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Promoting Independence

The Progressive Center for Independent Living offers an impressive array of free or low-cost programs to help people with disabilities find support and gain confidence to live more independently.
Renee Pfaff, the center’s Department Manager, outlined the agency’s programs at our meeting on April 17 and with summer around the corner highlighted their “Sunshine Scholarship” providing up to $400 in financial aid to eligible families in Mercer County for licensed summer enrichment programs. To apply by May 15 for the scholarship, visit pcil.org/sunshinescholarship and for general info about the agency see pcil.org.

Learning Something Every Meeting

One of the cool things about our Rotary meetings - besides the getting together with friends and the reminders of the community service we provide - is that you learn something new each week.
On April 3, we learned about Share My Meals, a Princeton-based nonprofit that has figured out how to safely provide excess prepared food to people in need around the state - food that would have been wasted and sent to a landfill for disposal. For info, visit sharemymeals.org.
We also learned about the talents and activities of our newest set of Students of the Month - Zuriela Pindo, Nottingham; and Daniel Savoca and Shayan Chatterjee, Robbinsville.

Books Donated to Happy Smiles

Our club on March 27 presented the local Happy Smiles Foundation with 100 books as part of their 3rd Annual Dr. Seuss Birthday Book Drive. Rotarian Carlo Vitale, President and Co-Founder of Happy Smiles, accepted the books from Janice Miller, who coordinated the collection for our club. In total, Happy Smiles has collected more than 1,500 books this year for distribution at various schools and community partner locations. At the events, Carlo (dressed as the Cat in the Hat) and team read to the children and hand out books, demonstrating their foundation’s motto “a new era of kindness.”

Center Makes Clean Water a Priority

To learn about the environment and clean water in our area, pay a visit to the Watershed Center in Hopewell Township. While there you can explore live animal exhibits and interactive displays in their state-of-the-art green building and discover the joy of nature on more than 10 miles of winding trails.
At our Rotary meeting on March 27, we heard from Jim Waltman, executive director of the Center’s Watershed Institute, about their work in protecting our local water sources and the role we can all play in keeping our waters clean, safe and healthy.
For more information and to plan your visit, check out thewatershed.org.

8,000 Meals Packed in Two Hours

Our team of 8 Rotarians along with a group from NJM and a couple of individual volunteers filled 20 Gaylord containers at the Mercer Street Friends Food Bank on March 26 - translating to about 8,000 meals! All in a tidy two hours. Community service and camaraderie - a great Rotary combination.

Archer Aims for Club Involvement

Carl Archer of Archer Law Office in Hamilton was sworn in on March 13 as the newest member to our club.
Carl and his law firm, based in Hamilton and serving Central New Jersey, has been a long-time financial supporter of the club. He is a Gold level sponsor as a Friend of Rotary and has sponsored the Club’s Flags for Heroes initiative each autumn.

Carl said he is looking forward to getting involved in the Club’s service projects.

Students, Online Studies Featured at Meeting

It was an education theme at our Rotary meeting on March 6 as we heard from a dynamic group of Students of the Month and learned of the unique role filled by Thomas Edison State University (TESU).
The students - Betsy Jimenez, Hamilton West; Mack Scherer, Steinert; and Katherine Wagner, Nottingham - told us of their activities in and out of school that left us wondering how they could possibly fit it all in. (Our student from Robbinsville H.S. was on a school trip and will be recognized next month)
Dr. Dennis Devery, Vice President for Enrollment Management at TESU, informed us of the history, prominent alumni and accommodating role of the 11,000-student, almost exclusively online university.
For more on the school’s extensive list of offerings, visit tesu.edu.

Nonprofit Summit on Tap

Local residents can interact with more 35 nonprofit organizations at the Rotary Club of Robbinsville Hamilton 2026 Nonprofit Summit on Saturday, March 14 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at RWJ Conference Center, 3100 Quakerbridge Road in Hamilton.

The summit is free of charge and open to all.

