Call for Volunteers
Lawrenceville Main Street is looking for enthusiastic volunteers to help transform the village’s downtown into a winter wonderland on Saturday, November 22.
Join us for a fun morning of community spirit as we prepare for the holiday season. Volunteers will help decorate the beautiful tree in the Weeden Park Gazebo, use our golf cart to fill baskets along Main Street with festive winter greens and bows, and get our downtown ready for Santa’s arrival at Weeden Park on the evening of Saturday, November 29.
Ages 14 and up can volunteer independently. Families with younger children are welcome (adult supervision required). Proof of service hours will be provided for students who need them. Sign up today at tinyurl.com/holidayonmain2025.
Celebrating its 25th year, the YWCA Princeton’s St. Nicholas Project is seeking some helpful “elves” to keep the magic of the holidays alive by providing presents to local families in the community. Open to everyone — including individuals, families, community groups, and local businesses — the St. Nicholas Project allows a meaningful opportunity for individuals to “become St. Nicholas” by choosing to sponsor a large or small family or an individual, with options available to fit any budget.
The St. Nicholas Project was founded in 2000 by Jill Jachera to help families in need in the Princeton community, many of whom are new immigrant families. This issue is close to Jachera’s heart as her husband is an immigrant who came to this country at four years old from Cuba with no money, no English-speaking skills, and one suitcase of clothes for his entire family. “Even though he was only four, he still remembers the acts of kindness that made his family feel welcome when they started in this country. We want to pay it forward and do the same for immigrant families and those in similar situations throughout Princeton,” Jachera states.
The project also holds a personal meaning for Jachera, as it is named in memory of her nephew, Nicholas Nutile, who was killed in an automobile accident in 2001. Each year, she continues to lead the drive, encouraging businesses and individuals to join in the effort to enrich the lives of local families and as a way to strengthen the community.
Participants will be provided with a “wish list” for a particular family and/or individual in need. Gifts should be new and unwrapped. All items must be dropped off on Tuesday, December 16, between 8 a.m. and noon at the YWCA Princeton’s circular driveway in front of the building, located at 59 Paul Robeson Place.
To adopt a family as “St. Nicholas,” make a contribution, or learn more about how to get involved, please contact Jill Jachera at jill.jachera@gmail.com by Monday, November 24. Please be sure to include your current contact information (name, email address, and phone number) when reaching out.
For those who wish to give but cannot shop, tax-deductible donations may be made directly to YWCA Princeton by indicating the gift is for the St. Nicholas Project. In addition to toys, food, and clothing, contributions toward educational tuition through the YWCA Princeton’s Burke Foundation Early Childhood Center are also greatly appreciated.
Call for Donations
Youth musicians and artists of Harmony123 invite donations of food, winter clothing, and money to support Sprout U School of the Arts. More than 80 percent of students’ families of Sprout U were affected by the recent SNAP disruption caused by the government shutdown.
“Kids and parents were skipping meals and going hungry. The disruption exposed deep food insecurity among the families,” said Danielle Miller-Winrow, headmaster of Sprout U School of the Arts in Trenton. “As Thanksgiving draws near, many families worry about not being able to put food on the table. They really need your help.”
Upon an urgent plea for help by Miller-Winrow, on November 9. 2025, Harmony123 deployed its Emergency Response Fund to purchase and distribute emergency food to students’ families of Sprout U.
“This only provided an emergency supply for a few short days for a few families in need,” said Harmony123 Regional Head of US Northeast Justin Tang, who leads the drives, “as Thanksgiving and winter is coming, the families need more food and winter clothing. Your help is critical.”
Harmony123 is accepting donations of food and winter clothing from on Sunday, November 23, from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Mercer County Community College James Kerney Campus Gallery, 102 North Broad Street, Trenton. It is also accepting monetary donations online at www.zeffy.com/en-US/donation-form/urgently-calling-food-angels-stop-hunger-and-help-the-families.
Sprout U School of the Arts is a performing arts school in Trenton founded in 2001 by Miller-Winrow and her late husband, Joseph Winrow, educating children from preschool through high school.
The donation drive is organized by Harmony123, a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization with youth musicians and artists in 10 U.S. states and five countries. “Harmony123 has led many initiatives to support charitable causes, including a successful Harmony for Hope International Charity Concert to benefit Sprout U this past July with over 60 performers from six states and three countries,” said Harmony123 president and co-founder Ethan Zhang. All Harmony123 members, officers, and board members are volunteers who receive no compensation. 100% of donations goes to support charity.
“Sprout U needs your support!” said Tang. “Please donate all that you can and ensure that the students at Sprout U have enough nourishment to focus on their studies.”
For more information about the donation drive, visit www.harmony123.org/food-drive-2025.html.
For more information about Sprout U School of the Arts, visit www.sproutuschoolofthearts.org.
Community Thanksgiving
The Princeton Clergy Association and the Princeton University Office of Religious Life are collaborating to provide a Community Thanksgiving Service to be held on Monday, November 24, at 7 p.m. at the Princeton University Chapel.
This multifaith worship service is open to all members of Princeton University and the wider community. Clergy and faith leaders from around Princeton lead this service of giving thanks in unity. Organist Dr. Kerry Heimann, director of music at Trinity Episcopal Cathedral, Trenton, plays a prelude and postlude and leads the congregation in hymn singing. The Trenton Children’s Chorus, coordinated by Josh Wilson and directed by Kristin Schenk and Desiree Melegrito, join to enrich the musical selections this year.
The offerings at the service will go to support organizations that all work to provide a more unified and enriched community in Mercer County. The monetary offering will support the Department of Religious Ministries at Penn Medicine Princeton Health and the Trenton Children’s Chorus. Attendees are also urged to bring nonperishable canned or boxed food as a donation to Arm in Arm, as there is an increased need for food assistance this year.
For those who cannot attend in person, there will be a livestream of the service that can be accessed by selecting the Thanksgiving Service at: www.youtube.com/officeofreligiouslifeprinceton.
Talking Turkey
The City of Trenton has announced its annual Thanksgiving Turkey Giveaway, taking place on Monday, November 24, beginning at noon and continuing while supplies last. Residents are encouraged to arrive early and bring their own bags for pickup.
This annual tradition ensures that families across Trenton are supported during the holiday season and able to enjoy a Thanksgiving meal. Turkeys will be distributed at three locations citywide to increase accessibility for residents:
Unity Square Park – Hamilton and Chestnut avenues.
West Ward Rec Center – 351 Prospect Street.
George Page Park – North Clinton Avenue and Lawrence Street.
For more information about upcoming events and programs, visit www.trentonnj.org/rec.
