Come for the Music, Stay for the Beer, Leave as an Elk

An interview with some of the folks behind the monthly Rent Party at the SO Elks.

Neighbor 2 Neighbor Share and Care Food Drive

Donated food was brought to local food pantries in need.

Rent Party, MEND and the South Orange Elks joined forces for a "Neighbor 2 Neighbor Share and Care Food Drive" on Saturday, March 9  to help support those in need in the South Orange - Maplewood communities. Volunteers collected, packed and delivered donated food to local food pantries. A special celebrity, Libell Duran,Miss NJ-USA stopped by to help out. Enjoy Patch's photos!

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Rent Party, MEND, Elks Team Up to Fight Hunger

Three local organizations join forces to feed needy SOMA residents on March 9.

  Rent Party, MEND and the South Orange Elks are teaming up for a "Neighbor 2 Neighbor Share and Care Food Drive" on Saturday, March 9 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. to help support those in need in the South Orange - Maplewood communities. "This is a challenging time of the year for the hungry in our community," said Rent Party founder Chris Dickson. "As the generosity of the holidays wane and winter expenses grow, many of our neighbors struggle with putting food on their table." The South Orange Elks (220 Prospect Street, South Orange) will be the drop-off point for donations. Donations will also be accepted online at www.rentpartylive.com; or by visiting You Give Goods at this link.  To volunteer to help out at the drive, email info@…

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South Orange Elks Host Turkey Drive on Saturday

Donations will benefit Community Food Bank of NJ

  The South Orange Elks Lodge will be a drop off site for the Community FoodBank of NJ's annual Holiday Turkey & Food Drive on Saturday. Organizers will be collecting the following items at 220 Prospect Street in South Orange, from 9 a.m. - 2 p.m. Please, no glass bottles or jars. The drive enables the FoodBank to provide holiday meals for those in need. There are 41 collection sites in seven counties. Online donations are also accepted. Download the collection site list here.

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An Interview with Maplewood's Ryan Burbank

"I plan on working hard so I can walk again," says Burbank, who will attend Saturday's "Ryan's Hope" benefit with his family.

Earlier this summer, 18-year-old Ryan Burbank -- a Maplewood resident and son of the township's Director of Public Works, Eric Burbank -- broke his C5 vertebrae in a pool accident, paralyzing him from the chest down. In September, Ryan returned home after a two-month stay at the Kessler Rehabilitation Institute in West Orange. On Saturday, HK Project and other friends are hosting "Ryan's Hope," a benefit to help the Burbank family (which also includes mother Carolyn and two brothers) with the purchase of a wheelchair van and alterations to their home. (The benefit is currently sold out; to make a donation visit the South Orange Elks webpage, or HK Project; click on the link that says “special instructions to seller” and type “Burbank”) On…

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Kick Off Fall with a Rockin' Rent Party Concert

James Maddock headlines the Sept. 14 concert with Rent Party. Proceeds will go to feed the hungry.

Rent Party, the monthly Friday night rock concert at the South Orange Elks Lodge that raises money for local food banks, will host a live show on Sept. 14 featuring James Maddock, with special guest Freddie Stevenson. The concert is from 8 p.m. to midnight, at 220 Prospect St., in South Orange. Tickets are $25 and are available at Maplewood Wine & Liquor at 3 Highland Place in Maplewood. "We're so excited to have James back," said Rent Party coordinator Chris Dickson. "His first Rent Party show was one that people still talk about and he was terrific at Maplewoodstock. This is a nice opportunity to see James an an incredibly intimate setting and it's all for a good cause."  Launched in 2009, the monthly Rent Party concerts have helped to …

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Chris Dickson

11:37 am on Thursday, September 13, 2012

James will be performing as duo with Dave Immergluck from Counting Crows ... Pretty cool, right? http://youtu.be/W98BdSoxsaQ   more ›

Ten Top August Maplewood Patch Stories

Here are a few of the stories that caught readers' attention last month in Maplewood

  Mother and Daughter Arrested in Drug Bust Maplewood Police detectives arrested a mother and daughter after searching their Academy Street home and seizing over a half pound of marijuana, prescription narcotic pills, and an undisclosed amount of cash last week, according to Police Chief Robert Cimino.   Shots Fired at South Orange Teens Two South Orange teenagers had shots fired at them in early August on Irvington Avenue, following an altercation with a driver of a car in Maplewood near the South Orange border. The teenagers were not injured; however, two houses in South Orange were struck and damaged.    Community Rallies Around Local Family Earlier this summer, Eric Burbank's 18-year-old son Ryan broke his C5 vertebrae in a pool …

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Community Rallies Around Local Family

After a pool accident leaves a young man paralyzed, organizations lead fundraising drives.

  Eric Burbank, director of Maplewood's Department of Public Works, is responsible for everything related to the town's infrastructure, including maintaining roads, sidewalks, parks and trees and overseeing garbage collection, snow removal and recycling. When Burbank was appointed director in 2009 after working his way through the ranks, then-Deputy Mayor Fred Profeta called him "the best public servant I've ever run into."  Earlier this summer, Burbank's 18-year-old son Ryan broke his C5 vertebrae in a pool accident, paralyzing him from the chest down. Now, two local non-profit organizations, the South Orange Elks and HK Community Fund, are coordinating fundraising efforts to assist the Burbank family.  To prepare for Ryan's transition …

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