“For those who want to know what volunteer opportunities are out there, this summit provides the perfect match,” said Rotarian Tom Park, co-chair of the event. “Our Rotary Club is pleased to offer the chance to learn about and get involved with groups doing good works in our area.”

“If you have that urge to give back, here’s a place to find your cause. No experience necessary - just a heart for service,” said event co-chair, Rotarian Kalpana Patel.

‘Looking for Something Just Like This…’

With a pace of more than one new member a month, our club on February 27 welcomed our newest member, Jean Mantuano.
Jean has lived in the Hamilton area for more than 35 years and spent her career primarily in the biopharma industry, managing internal and external communications.
After being sworn in, she told club members, “Everyone has made me feel so welcome. I was looking for something just like this where I could give back to the community, where I could meet other folks in the community…”
Jean volunteers with several animal rescue organizations, including Trenton Cats Rescue, Brookline Labrador Retriever Rescue and Hamilton Animal Shelter. In addition to her love of animals, Jean enjoys gardening, cooking, traveling and knitting. Welcome, Jean!

Lots Happening at the Wilson Center

At our club meeting on February 27, our guest speaker told us about the variety of programs offered by the John O. Wilson Hamilton Neighborhood Center.
Peter Damiri, the center’s Director of Programs and Services, said that while the center’s food pantry and rent and utility assistance programs are need-based, its many youth, senior, health and support services are open to the general public. For more information visit jowilsoncenter.org.

After the meeting, a team of Rotarians volunteered at the Mercer Street Friends Food Bank, packing food for those in need. Another Rotary team participated the day before.

What’s Rotary?

Past Club President Kalpana Patel brought us back to our roots at our February 13 meeting, providing a mini-tutorial on Rotary and how our Robbinsville/Hamilton club fits into a global network of 1.2 million neighbors, friends, and leaders volunteering skills and resources to meet community and international challenges.
Or as one Rotarian put it, if you’re looking to mix good deeds with good company, Rotary is a place for you.
To learn more about Rotary and membership, check out the links on this site. And come to one of our weekly Friday, 7:30 a.m. meetings at the RWJ Fitness and Wellness Center in Hamilton. You’ll feel welcome.

All the Meeting’s a Stage

It was a three-act performance at our Rotary meeting on February 6.
Our Students of the Month opened for us, followed by the artistic director/manager of Kelsey Theatre at Mercer, and finally by an impromptu skit by some of our members and guests.
This month’s students are Brooke DeWitt, Steinert; Jack Hanson, Robbinsville; Tracey Louis-Jean, Nottingham; and Saskyra Michelle Paul, Hamilton West. They each took the podium to dazzle us their extensive activities in and out of school and their plans for the future.
Kelsey Theatre’s Kitty Getlik was on next to give us a history of her gem of a venue and a rundown of the programs and shows it offers and the stars it has produced.
She then brought out the acting skills of audience members in a skit involving the transfer of bags containing imaginary items ranging from a just-quieted baby to 200 pounds of gold bars. For more on Kelsey programming, visit kelsey.mccc.edu.

New Member a Rotary Veteran

Robin Palmer Burton is bringing a rich Rotary resume to our club.
Robin was sworn in on February 6 as our 10th new member in this Rotary year.
She’s been a Rotarian in other clubs for 20 years. Robin recently received a Rotary high honor - her fourth Paul Harris Fellow recognition - for leading 20 students on a three-week Rotary District trip to Japan last summer.
A former Steinert High School Rotary Interact club member, she has served in several Rotary leadership positions and has led youth on mission trips throughout the U.S. and internationally.
Professionally, Robin taught kindergarten in the Hamilton school system for 10 years before feeling a call to ministry, serving churches in New Jersey and three other states. Welcome, Robin!

