Taiisa Kelly is the CEO of Cranford-based Monarch Family Associates. She joined Jim Monaghan on Jersey Magazine to talk about the $1.25 million grant that MFA just received from the Bezos Day 1 Families Fund.

Family homelessness in the U.S. rose dramatically from 2022 to 2023, and families now represent more than 28 percent of the country’s homeless population, according to a 2024 report from the National Alliance to End Homelessness. With its one-time Day 1 Families Fund grant, Monarch will work to reverse this national trend by serving families experiencing homelessness throughout the state of New Jersey.  

Specifically, Monarch Housing Associates plans to use its funds to support implementation of a statewide Strategic Plan to End Family Homelessness. The Day 1 Families Fund investment will be used to expand on the success of Rapid Rehousing to ensure more families can access this critical support to regain housing stability. Funding will also be used to develop regional hubs which will support families in navigating the services and benefits available to help them maintain stability in housing. 

Taiisa Kelly – Monarch Family Associates

• Greetings From the Garden State

  This morning on our Greetings From the Garden State segment, host Mike Ham is talking about Rick Barry (no, not the former NBA player as you will discover). Rick’s involvement with Georgies Bar and Asbury Underground has been a big part of the recent revitalization of Asbury Park.

• How To Avoid Getting Scammed This Holiday Season

  With holiday shopping in full swing, it’s important for us to know how to avoid getting scammed this holiday season.

  A new 2024 AARP Fraud Watch Network report highlights the ways criminals are targeting consumers this holiday season. The report shows four-in-five (82%) U.S. consumers have experienced some type of fraud this year – including gift card scams, counterfeit products, phishing attempts disguised as delivery notifications, and more. The research also shows many consumers are not aware of the types of fraud they may come across when shopping online.

  Avoid Getting Scammed This Holiday Season

  Kathy Stokes, AARP’s Director of Fraud Prevention Programs, joins us this morning on Jersey Magazine to share tips on how to spot and avoid scams and provide advice on what to do if you’ve already been targeted by fraud. She’ll also has data from the most recent AARP Fraud Watch Network survey gauging consumer awareness of safe shopping practices.

• Rock N Ruff

  Merry Pitmas!

  It’s Terrie Carr and Merry Pitmas is something that I celebrate with my friend and rescue goddess hero, Sunny Nowell from Randolph Regional Animal Shelter every year (for close to 13 years!) It’s an opportunity for us to highlight some lovely larger breed dogs who reside at the shelter and so you how great they are. This year, Sunny brought the most lovely Terrier mix ‘Cher” (just like the singer) for a Rock N’ Ruff filming and this lovely pup charmed everyone she met (including our cameraman Tom and Val, Maryanne and Lisa from our sales department.

  Check out Cher’s Video

  

  TC Collection

  Cher is a young dog, (probably around two) not very large, SUPER friendly, happy to make new friends with everyone she encounters, incredibly sociable (no fear, curious and happy with new encounters), and very, very happy. She is also a bit smaller in size and a brindle beauty in color with stunning markings.

  And Cher didn’t mind us wrestling with her hat either! Cher met Santa at the shelter’s holiday photo event and even loved the big guy with the white beard! She’s quite awesome. She was a marcher in the Denville Holiday Parade and a crowd and doggie favorite.

   

  How To Adopt Cher?

  

  Photo Credit- Joe Frazz

  It’s simple- you can stop by the Randolph Regional Animal Shelter- at 97 Ironia Road in Mendham Township

  Call Sunny and set up a meet and greet- at 973-543-9333

  Or hit the shelter’s website for info-

  Randolph Regional Animal Shelter Info

  And for more pet-related content check out the Rock N’ Ruff Roundtable page! 

  TC’s Rock N’ Ruff Rountable

• Coach Sheets Ride In

  Jeremy Sheetinger is the head baseball coach atGeorgia Gwinnett Colleg where he led the Grizz Gang to the 2021 NAIA National Championship.

  These quick hits may, on the surface, be geared toward his fellow baseball coaches, but his motivational message can easily be applied to the classroom, workplace, and your personal relationships.

  Being prepared requires putting in the work…and making sure you’re ready for your moment when it comes.

  Jeremy Sheetinger | Sheets on X (formerly Twitter): "🚘 HOW 'BOUT THAT RIDE IN? 🚘To achieve what we want in life:Work is REQUIRED!In that work - are we preparing to be ready for "our moments"?In any team or org, you can find folks that will work...But when the lights turn on??? Who shows up?⚡️ Positive Vibes Only!#👊 pic.twitter.com/mqh0fgrzHt / X"

  🚘 HOW 'BOUT THAT RIDE IN? 🚘To achieve what we want in life:Work is REQUIRED!In that work - are we preparing to be ready for "our moments"?In any team or org, you can find folks that will work...But when the lights turn on??? Who shows up?⚡️ Positive Vibes Only!#👊 pic.twitter.com/mqh0fgrzHt

• Local Look

  Looking for something fun to do in the area? Chris Swendeman has you covered with this week’s Local Look.

  There are always so many fun events happening in our local communities.  Check out what’s in store for this week in New Jersey.

  • Somerset County is the place to be today for the final day of the 4-H Christmas and Holiday Craft Festival. The event takes place at the 4-H Center on 310 Milltown Road in Bridgewater from 10 AM to 3 PM with plenty of handmade crafts for sale, pictures with Santa, a running train display, and much more holiday fun.
  • The holiday time of the year means that the Asbury Park Bazaar is back with two locations featuring holiday photo stations, craft workshops, and activities for the kids. Get more details at asburyparkbazaar.com.
  • And take a trip back in time to a colonial Christmas in Bergen County with the County Historical Society for its 41st annual colonial Christmas concerts and tavern fair. Performances are at 3 p.m. and 4.45 where you’ll be whisked back to Yule Tides of Yesterday with Carols of Your Childhood and Stories of Christmas Past. Ticket info and more details can be found at BergenCountyHistory.org/CandlelightHolidayConcert.

   

  And that’s your Local Look for this week on The Jersey Magazine.  If you’d like your event to be featured on The Local Look, you can email us at JerseyMagazine@wdhafm.com.  See you next week on 105.5 WDHA.

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