MANAHAWKIN, NJ – Causeway Family of Dealerships and Causeway CARes recently hosted the 6th Annual Summer in Winter Carnival, an event that continues to unite nonprofit and community organizations from across Ocean County. Held at The Mainland Kitchen & Pub in Manahawkin, this year’s carnival welcomed 33 nonprofit and community groups dedicated to making a difference in the region.

The event serves as a unique opportunity for local nonprofits to collaborate, share their missions, and engage with the public in a festive atmosphere. Attendees of all ages enjoyed classic carnival games, boardwalk food, face painting, caricatures by Akbar, magic performances by Magic Al, fortune tellers, and more.

David Wintrode, President of The Causeway Family of bringing the community together. “We are incredibly proud to host this event each year. It’s all about fostering connections, celebrating the incredible work of these nonprofits, and ensuring that our community members have access to the resources they need.”

The event also featured a 50/50 cash raffle and a raffle for signed Mike Gesicki sports memorabilia, which raised $1,080. Wintrode generously matched the amount, bringing the total to $2,160, which was then split between Your Grandmother’s Cupboard, OCEAN Inc., and The Arc of Ocean County.

Representatives from various organizations shared their enthusiasm for the event and the opportunities it provides.

Greg Muszynski, of Northern Ocean Habitat for Humanity, highlighted the event’s value in spreading awareness. “It’s a great opportunity to get out in the community and share our mission. Every year, I’m able to network with other amazing organizations and see how we can work together to better serve our community. Participants in the event were especially interested in our ReStore, which funds our critical home repairs and home builds. Overall, it’s great exposure.”

Jessica Pepe and Kaitlin Lord of Ocean Partnership for Children praised Causeway CARes for their commitment to the community. “Ocean Partnership for Children is consistently blown away by Causeway CARes and their annual carnival. This event provides such joy to youth and families in Ocean County, and the fact that it is free makes it even more special! In addition, this event highlights other nonprofits in our area, a shining example of community collaboration! It’s so wonderful to even see the local Key Club engaged and volunteering each year. We very much enjoy being able to talk about our services and supports with parents and caregivers, and interacting directly with the kids at our table is such a joy! Having the opportunity to spread our mission to the community and let folks know we are here to support youth and their families through a wide array of mental health crises is so valuable. We thank Causeway CARes for their efforts to bring joy to families and showcase and connect community partners!”

With a diverse group of 33 nonprofits in attendance, the Summer in Winter Carnival continues to grow as a hub for nonprofit collaboration in Ocean County.

The non-profits in attendance included:

1. Interfaith Health & Support Services of Southern Ocean County, Inc. – interfaithsoc.org
2. OCEAN, Inc. – oceaninc.org
3. Ocean County College – ocean.edu
4. Ocean County Library Foundation – theoceancountylibrary.org
5. Family Promise of the Jersey Shore – familypromisesoc.org
6. Mental Health Association in NJ – mhanj.org
7. Your Grandmothers Cupboard – yourgrandmotherscupboard.com
8. America’s Keswick – americaskeswick.org
9. Sea Change RCO + HRC – seachangerco.org
10. Society for the Prevention of Teen Suicide – sptsusa.org
11. OceanCares Foundation DBA Bright Harbor Foundation – brightharbor.org
12. Community Medical Center – rwjbh.org/community-medical-center
13. Hackensack Meridian Health – hackensackmeridianhealth.org
14. Ocean County YMCA – ocymca.org
15. JBJ Soul Kitchen Toms River – jbjsoulkitchen.org
16. The Maximilian Foundation – themaximilianfoundation.org
17. Meals on Wheels of Ocean County – csimow.org
18. The Arc, Ocean County Chapter – arcocean.org
19. Coastal Volunteers in Medicine – coastalvim.org
20. Each Stitch Counts – eachstitchcounts.org
21. St Francis Counseling Service – stfranciscenterlbi.org
22. HOPE Sheds Light – hopeshedslight.org
23. CONTACT of Ocean & Monmouth Counties – contactoceanmonmouth.org
24. Ocean Partnership for Children – oceanpartnership.org
25. Fulfill – fulfillnj.org
26. Habitat For Humanity of Southern Ocean County – hfhsoc.org
27. Ocean’s Harbor House, Inc. – oceansharborhouse.org
28. Starve Poverty International – starvepoverty.org
29. Preferred Behavioral Health Group – preferredbehavioral.org
30. LivWell Healthcare – livwellbhs.com
31. Brick Children’s Community Theatre (BCCT) – bcct.org
32. Girl Scouts of the Jersey Shore – jerseyshoregirlscouts.org
33. Northern Ocean Habitat for Humanity – northernoceanhabitat.org

By creating a space for organizations to engage with the public and with each other, Causeway CARes’ event is a testament to the power of community partnerships. As these organizations continue to work together, the impact on Ocean County will only grow stronger.

About Causeway CARes

Causeway CARes’ mission is to make a direct and profound impact in and around Ocean County in the areas of education, food security and quality of life. Founded in 2004 and funded by the Wintrode Family Foundation, Inc., Causeway CARes strives to make the community a better place to live, grow and thrive. To learn more, visit CausewayCARes.com.