Schools Superintendent Joins Club

Our club’s partnership with Robbinsville schools took a big step forward on January 30 with the swearing in of Robbinsville Schools Superintendent Patrick Pizzo as our newest member.
After accepting his club pin from sponsor Marilyn Silverman, Dr. Pizzo said he looks forward to expanding on a “great partnership” going forward.
In addition to his role as Superintendent, Dr. Pizzo serves as an Adjunct Professor at Stony Brook University, Education Chair of the NAACP Hempstead Branch, President of Equity 4 LI Youth, and previously as a member of the New York State Special Legislative Task Force to Combat Antisemitism.
He becomes our ninth new member in this Rotary year, continuing a surge in membership as word spreads about our club’s camaraderie and service to the community.

Group Serves as ‘eharmony’ of Foster Community

One of the ways New Jersey Angels is making a difference with children, youth and families in the foster care community is by matching them with mentors who have the “passion and compassion” to help.
“I describe us as the ‘eharmony’ of the community. We take people whose paths might not normally cross and put them in each other’s way,” said Kelly Kenny, a founding vice president of the New Jersey chapter of the National Angels organization.
Kelly spoke to our club on January 30 about the organization’s work, including the Dare to Dream one-on-one mentoring program for youth ages 11-22 that involves as little as two hours a month of a volunteer’s time, yet makes a meaningful impact. To learn more, visit newjerseyangels.org.

Rotarians at Work

Our trusty crew of volunteers packed bags of food on January 22 that filled seven pallets and will yield 2,240 meals for distribution by the Mercer Street Friends Food Bank. This monthly activity is one of the ways our club is helping to combat food insecurity in our area.
Meanwhile, the last batch of the nearly 5,000 pairs of socks donated as part of our joint Socktober campaign with schools was delivered on January 21 to the Salvation Army in Trenton. Thanks again to all who contributed.

Winter Survival Kits Delivered to Rescue Mission

Thank you to our community members for helping us collect Winter Survival Kit items for the Rescue Mission of Trenton. Club members assembled the kits of clothing, hygiene items and non-perishable food after our meeting on January 16 and delivered huge box-fulls to the Rescue Mission.
Special thanks to program coordinator Marie Howard and assistant Sharon Lucidi and to Mary Jane Diener, who crocheted 125 scarves for the kits, adding to the hundreds she has made in previous years for the collection.

Working Together to Help Families

A team effort by the Robbinsville Hamilton and Princeton Corridor Rotary Clubs to provide 47 baskets of turkey dinner supplies and gift cards for turkeys to benefit families served by HomeFront.
The Robbinsville Hamilton Rotarians, led by Lauri Harbison and Tom Park, loaded the laundry baskets and attached gift certificates after the November 21 Rotary meeting. An assembly line of volunteers packed the baskets with non-perishable food items purchased at discount prices from our friends at Foley's Family Market in Hamilton.
Thanks to all involved and Happy Thanksgiving everyone.

Historian Outlines NJ’s Key Role in Revolution

Rotarian Joe Bellina, who arranges our guest speakers each week, could not have been more timely in scheduling our presenter for November 21.
With Ken Burns’ “The American Revolution” concluding that evening on PBS (you can still stream all episodes on PBS.org), historian Roger S. Williams - dressed to the part and likely the first person to use a sword as a pointer at a Rotary meeting - gave us an insightful look at New Jersey’s pivotal role during the Revolutionary War.
“There were more battles and skirmishes fought in New Jersey than any other state,” Roger said.
The site of our Rotary meeting - the RWJ Fitness and Wellness Center on Quakerbridge Road in Hamilton - is coincidentally along the route Washington took to surprise the enemy in Princeton after the Second Battle of Trenton - bolstering the patriot cause.
For more, visit TenCrucialDays.org.

MCMAC Sending Heroes Home for the Holidays

Our Rotary Club on November 21 presented the Mercer County Military Action Council with a $5,000 donation - almost all of which will be used for MCMAC’s Send a Hero Home for the Holidays program.
The funds are part of the proceeds from our annual Flags for Heroes display.
MCMAC officials Regina Arcuri and Gregory Kruse said their program has provided financial support to between 250 and 300 junior enlisted military personnel each year to return home for the holidays.
Also at the meeting, we welcomed our newest member, Steven Servillo, sponsored by Club Vice President Chris Merlino. Welcome, Steve!

