Showing posts with label Bethany House of Hospitality. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Bethany House of Hospitality. Show all posts

Monday, January 15, 2018

MLK Day of Service Social Clean Up 2018



MLK - Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. represents many things to many people.  This international figure is well recognized as a “good man” who had high expectations for humans.

Annually in Trenton NJ a group of people come together for a service project known as the MLK Day of Service Social Clean Up.  


The idea behind the clean up is to bring people together for a service project that will encourage networking and community building.  Like past events, the intentional communal residence the Bethany House of Hospitality served as the HQ’s with restrooms and refreshments.  

Today ~30 people battled the temperatures that felt like the high teens, low twenties to pick up debris, rake leaves and to remove illegally dump household appliances in Columbus Park.

Thank you to everyone who participated, shared the event through various outlets and encouraged the efforts.




























Tuesday, July 11, 2017

#LBOT Library Boxes of Trenton recent happenings; Bethany House of Hospitality, Capital City Farm, Trenton Coffeehouse & Roaster, Ida Malloy


#LBOT or Library Boxes of Trenton has been a rewarding project for me.  As with most of what I do it includes several partners, lots of moving parts and of course civic engagement.

The #LBOT located at the Bethany House of Hospitality continues to warm my heart.  Recently I dropped off ~50 books picked up from #ChampsTrenton and a few dozen magazines from Magazine Literacy.Org

This location moves a lot of reading materials.  The residents who are committed adopters of this #LBOT shared with me that it is used all the time.  They have even expanded to place give away items in good condition near the #LBOT and they are taken as well!

The location is a good one; along a NJ Transit Bus Route, with high volumes of foot traffic, next door to an active church and across the street from a vibrant park.

Have a look at the promotional video regarding the development of the Bethany House of Hospitality - BHOH

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O-In-A7LOnY

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Did you know Trenton NJ has a Farm!  Have a look and listen to my coverage of the Capital City Farm led by Allegra Lovejoy.

http://trenton365.blogspot.com/2016/09/capital-city-farm-trenton-nj-september.html

While out and about doing what I do I stopped by this location near the Trenton Police HQ and the Trenton Area Soup Kitchen to document this #LBOT.  A few paperbacks were present so I loaded it up with Guideposts Magazines from Magazine Literacy and some romance novels from Champs.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Biking was my freedom as a "youngster" and I want to help others have that experience.  The biking culture in Trenton NJ is organic, artistic, functional and growing!  From the monthly Trenton Social Ride led by Wills Kinsley, small groups led by cyclist Kevin Duddy, Bike Polo, Tall Bike Modifications and the advocacy group Trenton Cycling Revolution - TCR regularly you can see a diverse collection of people riding bikes in Trenton.

In preparation for the annual Bike Tour of Trenton a small group came together to start the process for the route creation.  This took us to Trenton Coffeehouse and Roaster owned and operated by Abdul Qadir.  During this visit I checked in on the #LBOT adopted by Abdul and created by Arizona Perron.  This #LBOT had a few offerings and appears to be doing just fine.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

In addition to the BHOH, the Capital City Farm and Trenton Coffeehouse and Roaster locations I have received a few calls from others who want to Adopt a #LBOT one of them is Ida Malloy.

Ida who is very civically active contacted me about her "Backyard Book Club" which meets weekly and offers reading materials to the neighborhood children.  Ida received over 200 copies of Highlights Magazine to share and I expect she will need more!

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Each Monday night at Champs Trenton, 931 Chambers St., #LBOT Artist Lori Johansson hosts "Art Chill Night" and on July 24th the theme will be literacy!  Join us as we create art inspired by literacy, sort and package books and magazines that will be delivered throughout the area.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

In closing think about how you can be a part of this effort with your time, talent and treasures!

If you Adopted a #LBOT, we need to hear from you about your experiences so we can support your efforts!



























Friday, August 12, 2016

Bethany House of Hospitality visit August 2016


Since I was a little person I remember gardening.  The feeling of having my hands in the soil and the grit under my fingernails still excites me.

The most basic of human needs - FOOD is often taken for granted.  Thank you to my family for teaching me how to plant and grow my own food.  In addition to sharing this with my daughter I have been fortunate enough to share this passion with others in the Trenton NJ region.

One of those people is Landscape Architect David Byers.  David and I have built several gardens in the Trenton area including the Community/Share Garden of the Bethany House of Hospitality.

Like most of my efforts, the garden at BHOH was the culmination of several partners looking to build a better community.

Recently I stopped by the former home of the Senior Paster of the Bethany Presbyterian Church to deliver some books to the #lbot Library Box and chatted with BHOH residents, David and Linda Konrad-Byers as they worked on expanding the garden.

Bethany House of Hospitality video
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O-In-A7LOnY

Bethany House of Hospitality Blogpost
https://bethanyhoh.wordpress.com/about/

Crisis Minstry of Mercer County Hanover Street Garden
http://www.trenton365.com/blog/2013/09/crisis-ministry-hanover-street-garden.html

Press
http://www.nj.com/mercer/index.ssf/2011/08/bethany_presbyterian_church_pa.html

http://myemail.constantcontact.com/Destination-Trenton-Newsletter---Aug--15-31st.html?soid=1103001796315&aid=025fO7GNBEI

http://www.iamtrenton.org/wp/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/I-Am-Trenton-2012-Funding-Announcement-Press-Release.pdf


A few images of a recent visit to the BHOH