Local volunteers open their hearts, homes

Many people living in Middlesex County may take for granted the summer recreational opportunities available to them.

Local residents can visit parks in just about any municipality, including Kennedy Park in Sayreville, the new Raritan Bay Waterfront Park on the Sayreville/South Amboy border and Thompson Park in Monroe and Jamesburg — just to name a few.

Aside from the obvious places in their area, Middlesex County residents also have the luxury of living a short drive away from the Jersey shore.

However, not everyone in the metropolitan area has that luxury.

That is why it is encouraging to see local residents volunteering their time, hearts and, in some cases, their homes for children who live in the city.

For the second year in a row, the Hutchisons in South River have opened their home to two sisters from Brooklyn, N.Y., for a two-week stay. The South River High School teachers act as a host family through the Fresh Air Fund.

And there are more families just like them.

In addition, Cheesequake State Park is once again working with youth from Newark with the Summer Outreach Fishing Program. The program is in conjunction with the Division of Recreation and Cultural Affairs of Newark and the New Jersey Division of Fish and Wildlife.

Included among the many volunteers who are donating their time to the program are two teen-age boys who are helping bait hooks, and a husband-and-wife team who organized the event.

With these volunteer efforts, summer vacation has taken on a new meaning.