First EarlyAct Club Inducts New Members

The first school to establish a Rotary EarlyAct service club back in 1998 - Morgan Elementary in Hamilton - inducted its 2025-26 EarlyAct 5th Grade officers and members on November 13 as the school’s 4th graders cheered them on.
The 18 EarlyAct students are continuing a proud tradition at Morgan - the school whose example of student leadership and kindness prompted the creation of EarlyAct clubs around the world.
So far this year, the Morgan EarlyAct club has held a popcorn sale to benefit the school, and on November 14 will do a walkathon to raise additional funds for the American Diabetes Association, an effort that had already generated $575.

Meanwhile, the EarlyAct Club at Greenwood Elementary School in Hamilton installed its officer during a school assembly on November 25.
The students recited the EarlyAct pledge and announced that a key project this year will be “Greenwood Celebrates America’s 250th Birthday.”

Ceremony Celebrates Flags for Heroes

More than 100 community members, local and state officials and others joined the Rotary Club of Robbinsville Hamilton on November 8 in celebrating the range of heroes reflected in the 2025 Flags for Heroes display on the grounds of Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital Hamilton.
Under glorious skies, Rotary Club President Stan Plytynski thanked the flag sponsors and welcomed a series of speakers who joined him in paying tribute to heroes in all forms, from veterans and active military members to doctors and nurses working only a parking lot away.
Hamilton Mayor Jeff Martin, State Police Lt. Luis Salgado, Mercer County Military Action Council Chair Regina Arcuri, and hospital Chief Administrative Officer Lisa Breza also spoke during the ceremony.

A Freshness to the Meeting

Everything was new at our Rotary Club meeting on November 7.
We have a new venue for our Friday meetings - RWJ Fitness and Wellness Center on Quakerbridge Road in Hamilton.
We had a new set of Students of the Month - impressive as always.
And we got a new perspective on how children and others deal with grief from our guest speaker, Chris Heiss, Executive Director of Good Grief.
Our Students of the Month - Ava Iorio, Hamilton West; Aurora Bergren, Nottingham; and Cameron Braud, Steinert - gave us a rundown of their activities in and out of school.
Chris Heiss described the programs offered by Good Grief that provide support for young people and other family members dealing with major loss. For more information, visit good-grief.org.

EarlyAct Clubs Ready to Go - Including a New One!

Rotary EarlyAct Club service programs are gearing up this fall in four Hamilton elementary schools.
Last week, McGalliard Elementary became the latest school in the township to form an EarlyAct program to promote community service and leadership among its students.
Also, the George E. Wilson Elementary School installed 17 officers who will lead the entire 4th Grade in EarlyAct activities in its fourth year.
Morgan Elementary and Greenwood Elementary will officially start this year’s programs shortly.
Congratulations to all of the participating schools, students and advisors, and to our club’s EarlyAct coordinator Kalpana Patel.

A ‘Wheel' Big Success

A whopping total of 161 bikes in all conditions and sizes were donated in our Rotary’s Club’s 2025 bike drive on October 18 at Friendly’s in Robbinsville.
The bikes will be fixed up and sold by the BGC Bike Exchange with the proceeds going to the Boys and Girls Club of Mercer County.
Thank you to all who donated bikes and to the Robbinsville Township Police Department, Friendly’s, Bruno’s Bicycles in Allentown, Economy Bikes in Hamilton, the Robbinsville Public Works Department, the BGC Bike Exchange and our Rotary volunteers, particularly organizer Bill Boyles, and Steve Woods and George Ott, who loaned their trucks for the cause.

