St. Patrick’s Day this year was special for 132 Williamstown senior citizens who were served lunch and then danced while listening to the Frankie G and Johnny Keys band at the Pfeiffer Community Center on March 17.
“The party was awesome,” said Monroe Township Community Affairs Supervisor Brandee Derieux, who along with dedicated volunteers organized the party, decorated the hall with plenty of green and prepared lunch that included ham, mashed potatoes, green beans and pineapple casserole. “Our volunteers are top notch. They are always ready to help me throw a party. Serving the food, setting up and cleaning for every holiday party we host.
“We would not be able to host these fun events without them,” she added. “We celebrate all of the holidays with the seniors. We have a good time with them.”
The volunteers who had everything ready shortly before the 1 p.m. start of the party were Bernie Burkert, Anne Bracarello, Pat Adams, Al Rossi, Deb DeFelice, ReRe Devine, Agnes Raines and John Kairis.
“I am very proud of our seniors,” noted Derieux, a 1990 Williamstown High School graduate who’s been with the Department of Community Affairs for seven years. “They have lived through a lot and deserve to be pampered and treated well.”
Derieux went back to college when she was 30 and earned an associate’s degree in social sciences and human resources from Camden County College. She remembers fondly her grandfather, who came to America from Puerto Rico in 1909, and her grandmother, who arrived from Ireland in 1901, while organizing events for the township seniors.
The next big party will be the senior prom, from 1 to 4 p.m. on Wednesday, June 11, at the Forum in Blackwood. Last year some 250 people participated, Derieux shared. The Seniors Spring Lunch will be on Thursday, April 17, from 2 to 4 p.m., and bus trips are planned for April, June, July and August.
Derieux’s department also plans annual township events, including the arts and crafts festival from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday, May 10, along a closed Main Street in the heart of Williamstown. She is also proud of the Monroe Township Food Pantry, which helps to feed struggling families. Her community affairs website describes its mission statement:
“No one should go to bed hungry,” it reads. “People are finding it harder and harder to feed their families. The township of Monroe has partnered with the Williamstown Sunrise Rotary to work alongside the Food Bank of South Jersey to assist in this growing need. In addition, we accept all types of donations from local residents, businesses and schools that conduct food drives.
“This allows for us to help the many residents who are in need meet their food needs for their households.”
The Williamstown Sunrise Rotary Club/Monroe Township partnership pantry is located at 408 Church St., Williamstown, and is open every Friday from 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. Senior supplemental food boxes are available as well every second Thursday of the month on a first-come, first-served basis and transportation is provided for senior citizens if needed.
For information about the food pantry and upcoming events in Williamstown, go to monroetownshipnj.org and select community affairs, or visit the Pfeiffer Community Center at 301 Blue Bell Road, the same center that was alive with Irish music, dancing and food for senior citizens on St. Patrick’s Day.
