Hispanic Heritage Festivities Begin

New Community Corp. will be sponsoring a Hispanic Heritage Festival that will include the presentation of flags from Hispanic countries as well as music and food Friday from 1 to 4 pm. The event will be held at the New Community Commons Senior Center, 140 South Orange Ave. The celebration is part of Hispanic Heritage Month, which is observed in October.

Newark-based Prudential will be hosting several projects this weekend as part of the financial services firm’s 19th Annual Global Volunteer Day. Here’s a round-up of projects planned for the next few days:

Oct. 4

·         Career Day – Covenant House (330 Washington St.) - Hosting a Career Day event for local youth. The focus of the day will be to help prepare at risk youth (ranging from 17 to 21 years old) in their initial job search efforts. 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

·         Youth Center Clean Up – (North Jersey Community Research Initiative, 393 Central Ave.) -  Volunteers will assist in tasks to help maintain the community drop-in center for the North Jersey Community Research Initiative, New Jersey’s largest and most comprehensive HIV/AIDS community-based organization.  The center provides opportunities for the youth to socialize and build supportive networks while learning new prevention skills in a safe space

Oct. 5

·         Branch Brook Park Cleanup – Branch Brook Park - Volunteers will assist in the beautification of Branch Brook Park. Tasks include debris and trash removal, mulching, weeding, planting and raking. 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

·         Educators Open House – The Newark Museum (49 Washington St) – Volunteers, in conjunction with the Newark Museum and the Boys and Girls Club, will  facilitate experiments that highlight Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics. Educators from across the state will participate in hands-on activities ranging from experiments using low-cost everyday items to demonstrations with state-of-the-art technologies using robots, with the goal of re-creating these experiments in the classroom.   Over 15 projects.  9:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.

·         Volunteering at United Vailsburg Services Organization - (40 Richelieu Terrace) –  Volunteers will help this local human services agency that specializes in  special transportation, infant, preschool, and school-age child care centers, a summer day camp, a teen center, a senior citizen center, housing development and community and parent organizing programs for residents of the Vailsburg Neighborhood. 9:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.

·         Volunteering at FOCUS Hispanic Center – (441 Broad Street) - Volunteers will participate in a facility rehab and maintenance project at the FOCUS Senior Center. For over 45 years, FOCUS has led the way in research, raising awareness and providing services for Newark’s poor. 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.