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BOARD OF TRUSTEES

James Rogers
President, Executive

Rev. C. John Thompson-Quartey
Vice President, Executive

Patricia Downing
Treasurer

Joann Parisi
Secretary, Executive

Mary Cranwell
Past President, Executive

Tom Chant
Trustee

Suzanne Jogensen
Trustee

Rita Kearney
Trustee

Marian Muoio
Trustee

Connie Pascale
Trustee

Amy Van Pelt
Trustee

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IHNOC, Inc.
253 Chestnut Street

Toms River, N.J. 08753

For more information: Please contact our office at 732-736-1550 or email officeihn@aol.com.

COMMUNITY LINKS

NJ Craig's List
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OC Dept of Human Services 
Food Bank of Ocean County
Community Resource Website

Visit With a Volunteer
(Continued from Homepage)

 
sary to be a success in her chosen field of psychotherapy. Mel is a licensed counselor who works part-time at the Commission for the Blind in New Brunswick. She also has a private practice in Wall Township in which she specializes in forgiveness therapy and treatment of anxiety disorders. Mel teaches forgiveness therapy courses in private venues, like churches and clubs. She is also on the Executive Board of the New Jersey Counseling Association, to which licensed counselors belong.

While she spends a great deal of time and energy on her vocation, Mel loves to hang out at home and on the beach with her family and two Golden Retrievers. In the winter, skiing and hiking are pastimes, while tennis is a favorite in the summer. She and her family enjoy their cabin on Catskill State Forest, NY, where Mel serves on a community board and is involved with historical projects. She tells close encounters with bears breaking into her car, napping on her deck and looking in her window after eating the dog's food on the porch! Guess who was NOT invited to dinner?

Speaking of food, Mel loves her kitchen and is a great cook. Recent culinary achievements were veal osso bucco, chicken pot pies, shrimp with penne pasta and the ever-popular chocolate chip cookies and banana cake. No wonder Mel and her family entertain so many family and friends in Brielle and in the mountains. 

Mel's favorite books are The Lord of the Rings Trilogy by Tolkien and Rabbi Harold Kushner's "morsels of wisdom" as found in his books like Living a Life That Matters and How Good Do We Have to Be? Historical fiction and Oprah's recommended reading are also at the top of her reading lists.

Continuing to reach out to others, Mel and her family have adopted a US soldier in Iraq or Afghanistan through "Operation Shoebox." They correspond with this person and send boxes of goodies so that he or she knows that folks at home remember and care. Interested in more information? Go to Operation Shoebox

Whether working with church or community-based activities, Mel Bennett is an outstanding volunteer. Interfaith Hospitality Network solutes you, Mel!