The HOT LUNCH program provided by the Cape May County United Way has lost its grant and is in need of some local support!

In effort to help, Fitzpatrick’s Crest Tavern is holding a Give-Back Day for the United Way on May 20 from 6-9 p.m.–a family-friendly barbecue fundraiser to help keep the pantry in business.

Spanky’s BBQ will be providing a good old-fashioned barbecue dinner for a donation of $10 or more to the United Way. There will be fun, prizes and give-always, including a chance to win two Phillies tickets. Plus it’s a chance to give back to an organization that helps so many in our community.

The State is slashing budgets, but those in need still require a helping hand. The United Way has never needed your support more than now. Please stop by to help. Call 609-729-2002 for more information.

Leave your smoking jacket at home.  This year the United Way of Cape May County’s Cigar Dinner is celebrating the approach of summer at Westy’s Irish Pub, 101 East Walnut Avenue, North Wildwood, where friends can enjoy food, drinks and cigars in a relaxed, informal style with a view of Hereford Inlet.

The popular event, scheduled for 6-10 p.m. on Thursday, June 3, is a great way to get a jumpstart on the weekend. Tickets are $55 or two for $100 and include hors d’oeuvres, dinner, two drinks (beer and house wine) and two cigars. Space is limited, so grab a group of friends and call 609-729-2002 to reserve your spot. The event helps fund United Way programs that improve the lives of Cape May County residents

Spring can’t come soon enough to Cape May County this year, and neither can the Spring Harvest Benefit for the United Way of Cape May County at the Deck, 3401 Pacific Avenue, Wildwood. The event is being organized by Dan Higman, of Weichert Realtors Coastal as a fun way for locals to rally around a local charity.

It will be held at The Deck, 3401 Pacific Avenue, on March 12, from 6 -9 p.m and includes open bar, butlered hors d’oeuvres, beef tenderloin, and pasta. Door prizes, raffles and a silent auction are also planned.

The money raised will support United Way programs that help local residents as they weather difficult economic times.

United Way Executive Director Suzanne Nardi said Spring Harvest event couldn’t come at a better time. In recent months, the United Way food pantry has seen an unprecedented need for both food and personal items.

“The cold weather and economic factors are both taking their toll,” she said. “Local families need more help than ever, and this event is a great way to celebrate community while helping our neighbors who need it.”

The benefit will restock pantry shelves and help cover the operational costs for United Way’s Hot Lunch program, which provides residents with a much-needed hot meal every Thursday in the winter, plus information and resources to help get their lives back on track. The benefit will also support the United Way’s summertime efforts to provide healthy bag lunches to working families.

“We wanted to do something to help take care of some of the people who live right here in our own community,” Higman said.

Tickets can be purchased from Dan Higman or Jennifer Haig for a donation of $60 by calling 523-1112 or visiting their office at 3300 Pacific Avenue, Wildwood.

Locals are going bananas for Natali Vineyard, in Court House, and its “Feast In February” scheduled for this Saturday, Feb. 27.  The vineyard will be rolling out its new banana wine and celebrating some of the great things that make Southern New Jersey special, including Natali wines, cuisine from Cape May County restaurants and the United Way of Cape May County.

The United Way is the event’s featured local charity, and Executive Director, Suzanne Nardi, will be there to share information about the work the United Way does at its Wildwood food pantry and throughout the community. Guests are encouraged to give what they can in support of the United Way, which can feed a local family of four for a day with a donation of just $5.

“We are so happy to be invited to Natali for this event,”  Nardi said. “I am looking forward to letting people know what we do and how they can help because I know how strong our sense of community spirit is in Cape May County. Neighbors take care of neighbors during times of crisis here. It’s what makes our county such a special place to live.”

Neighbors also enjoy spending time together, and the event on Saturday is a perfect opportunity for that as well. Heated tents will offer a cozy spot to talk with friends and listen to music by the Ravioli Shanker Band, while sampling local delicacies, including Natali’s award-winning traditional wines, as well as more fruity varieties, like the new sweet and delicious, banana dessert wine.

This rain or shine event will be held at the vineyard at 221 North Delsea Drive (North Route 47) from noon to 5 p.m. Admission is free. For more information, call 609-465-0075.

Pictured are Wilsey's Kathy Sigerson, Jim Ridgway, Starr Taylor, Tricia Gray Hendricks, Cookie Williams, and Gail Wilsey Morrison.

Wilsey Realty, at 501 Lafayette Street, Cape May, held a diaper drive for the United Way of Cape May County in December and January, and with the help of their clients, employees and neighbors collected 1700 diapers and wipes for Cape May County residents in need. The dipers will be distributed as needed through United Way’s First Call for Help Food Pantry and its partner agencies.

The folks at Wilsey are grateful to those who supported their “Annual Diaper Drive,” and the United Way is grateful for the kind support of the work they do in the community. For more information on how you can support the United Way, call 609-729-2002 or visit uwcmc.org.

Pictured from Back/Left: GWCOC Board Member Mike Posternock; United Way Executive Director, Suzanne Nardi; GWCOC Board President Lori Roach; GWCOC Board Members Joyce Kluge; Johnnie Walker; Paul Russo; Darlene Heym; Angel Daniels; and Bill Culp. Front Row: GWCOC Executive Director Tracey DuFault; GWCOC Board Members--Denise Haley, Sheila Brown, Caroline Ranoia, Jackie Fiore, Karen Allen, and Karen Dickinson.

