Commission chair praises VOTEC students, highlights new school-based health center and local drives

The chair opened the meeting and recognized students from Somerset County VOTEC for staging their 19th annual "Proud to Be an American Day," saying the event honors Gold Star families and that students plan the event from start to finish. "We were able to have a flyover. The army said no due to the weather, but the marines came through," the chair said, urging fellow veterans to support next year’s 20th anniversary.

The chair said the VOTEC program has faced funding threats but that she has committed personally to help fund next year’s event and encouraged others to contribute. She described the event’s outreach to Gold Star families — "a membership club that nobody wants to belong to" — and called the students’ work "phenomenal."

The chair also noted the Bridgewater Senior Center celebrated its 10th anniversary and was filled to capacity, praising active programming for local seniors. She announced the Commission on the Status of Women is collecting feminine-hygiene products for five more days at Bridgewater, Manville, Somerville, Hillsborough and Warren libraries and reported last year’s donations exceeded about 100 pounds to food banks.

Reporting on local health services, the chair said she attended a May 13 event marking Zufall Health’s opening of its first school-based community health center in Franklin Township. She said Zufall is one of New Jersey’s federally qualified health centers and that a family foundation donated $25,000 to sponsor an exam room.

The meeting proceeded to other agenda items after the announcements; the chair closed the public portion and adjourned the meeting at about 6:15 p.m.