UIH Family Partners - Past Events

Past Events

Here is some information about our recent events:

For pictures and up to the minute information check our Facebook and Twitter Pages

Halloween Night Out - November 2011

UIH Family Partners’ monthly Family Nights Out provide plenty of fun, food and healthy togetherness for parents and kids from across Greater Trenton. On November 2, the agency hosted a Halloween-themed event, complete with a costume parade and festive decorations. The “FNO” was attended by more than 30 enthusiastic children and adults, many of whom enjoyed making colorful “Trees of Thanks” with arts guru and UIH Board member, Heidi Cook. Also adding to the spirited fun were face painters, Zaria Truitt and Brianha and Khadijah Thompson.

Dress to Impress 3.0 - October 2011

Giving Men A (Pant)leg Up: Dress to Impress

The most recent edition of UIH Family Partners’ signature project, Dress to Impress, held October 5, was the biggest and most successful to date. “D2I” solicits tax-deductible donations of new and gently worn interview-and workplace-appropriate men's clothing and makes it available to men who need it.

The organization’s third D2I event since last December saw 177 men received nearly 700 articles of apparel. During these open houses, UIH is transformed to resemble the men's department of an upscale store. Men, sometimes accompanied by wives or significant others, are able to "shop" for free suits, ties, jackets, shoes and other accoutrements.

Graduate members of fraternal organizations, including brothers from Alpha Phi Alpha, Kappa Alpha Psi, Omega Psi Phi and Phi Beta Sigma, serve as "personal shoppers" and provide informal mentoring. Participants leave not only with carefully selected clothing that can boost their confidence and improve their chances in a tough job market, but also with information about the many free services UIH provides to unemployed or underemployed men. Many thanks to all involved!

9th Annual Golf Classic - September 2011

Golf Classic Suits Players to a “Tee”

After weeks of rain, a warm sun shone brightly on UIH Family Partners’ 9th Annual Golf Classic, held September 12 at Cherry Valley Country Club. The event attracted more than 80 players and raised funds in support of UIH’s work to build effective families.

Special thanks to all who played and contributed to the success of the Classic, led by Corporate Gold Sponsor, The Pilot’s Association for the Bay and River Delaware. Eagle Sponsors included Financial Design Center; Capital Health; Rue Insurance; The Bank of Princeton; I.C.U. Investigations, Inc.; and Aust, Carmignani & Venanzi, LLC. Driving Range Sponsor was New Jersey Manufacturers Insurance Company.

Helping the cause through Tee Box signage were Medical Psychiatric Associates of Delaware Valley; Duran & Pandos, P.C.; The Spadaccini Law Firm; Villa Romanza; Rider University; New Jersey Credit Union League; NFP Accounting Solutions; The Andrade-Mims Family; Capital Benefits, LLC; Grace Cathedral; PNC Bank; Lear Pannepacker CPA; Nexgen Press and JF Arnold Group, LLC.

Dress to Impress 2.0 - April 2011

UIH Family Partners’ celebrated “Dress to Impress 2.0” event on April 20 attracted nearly 150 men to the agency’s downtown Trenton headquarters. Men of all ages and sizes stopped by for a chance to “shop” for free, new or gently worn clothing. They left with much more than just shirts, suits and ties.

Thanks to event collaborators Zeta Iota Lambda chapter members of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. and volunteers from I Can Make a Difference, Inc., men received informal mentoring, inspiration, and style tips as they waited for their chance to enter the “showroom,” where they perused inviting racks of clothing. They also enjoyed delicious homemade food provided courtesy of UIH Board Member, Heidi Cook. Further contributing to the success of the night were members of the Omega Psi Phi and Phi Beta Sigma Fraternities and other enthusiastic volunteers. One highlight was when a gentleman who had received a suit at the inaugural “Dress to Impress” event in December returned to express his thanks and announced that he got married wearing that suit!

Many thanks to all who donated items and made so many men much more self-confident. Special thanks to Tracy Goff, Volunteer Coordinator for Educational Testing Service’s (ETS) Social Investment Fund and Diana McNeil, ETS employee and UIH Board member, who spearheaded clothing drives at the organization’s Ewing and Princeton facilities.

Check out the photos here

Family Night Valentines Day - February 2011

UIH Family Partners hosted a Family Night Out with a Valentine’s Day theme. In addition to enjoying tasty foods, games, face painting and videos with their families, children were able to make Valentines for sharing with special people in their lives. The agency looks forward to hosting more Family Nights Out in the months ahead.

Dress To Impress - December 2010

UIH Family Partners and Zeta Iota Lambda Chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. teamed up to host a “Dress to Impress” evening for area men. The purpose of this special event, which attracted nearly 80 men, was to help provide jobseekers in need of interview- and workplace place-appropriate clothing with free or gently used suits, shirts, ties and other articles. UIH Family Partners’ offices seemed transformed into the men’s department of an upscale store as “customers” perused appealing racks of clothing and fraternity brothers volunteered as “personal shoppers,” helping men coordinate suits, shirts and ties. Alpha member Dewayne Tolbert, a former member of the UIH Family Partners Board, even led a very popular “How to Tie a Tie” workshop! By the end of the evening, 64 two-piece suits, 61 dress shirts and 108 ties, among other goods had been claimed by proud new owners.

Dress to Impress 2.0 will be held on April 20 (see the event calendar for details); tax deductible donations of clean, interview-appropriate clothing are welcomed.

Toys for Tots Holiday Giveaway - December 2010

Thanks to the caring efforts of the US Marine Corps Reserve in West Trenton, and the generous individuals who donated toys to their annual “Toys for Tots” drive, UIH Family Partners was able to play Santa’s helper for families affiliated with the agency. More than 1000 colorful toys were distributed to in-need children. We salute all who made this possible.

Family Night - December 2010

In celebration of National Family Week, UIH Family Partners teamed up with One Simple Wish to host a special Family Night on December 1. There was lots of great fun and food for all, including delicious Papa John's pizza and chicken and a spirited Connect 4 rivalry! Thanks to One Simple Wish for giving UIH Family Partners program participants and their families an evening to remember!

Turkey Giveaway - November 2010

Thanksgiving was a brighter – and certainly tastier – holiday for a number of men who participate in UIH Family Partners’ fatherhood programs and their families. That is because nonprofit partner, One Simple Wish, donated 30 Thanksgiving food baskets, complete with turkey and all the trimmings, to the agency. Also donating turkeys was Grace Cathedral Fellowship Ministries. Many thanks, indeed, to these generous supporters.

Fatherhood Symposium - September 2010

UIH Family Partners hosted a statewide Fatherhood Symposium, believed to be the first such event of its kind in New Jersey, at the Hilton Garden Inn in Hamilton, NJ. The Symposium examined the topic, “Dad Matters: Best Practices in Fatherhood Programming” and attracted nearly 200 attendees. Interest in this emerging field is growing as research correlates father absence with significantly poorer outcomes for children in areas ranging from health and academic achievement to socially responsible behavior and more. The Symposium was made possible through a capacity-building grant from National Fatherhood Initiative (NFI) through the National Responsible Fatherhood Capacity Building Initiative (NRFCBI).