Visit CEA at Lowe's

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February 20, 2010
9:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.
150 State Route Route 31, Flemington NJ

Lowe's will conduct a How-To Clinic to benefit the
MUSCULAR DYSTROPHY ASSOCIATION

Clinics will include:

HOW TO:
Weather Strip Windows and Doors
Patch and Repair Drywall
Install Swiftlock Laminate Flooring
Paint an Interior Room
Install Wire Shelving
Replace a Faucet
Install a Programmable Thermostat
Install Floor Tile
Faux Paint
Repot a Plant

CEA is supporting this event through a small donation and will have a table set up there with some tasty samples from The CEA Cafe'.

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New name! Expanded services! CEA Packaging!

New name! Expanded services! CEA Packaging! What used to be the Center for Educational Service’s Packaging & Products Group has now become CEA Packaging. Along with the name change are multiple upgrades to include: streamlining and expansion of services to accommodate an increase in the number of clients served, the addition of new state of the art machinery, a new Media Packet detailing the services and introducing the new name. We look forward to re-Grand Opening soon. Be on the look out for an announcement of that. In the meantime:

CEA Packaging has been working with O.Berk Packaging Systems to help them
re-cap and salvage product. O.Berk was founded in 1910 and currently serves over 3,500 top consumer brands in the household, beauty and pharmaceutical industries through a regional and national distribution network. We have re-capped 20,000 tubes for O.Berk already and we are expecting another 20,000 this week. CEA continues to build a quality reputation as the go-to source for re-cap, salvage, and cull and sort for the plastics and injection molding industries.

To learn more about our re-work capabilities for your industry, contact Jim Cavanagh at 908-310-1296, or for general information about CEA Packaging or to take a tour of the facility, please contact Nancy Vargas, Vice President, Operations, at (908) 782-1480 Ext. 250 or e-mail nvargas@ceaemplyment.com.

Teddy Bears Get Dressed For The Holidays

In early December, Spring Run School teamed up with Telcordia Pioneers in an effort to dress teddy bears that were distributed to children in need, physically and/or financially, for the holidays. Telcordia Pioneers, a volunteer network has maintained this project for many years. They purchase teddy bears and then have individual volunteers select attire and dress a bear to their liking. Some bears may therefore be dressed in sporting wear while others may don a hand-crocheted dress. The outfit selections are as diverse as our population making each bear as unique as can be. Once outfitted, bears are given to children in need through such organizations as Helping Hands which helps parents who cannot afford to give presents to their children, C.A.S.A. for children in the court system, Piscataway P.B.A. for distribution to Ronald McDonald House and foster children, St. Claire’s In-Patient Pediatric Unit and Children’s Crisis Intervention Service.

Telecordia originally purchased over 300 bears for this project, and then due to an overwhelming response, they had to order 150 more. The students and staff of Spring Run School (SRS), a private secondary special education school in Flemington, NJ, dressed 25 bears. Outside of the Pioneers, Spring Run was the largest group involved. Everyone who dressed a bear had an enjoyable time doing so. There was a particular challenge in finding clothing that fits a teddy bear appropriately. Baby clothing, doll clothing or homemade outfits work best. Then, is the task of having your gift bear reflect a little something of the giver. The bear may become a princess, a cowboy, a baby, or holiday themed in seasonal colors. Either way, they all delight the children who receive them! Rosemary Bahrenburg, Life Member Project Leader with Telecordia Pioneers pointed out how the recipients are “amazed that total strangers are thinking of them at Christmas.” She also resounds gratitude to John Ritchie, Principal at SRS, Linda Harris, and Ann King for their efforts in the success of this project.

Pictured with the bears they dressed at Spring Run School in Flemington, NJ: Justin, Yeris, Sarah, Kemar and ______. 12/2009

For more information about Spring Run School, please contact John Ritchie, Principal, (908) 782-1480 Ext. 226 or e-mail jritchie@ceaemployment.com.

Gary H., Extended Employee at Center for Educational Advancement recently graduated from Partners In Policymaking, Class of 2009. ‘Partners in Policymaking’ is a leadership-training program for people with developmental disabilities and their family members. It is a scholarship program sponsored by The New Jersey Council on Developmental Disabilities. The goal of this program is to partner with lawmakers in New Jersey to assist in systemic change for people with developmental disabilities.
Each year approximately 20 to 25 candidates are selected for this 8-month program, attending one weekend each month. A specific topic is covered each month that has been reviewed by leading experts to prepare for the legislative portion of the program. Topics include: The History of Developmental Disabilities, Community Organizing, and Transitioning, just to name a few. Program participants make contact with their local legislators to provide resource information regarding developmental disability issues.
Gary was one of 24 participants to graduate in the 2009 class. He was selected through Hunterdon County’s ARC program. Gary plans to continue to be a voice for those who have been historically unheard. He will be focusing on ‘The R Word Campaign’, supported by Special Olympics International and Best Buddies International. He has been in touch with his legislator regarding this campaign to “Spread The Word To End The Word” and hopes to see a bill eventually passed for the ‘R’ word.
Gary is an Extended Employee with Center for Education in Flemington. He works in the packaging department doing general assembly tasks. In an interview with Gary he explained how the Partners in Policymaking class went to Trenton and were able to talk to their legislators at the State House. He described them as “friendly” and said they really seemed to be “listening”. He told his local legislators how important it was for “people to work, and not sit around like a bump on a log.” Gary is certainly no bump-on-a-log as represented by his over 20 years of service with CEA Packaging. For most of those years he worked on the ‘juice line’ where, as he explained, he would “run packages of boxed juices into a machine that would wrap them, and bring them to the other side to be packed, stacked on the skid (pallet), and shrink wrapped”. He expressed how much he enjoyed keeping busy with that work, but with CEA’s recent loss of that major account, he now finds himself too often waiting for some work. Gary’s interests outside of work are gardening. Prior to coming to CEA he worked with his father in a greenhouse. He especially enjoys growing pansies and vegetables like cucumbers, eggplant and peppers. He is anxiously waiting for springtime to have his gardening skills put to use again, while also awaiting the arrival of new work at CEA.
For more information about CEA’s Employment Services Group please contact Joanne Kunz, Vice President, at (908) 782-1480 Ext. 230 or e-mail at jkunz@ceaemplyment.com.
For more information about CEA Packaging please contact Nancy Vargas, Vice President, Operations, at (908) 782-1480 or e-mail at nvaragas@ceaemployment.com.