Volunteer Award was presented to Diane Borman of Summit
NJSN’s Wrapped in Love program provides beautiful handmade shawls and blankets to families who have said ‘YES’ to organ and tissue donation as a tangible expression of comfort and compassion. The Wrapped In Love Volunteer of the Year recognizes an individual who has dedicated his/her time and talent to crochet or knit creations that express love and support for our donor families.
• Diane Borman of Summit has been a Wrapped in Love volunteer since 2010. She has expressed her caring spirit and creativity by making hundreds of beautiful blankets for organ donor families. She has also shared her knowledge with other volunteers to help them create blankets and shawls.

NJSN National Impact Award presented to Sam Prince of North Caldwell
NJSN’s powerful lifesaving message travels far beyond the borders of New Jersey. The NJSN National Impact Award recognizes an individual who has delivered our lifesaving message to nationwide audiences.
• Sam Prince of North Caldwell was born with multiple congenital heart defects. For the first seven years of his life, Prince thrived as best as he could, undergoing numerous surgeries and surviving on medication. Finally, he received a lifesaving heart transplant when he was 8 years old. For more than a decade, Sam has been a powerful and well-recognized advocate for NJSN. He became internationally recognized as the New York Giants “superfan” who stole the show during the 2022 NFL Draft. Thanks to Make-A-Wish America, Sam joined NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell on stage in Las Vegas while presenting the Giants’ No. 5 overall pick, Kayon Thibodeaux. Prince won over fans worldwide with his animated personality and now viral interaction with Thibodeaux.

Community Partner Award presented to AbbVie, Inc.
Partnerships matter! NJSN’s Community Partner Award honors the invaluable contributions of a local organization or corporation that has helped produce amazing results within NJSN’s public education efforts.
• AbbVie, Inc. played an important part in NJSN’s Back-to-School Supplies Drive to benefit students in need in Camden and Paterson. AbbVie employees saw an opportunity to rally together and make a difference in the lives of local children by ensuring they have the tools they need to succeed in their educational journey. Their generous contributions included notebooks, folders, pens, pencils, calculators, and more. Rachel Schott and Valerie Phillips of AbbVie, Inc. accepted the award.

NJ Sharing Network, headquartered in New Providence, is a federally designated non-profit organization focused on saving and enhancing lives by recovering donated organs and tissue in the Garden State. NJ Sharing Network partners with an extensive network of 54 local hospitals to provide hope for the nearly 4,000 New Jersey residents currently waiting for a lifesaving organ transplant, and it is part of the national recovery system for the over 100,000 people on the national transplant waiting list. For five consecutive years, NJ Sharing Network has reported organ donation records and 3.8 million New Jerseyans are registered as organ and tissue donors, according to the New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission (NJMVC). Among the top-performing OPOs in the nation, NJ Sharing Network has been recognized by NJBIZ for six consecutive years as one of the state’s ‘Best Places to Work.’

Click here to learn more, get involved, and become an organ and tissue donor in the National Donate Life Registry.

MORRIS COUNTY — National nonprofit organization Petco Love celebrates June as National Foster a Pet Month to inspire communities to get involved and support their local animal shelters by temporarily fostering pets. Created by the organization in 2019, June is National Foster a Pet Month, and it encourages people to foster a pet ahead of the most challenging summer months when animal shelters are overrun.

“Shelters across the nation are in crisis. And loving, happy, healthy pets are at risk of being euthanized simply due to lack of space. Pet fostering is the answer to eliminating unnecessary euthanasia of shelter pets. If just 2% more of the 87 million pet-owning households fostered just one pet a year, we could end euthanasia in America’s shelters tomorrow,” said Petco Love President Susanne Kogut.

Kogut attributes the lifesaving success of a mid-sized shelter she led almost 20 years ago to their robust fostering program that increased pets in foster care by over 600%. She is also a dedicated pet foster, having fostered over 500 pets. “Fostering is easier than people think,” said Kogut. “I encourage more people just to try it. Whether you foster for a short time or until a pet is ready for adoption, you will give that kitten, cat, puppy, adult dog, or senior pet, a break from the shelter. Allowing them to experience your love and home will make all the difference, especially if that pet faces euthanasia. Fostering saves lives.”

Young pet lover Sophia Gillen, 16, from Mountain Lake, heard the foster a pet message loud and clear. Inspired by Petco Love’s Foster a Pet Month, Sophia created a petition urging New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy to prioritize pet fostering. Sophia’s advocacy led Governor Murphy to declare June as Foster a Pet Month in the state, marking a significant step in the nationwide effort to prioritize fostering pets.

Sophia’s journey began as part of her Girl Scout Gold Award project, fittingly named “Phenomenal Foster Pets.” After eight months of dedicated communication with the governor’s office, her passion and perseverance resulted in this important recognition. She also created a fun lesson to teach scouts of all ages about the importance of fostering, how to advocate for shelter dogs and cats, and how to earn a one-of-a-kind pet fostering patch.

“I want to inspire other Girl Scouts and young advocates to take similar actions in their states,” said Sophia Gillen. “Many animals can be saved when state leaders commit to animal welfare. I hope to see Foster a Pet Month recognized across all 50 states.”

“Sophia is an imposing young woman,” said Kogut. “Her drive and commitment to animal welfare at such a young age are truly inspiring. We are excited to highlight her achievements and support her goal of expanding this initiative nationwide.”

In May, Morris Focus featured Sophia Gillen. Click here to read the article.

PARSIPPANY — The Kiwanis Club of Greater Parsippany recently hosted its 9th Annual Touch a Truck event on Saturday, June 15th. The event occurred at Liquid Church in Parsippany and featured over 50 vehicles, including police cars, fire trucks, ambulances, construction vehicles, cranes, motorcycles, and more. This family-friendly event allowed children to explore various vehicles and meet community heroes like police officers, firefighters, and first aid volunteers.

In addition to the impressive vehicle displays, the event offered a variety of activities, such as hot air balloon rides, live performances by Exit Row, child ID services, dog adoptions, and food trucks. It also featured a helicopter flyover, which added an element of excitement for attendees.

The Touch a Truck event is a significant fundraiser for the Kiwanis Club of Greater Parsippany, supporting its numerous initiatives to enhance the lives of children and communities. The club expressed gratitude to the many sponsors and participants, including local businesses and organizations, who contributed to the event’s success.

For more information on the Kiwanis Club of Greater Parsippany, click here.

PARSIPPANY — The Parsippany Police Department held a walkout ceremony for Lt. Daniel Conte on Wednesday, June 19th. Lt. Conte has retired after 25 years of dedicated service with the department. During his distinguished career, he received three Command Citations, one Life Saving Award, one Exceptional Duty Award, and one Unit Commendation. He was also a member of the Rapid Deployment Team and a certified Field Training Officer.

Congratulations and thank you for your service, Lt. Conte!