Club Receives ‘Pay it Forward’ Award

Thank you to Robbinsville Township and Mayor Dave Fried for honoring the Rotary Club of Robbinsville Hamilton with a 2025 Pay it Forward Award “in appreciation for extraordinary community support.”
It was nice to hear the mayor refer to our club as “a beacon for all of us to follow” and a “treasured” partner with the township.
It’s been our pleasure for 33 years to put “service above self” for our communities.

Addiction Doesn’t Discriminate, Speaker Says

Recovery Advocates of America reminded us at our meeting on October 17 that addiction affects people “from Park Avenue to park bench.”
If you or someone you love is impacted by substance use disorder you can contact Recovery Advocates at 1-888-360-7788 for assistance or visit their website at recoveryadvocates.org.
Our club presented Recovery Advocates with a $1,000 donation. The non-profit is accepting monetary donations and items such as clothing and food to help those they serve.

Nearly 1,000 Pounds of Food for the Hungry

For the second time this year, shoppers at Foley's Family Market in Hamilton showed their generosity as Rotary Club volunteers collected food for the Mercer Street Friends Food Bank.
Shoppers bought items from our wish list on Saturday, filling a line of carts with an amazing 950 pounds of food and donating $315.65 in cash that will be used to purchase more food.
We appreciate the 13 Rotarians who helped with the Send Hunger Packing food drive, especially “Ironman” Nev Greenough who worked the full 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. collection period.

And, as always, a big thanks to Joe Foley, owner of Foley’s Family Market, and to all those who donated.

Club Marks Miracle League's 20th Year

A special outdoor club meeting was held on October 10 at Miracle Field to celebrate the 20th Anniversary of one of our club’s most impactful projects - the Miracle League of Mercer County NJ.
Rotarian and League “Commish” Dan Sczweck described the tremendous growth in the league in terms of players, families and programming since our club raised the funds to build the field for special needs individuals two decades ago.
Also at the meeting, Club President Stan Plytynski reviewed our club’s bustling fall lineup of upcoming activities.

Tree Program Expands Roots

On October 6 and 7, teams of Rotarians continued the club's annual conservation efforts by planting five trees and four bushes at sites in Hamilton and Robbinsville.

Two trees and the four bushes were planted at Megan’s Place, and single trees were installed at Linwood Park in Hamilton, the Miry Run Recreation Area in Robbinsville and the Miracle League of Mercer County field at the YMCA’s Sawmill complex.
It’s the fourth consecutive year the club has added to the area landscape in a program coordinated by Rotarian Joe Cavone in consultation with the respective townships and with the approval of the club’s Board of Directors.

Kalpana Patel to Serve as District Governor

Kalpana Patel, club member and past Club President, has been selected as District Governor to lead our entire Rotary district - 75 clubs in central and northern NJ - for the 2027-28 Rotary year.
That’s a big deal and has only happened once before in our club’s 33 years.

Kalpana joined the Rotary Club of Robbinsville Hamilton in 2020 and has served in various leadership roles, including Club President in 2022-2023, the club’s 30th Anniversary year.

Kalpana is a multiple Rotary Paul Harris Fellow, recognizing her continued support for the Rotary Foundation, a charitable arm of Rotary helping people access clean water, education, health care and disaster relief, while working steadfastly to eradicate polio.
Congratulations, Kalpana. Read the full press release above.

Helping Out at the Food Bank

Following the September 26 Rotary meeting, a group of Rotarians helped out at the Mercer Street Friends Food Bank, filling 280 packages, totaling 1,120 meals to be distributed to school kids in need of food on weekends. Club members participate at the Food Bank on the 4th Friday of the month. Meanwhile, the club’s Send Hunger Packing fall food drive at Foley’s Family Market is scheduled for Saturday, October 11 at Foley’s Family Market in Hamilton.

Backpacks, Supplies Donated to Area Schools

A record number of backpacks and school supplies were donated to the Wilson and Greenwood elementary schools in Hamilton thanks to the generosity of Rotarians, community members and a Robbinsville youth group.
More than 200 backpacks filled with essential school items - a record for our Rotary Club - were delivered to the schools on August 15 and 18.
Special thanks to Rotarians Linda Gearren and Janice Miller who coordinated the annual drive and to the teenage members of the Robbinsville chapter of PURE (People for Urban and Rural Education) who helped collect the supplies and load them into backpacks.

