News from Project Self-Sufficiency

  The lives of longtime friends Richard “Dick” Kowal and Michael “Mickey” Hunt were recently honored with a Day of Service at varied locations in Sussex County, New Jersey, and Port Jervis, New York.   The pair died tragically in a boating accident in 2021.   Both men lived exemplary lives of service to their community, mentoring students and offering advice to young and old.   Hunt was a self-employed mason contractor who became a general contractor and partnered with Kowal on numerous projects for decades.   Kowal served as construction supervisor in the building of non-profit organization Project Self-Sufficiency’s four-building Newton campus, eventually taking on the role of Facilities Manager.   He oversaw the agency’s building and grounds while mentoring hundreds of teens and young adults through the New Jersey Youth Corps program for high school dropouts.     “We are honored to continue the tradition of an annual Day of Service in ...

Hilltop Country Day School Students   To honor the memory of the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King recently, students from the Hilltop Country Day School preschool class participated in a service project designed to help local children in need.   The students created gift bags brimming with all the supplies needed for a festive birthday party and donated the Birthday Party Bags to the students at the Little Sprouts Early Learning Center, the early childhood development facility operated by Project Self-Sufficiency in Newton.   Hilltop Country Day School parents donated cake mix, icing, baking cups, sprinkles, candles, balloons, blank  birthday  cards and small  birthday  backpacks filled with coloring books, crayons, and playdoh.  Christine De Stefano, Hilltop Country Day School Preschool Teacher, explained, “We wanted the children to participate in a service project to honor the kindness and compassion of Dr. Martin Luther KIng, Jr. ...