Members of the Greater Wildwood Chamber of Commerce (GWCOC) attended their annual holiday mixer on Dec. 17 with plans to celebrate together and to spread comfort and joy in the community where they work. Members shared their holiday spirit by bringing toys and gifts for local children and food and personal care items for the United Way of Cape May County’s food pantry. In addition, the Chamber presented United Way Executive Director Suzanne Nardi with a check for $2,000 to support the services the United Way provides to local families.

The Christmas gift will help people well into the new year, Nardi said.

“The support of local business people and the Greater Wildwood Chamber of Commerce is greatly appreciated and crucial to the work we do,” Nardi said. “We couldn’t do it without them.”

United Way Executive Director, Suzanne Nardi; Buck's Electric employees- Kurt Stevenson and Bob Schenck, United Way Financial and Development Director Stephanie Hoover, and Buck's Electric Owner, Ralph Shaffer.

Time is money, especially at Buck’s Electric where employees who are late for work are expected to pay a fee of ten cents per minute. At the end of the year, however, the company turns the naughty behavior into something nice by doubling or tripling the collected amount and going on a massive shopping spree to restock the United Way of Cape May County’s food pantry.

“We look forward to the delivery from Buck’s every year,” United Way Executive Director Suzanne Nardi said. “In addition to their tremendous generosity, they always ask  exactly what items we need. As a result, we are able to provide our clients with the items they need most.”

Last month, Owner Ralph Shaffer and employee volunteers delivered a truckload of goods to United Way headquarters.  The canned goods, personal care items and other necessities will help sustain the  pantry and its clients through the winter.  Shaffer said the late fees help to make employees more punctual, but secretly the folks at the United Way believe that being a few minutes late might not be so bad after all.

Sturdy Savings Bank Employees help out by serving a hot lunch in 2009

The holidays may be over, but every Thursday, the spirit of giving is still going strong at the United Way of Cape May County’s hot lunch program. With winter winds blowing outside, some county residents can barely afford the cost of housing and heating, and other necessities like food can be difficult to come by, but they know that they can count on at least one hot nutritious meal every Thursday at the First Baptist Church’s Community room on Maple Avenue in Wildwood.

“It’s more than just the meal,” Executive Director Suzanne Nardi said. “Our guests, who come to the weekly lunch, say over and over again how grateful they are that there are people in the community who care about them.”

A variety of religious, civic and business groups, as well as individuals, volunteer to help with the program each week.  They plan a meal that includes salad and dessert, purchase the groceries and arrive together on the morning of the luncheon to prepare and serve it. And whether it is a church group, a civic group or a local business, those preparing and serving the meal inevitably come away from the luncheon with a strengthened sense of community.

“Volunteers tell me often how nice it is to work on a project with their friends and colleagues that brings such immediate comfort to others,” Nardi said.

In addition, the lunch program puts people in touch with agencies that provide the help they need to make their lives better.

“The program offers human service organizations a chance to share information about the services they provide,” Nardi said. “We are always looking for speakers, who are looking for a way to reach the people who need them most.”

Volunteers are needed throughout the winter months. To find out more about how you,  your friends and coworkers can help or to schedule a time to present information  to United Way clients, call Nardi at 729-2002.



Cape Classics Motorcycle Club wrapped up another year of community involvement last week when they presented the United Way of Cape May County with a check for $6,600 raised during the Roar to the Shore Rubber Ducky Ride and bike raffle in September.

“We are so grateful to Cape Classics for their ongoing and very generous support of our work in the community,” United Way Executive Director, Suzanne Nardi said.

Cape Classics President Roland Roy said that giving back to the community is an important part of the organization’s focus. In addition to the annual bike raffle and Rubber Ducky Ride, Cape Classics members collected and delivered dozens of toys to local children through toy runs, helped a local family after a fire, and just last week donated a radio to Cape May County Fire and Police. Roy said the organization is grateful to local law enforcement and the community for their support during various motorcycle events.

Cape Classic Board Members: (From back/left) Paul Babore, Mark D'Amico, President Roland Roy, Kelly O'Brien-Baker and Joe Murray of One Off Marketing present the United Way of Cape May County with a check for $6,600, raised during September's Rubber Ducky Ride.

“The police and fire departments help us out all the time with traffic control,” and they often have limited resources, he said. “We try to help people in the community and give back because honestly the community does put up with a lot (with us).”

The event is billed as “the hottest, largest, most exciting motorcycle rally in the Northeast”, and the rumble of thousands of motorcycles every fall can be a mild disturbance to some residents, but last year the annual Roar to The Shore event brought 80,000 bikers to town in September– a boon for local businesses during the shoulder season.

“It’s more positive than negative,” said Event Organizer, Joe Murray, of One Off Marketing, and organizers are very mindful of doing what’s right for the community.

This year, Murray expects the event to continue to grow. They’ll be using exhibit space inside the Convention Center for the first time and spreading out further into the parking areas. And teh Rubber Ducky Boardwalk Ride in support of the United Way is always a great way to wrap up a weekend of fun.

Organizers hope to make the event bigger and better every year, and they plan to continue to give back. “A lot of the experience is about giving back,” Roy said. “We try to support as many organizations as possible.”

For more information about Cape Classics Motorcycle Group visit capeclassicsmc.com.

Wilsey Realty is helping the United Way of Cape May County to help others this holiday season with a diaper drive, Dec. 15 to Jan. 5. Diapers, especially those in toddler sizes, as well as baby wipes, are desperately needed by local families, who are struggling to meet their basic needs.

Donations may be dropped off at Wilsey Realty, 501 Lafayette Street, Cape May during business hours. The items will be distributed as needed to qualified families over the upcoming months. For more information, call Julie at 675-8722 or visit uwcmc.org.