Page 10 THE VILLADOM TIMES III • August 29, 2012 detergent, pancake mix/syrup, and rice are always needed. Consider turning your next event into a fundraiser for ECF, and ask guests to bring checks or gift cards to be used by our families. Your efforts help us to help our families in many ways, including sending a case worker to visit the families at home or in the hospital. Kids can help, too. Many have held sales or other events and contributed the proceeds to ECF. If your Boy Scout or Girl Scout Troop needs to earn badges, visit us in Midland Park. Scouts can get creative and have fun helping out. ECF representatives are available to discuss our programs at your next fundraiser or event. Give us a call for more information. If you have a few hours a week to spare, consider becoming a volunteer, or just stop by and meet with us, take a look at our pantry, and see what ECF is all about. This September, we will need a volunteer on Fridays from 1 to 4 p.m. Call (201) 612-8118 before you stop by. Please do not leave items at the center without checking with us first. Our storage space is limited. The Northern Regional Center is located at 174 Paterson Avenue, Midland Park, NJ 07432. Visit www.emmanuelcancer.org. As always, thank you for helping the children and their families! Our hat’s off to the Lutheran Church of the Redeemer in Ramsey for the much needed food contributions. We want to give a big thank you to Miss Patti’s School of Dance. Patti and Darryl generously donated dinner and show tickets to “Peter and the Star Catcher” to several families. Fall needs: We need window air conditioning units that are new or in good working condition for our families. Some of our families could use prepaid phone cards for Cricket Mobile. We would also appreciate gift cards to TJ Maxx, Marshalls, and IKEA. We will give these cards to our families for fall and back-to-school clothing, and some much-needed furniture. In addition, we can use gas station gift cards. We need new sheets for twin and queen size beds and Good Night Pampers Stage 4. We also need new pillows, dish towels, and bath towels. One family could really use an air purifier. Meet Esme: Esme is a vivacious 17-year-old who has leukemia. Esme has a twin brother she adores and who has been suffering a great deal since she was diagnosed and has undergone intensive treatment. Esme was also diagnosed with diabetes as a complication of the chemotherapy and has to be very diligent with her diet and testing her blood sugar. Esme’s family finds it very difficult to afford the test strips needed to test her blood sugar. They pay $30 every eight days in order to buy the strips (Accu-Check). Since Esme does not have medical insurance, her family has to struggle with purchasing the medical items needed to ensure that Esme’s diabetes does not cause her more medical issues than she already has. Esme loves to shop and do her nails. Her smile is infectious, and her attitude about her hair loss is inspirational. Esme told her case worker Stephanie, “I don’t care about my hair loss. That will grow back. All I care about is my health.” You can help in a variety of ways. ECF uses monetary contributions to cover the costs associated with providing free services to any New Jersey child who has cancer. Approximately 70 cents from every dollar goes toward direct care for our families. If your company has a charitable giving program, please let us know. Each month, we distribute about 140 bags of food to our families. You can help us fill our pantry. When you go grocery shopping and something non-perishable is on sale, please grab some extra items and drop them off at our outreach center. Staples such as sugar, flour, salt, cooking oil, Waldwick Watch Prescription Drug Take Back Day set The Waldwick Police Department will be participating in a Drug Enforcement Administration initiative called “Operation Take Back New Jersey,” which will provide the public with an opportunity to rid their homes of potentially dangerous expired, unused, and unwanted prescription drugs. On Saturday, Sept. 29, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., residents may safely dispose of these medications by bringing them to the Waldwick Public Safety Building at 15 East Prospect Street. This service is free and anonymous. Syringes and other sharp instruments will not be accepted, and no medications will be accepted before or after the event. According to the DEA, this initiative addresses a vital public safety and public health issue. Medicines that languish in home cabinets are highly susceptible to diversion, misuse, and abuse. Rates of prescription drug abuse in the U.S. are alarmingly high. More Americans currently abuse prescription drugs than the number of those using cocaine, hallucinogens, and heroin combined, according to the 2009 National Survey on Drug Use and Health. Studies show that a majority of abused prescription drugs are obtained from family and friends, including from the home medicine cabinet. For more information, contact Detective Sergeant Doug Moore at Dmoore@waldwicknj.org or visit www.dea.gov. Flu vaccine available The Waldwick Health Department has scheduled two flu immunization opportunities for September. On Sept. 19, flu vaccines will be administered from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. at the ambulance corps building at 20 Whites Lane. On Sept. 27, vaccines will be available from 3 to 4 p.m. at the Tamaron Club House at 8 Tamaron Drive. Appointments are not necessary. Individuals must be at least 18 years of age to receive a flu vaccine. Residents must bring their Medicare Part B card in order to receive the vaccine at no cost. The Waldwick Health Department, through a contract with Northwest Bergen Regional Health Commission, will directly bill Medicare. A $25 fee will be charged to those who do not have Medicare Part B. Anyone who has a Medicare HMO, also known as Medicare Advantage, may choose to go to his or her primary care provider or pay $25 for a flu vaccination. Medicare HMOs will not be accepted at the flu program. August is National Immunization Awareness Month, and the health department reminds residents that by ensuring both children and adults are immunized, the spread of illness can be limited. Vaccine-preventable diseases such as varicella (chicken pox), measles, mumps, and diphtheria can be fatal if not promptly treated. For details call Carol Shepard at (201) 444-3914. Veterans’ groups to host picnic American Legion Post 57 and VFW Post 1049, both of Waldwick will host their annual picnic to honor veterans on Saturday, Sept. 15. The event will be held at Borough Park at 1 p.m. All are invited. Tickets purchased on or before Sept. 2 will be $15 for those age 12 through adult, $10 for anyone age nine through 11, and $5 for children ages five through eight. Children age four and younger will be admitted free. To purchase tickets, mail a check made payable to American Legion Post 57 to 46 Franklin Turnpike, Waldwick, NJ 07463. (continued on page 17)