Fun for All at National Night Out

Lots of fun at the Rotary Club booths at National Night Out events in Robbinsville and Hamilton on August 5.

We enjoyed meeting with community members, sponsoring games and prizes for the kids, and sharing information about our club.

If we sparked your interest, check out our stories below and the links above.

Big Award, New Members Kick Off Rotary Year

Our first meeting of the new Rotary year on July 11 featured a special award to the Miracle League of Mercer County and the addition of two new members - Robbinsville Township Councilman Hal English and Kevin Ott, a local Scouting America official whose membership creates our club’s first-ever father-son duo.
All this as Stan Plytynski, our club’s first president in 1992-93, began a new term behind the podium.
Accepting the George Prutky Vocational Service Award and a $500 donation on behalf of the Miracle League was Rotarian and League “Commish” Dan Sczweck. The award, named for one of our club’s founders, hit close to home as our club helped establish the Miracle League 20 years ago and has been a continuing supporter.

Club Awards Scholarships

Congrats to nine high school seniors from Hamilton and Robbinsville who each received $1,000 scholarships from our Rotary Club.
The scholarships, funded through the club’s annual Dollars for Scholars raffle, were based on the students’ community service activities and plans.
The recipients were: Olivia Cerulllo, Steinert; Olivia Pomin, Notre Dame; Jay Wilmot, Mercer County Health Science Academy; Cali Holliday and Logan McGuire, Nottingham; and Naiya Patel, Christian Deane, Rahul Vaidynathan and Caitlyn Todd, Robbinsville.

Rotary’s Polio Fight Continues

At our final meeting of the calendar year, our club was reminded in very personal terms of how important it is to continue Rotary’s flagship fight to eradicate polio around the world.
Rotarian John Nanni of Delaware, a polio survivor and a leader in Rotary’s PolioPlus campaign, said the wild poliovirus is still stubbornly present in two countries - Pakistan and Afghanistan - despite decades of work by Rotary and other organizations to wipe if off the map, an effort that has saved an estimated 21 million people from the crippling disease.
Our Rotary Club and individual members contribute thousands of dollars each year to the campaign. For more information about Rotary’s work to eradicate polio, visit www.endpolio.org.

What it Means to Be a Rotarian

A bevy of guests at our August 9 meeting heard Rotarians offer their thoughts on what it means to be a member of the club.
Said one, whether you’ve had a good week or a rough one, there’s something comforting about coming to a Friday morning meeting and knowing you’re among friends.
Similarly, another said, “It’s like Cheers, you walk in and everyone knows your name.”
Others focused on the opportunities to serve the community, particularly those in need. For example, Rotarians will be receiving food items in front of Foley’s Family Market in Hamilton on August 10 from 10-4 for the Mercer Street Friends Food Bank, and we’re busy collecting backpacks and school supplies for students at Wilson Elementary School.
The international reach of Rotary, including a major effort to eradicate polio, was also cited as an attractive aspect of the organization, as well as local programs like Flags for Heroes.
Club President Joe Cavone boiled it down to one word - hope. “We give people hope, We’re in the hope business.”

More Than Three Decades of Service

Videos Highlight Club’s Service Above Self

The Rotary Club of Robbinsville Hamilton is featured in a series of videos marking the club’s first 30 years. Since 1992, the club has made a positive difference in our communities. We started as a spinoff of the Hamilton Rotary Club and took little time to establish our own identity as a club of action.
Check out the videos below:

Stan Plytynski

I'd like to think that some 33 years ago, with the strong help and support of my fellow Charter members, we began to lay the foundation for what has proven to be an exceptionally successful club. It is my privilege to again serve as this club's president as we look to build upon more than three decades of progress in helping our communities.

Read more...