The Center for Great Expectations

08/26/2025

CGE supporters have once again come through to make the Back-to-School shopping season much easier for clients in our Supportive Housing, START, Outpatient, Adolescent and Adult Residential Programs.

The cost of school supplies can be a heavy burden for families—especially for single parents who are juggling recovery, work, and parenting. These generous donations lift that weight, ensuring every child has everything on their back-to-school list and can start the year ready to learn.

We received a wonderful assortment of backpacks and boxes filled with school supplies to distribute across CGE's continuum of care. One generous donor even shopped for the entire supply list for one of CGE’s third graders!

We are deeply grateful for the generosity of the following groups and individuals:
BNI Manhattan Chapter 33 - The Dream Team
St. Matthias School, Somerset, NJ - Parish
United Way of Northern NJ
Kimberly A.
Linda V.
Wendy W.

08/17/2025

On , we’re recognizing the people at the heart of CGE — our clients, volunteers, sponsors, and employees.

Whether offering support or working toward healing, these everyday moments reflect the strength of our community and the impact of showing up for one another.

Thank you to everyone who makes this work possible.

⭐ Learn more about what we do: https://www.cge-nj.org

🔗 https://www.cge-nj.org/support/

08/14/2025

Two young mothers in the Adolescent Program earned their high school diplomas at 18 years old.

Their journeys have been far from easy. Growing up in state custody and becoming mothers at a young age, they’ve faced more challenges than most. Through it all, they’ve discovered who they are—and what motherhood means to them.

They said education didn’t always feel like a priority, but they wanted to show their children that hard work pays off.

They’re now the first in their families to graduate—and both are dreaming big: one plans to study pharmacy, the other nursing. We couldn’t be prouder. ❤️

08/12/2025

Meet Vanessa Flewellen, a devoted volunteer who brings heart, warmth, and a gentle presence to Katy’s Place each week.

“Volunteering is my passion and spending time weekly at Katy’s Place allows me to bring more love into an already loving environment to the babies that are there. Babies sense the sincerity of a friendly smile, gentle touch or happy expression. It is a joy for me to be a part of the nurturing and learning process that Katy’s Place exudes and to behold those precious little ones!”

Vanessa, your compassion and consistency make a lasting impact. Thank you for being a beautiful part of our CGE family and helping create a space of healing, trust, and love for our littlest clients.

Interested in supporting or volunteering at Katy’s Place? Learn more: https://www.cge-nj.org/programs/katys-place/

08/11/2025

Special thanks to our friend John, a dedicated volunteer at The Giving Garden, who continues to bless CGE year after year with fresh produce from the Rutgers Research Farm in Pittstown!

This time, he delivered the best of Jersey summer—sweet corn and juicy peaches. 🌽🍑

We’re so grateful for this ongoing generosity.

08/05/2025

A huge thank you to First Bank for their incredible support and service!

This amazing team joined us for the very first time and hit the ground running—assembling 300 "take away bags" for our Hope Takes Flight Luncheon. Your time, energy, and enthusiasm made a meaningful difference, and we’re so grateful to have you as part of the CGE community.

If you didn’t get a chance to attend the luncheon, you can still catch a glimpse of the day—check out the preview on our Instagram https://www.instagram.com/reel/DIcjzuCRkRJ/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA== to see the impact and energy that filled the room.

Here’s to new partnerships and the power of showing up. We can’t wait to see what we do together next!

07/31/2025

For New Jersey Devils icon Ken Daneyko, July has meant one thing for 21 years: giving back.

The Ken Daneyko Golf Classic supports The Center for Great Expectations — a NJ nonprofit providing trauma-informed treatment for mental health and substance use.

But for Daneyko, this mission is personal. As he shared with The Hockey News, he was quietly facing his own battle with addiction when he first met CGE's Peg Wright two decades ago.

This powerful feature captures why Daneyko’s commitment has never wavered — and why CGE’s work remains so critical.

Read the full article: https://ca.sports.yahoo.com/news/devils-legend-shares-personal-connection-193919905.html

For some, July represents the shore, BBQs, and fireworks. For others, it is associated with Lana Del Rey's trending lyrics to "Young and Beautiful."

07/30/2025

It’s that time again— is here!

We’re getting ready for the back-to-school season and could use your help.
The Supportive Housing team works hard to have supplies ready by early August, and your support makes that possible.

From school gear to daily necessities, every item you send helps create stability for the individuals and families we serve at The Center for Great Expectations.

Take a look at our updated Wishlist and join us in making a difference:
https://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/1VJSNMOGF7FCQ?ref_=list_d_wl_lfu_nav_4

Thank you for being part of this community!

07/29/2025

Erica Pulliam, Manager of Community Engagement and Relations at The Center for Great Expectations, recently participated in the AIM-CCI Technical Assistance & Sustainability Summit and a congressional Hill visit in Washington, DC. She represented Newark’s maternal safety initiatives and connected with peers nationwide who share a commitment to advancing maternal health.

Erica shared several key takeaways from the experience:
• The importance of community-clinical integration to provide families with comprehensive, wraparound support.
• Expanding advocacy efforts to include not only policymakers but also fathers, faith-based organizations, community leaders, and grassroots champions.
• The value of AIM-CCI maternal safety bundles as a framework to align clinical and community efforts.

A highlight of the trip was joining the Greater Newark Healthcare Coalition and AIM-CCI providers in meetings with ten congressional and Senate offices to advocate for maternal health and the reauthorization of federal Healthy Start funding. Erica was encouraged by the openness of legislative staff to their stories, data, and recommendations.

She looks forward to applying these insights to strengthen partnerships and advance maternal health.

07/27/2025

We had another sold-out event with 32 sponsors, 200 golfers, 20 pickleball players, and a ballroom filled with nearly 300 guests enjoying remarks from Peg and Ken, as well as our resilient client speaker. Guests enjoyed delicious food, exciting auctions, and great golf prizes.

Special thanks to all our sponsors, both new and returning—especially our Stanley Cup Sponsor, Avalon Bay. Thank you to our loyal golfers, to FE Brands for the amazing golf shirts provided to each participant, and to Ferraro for our player goodie bags. We’re also grateful to our volunteers, who helped the day run smoothly.

Heartfelt thanks to Ken and Margaret Daneyko, Scott Clark, and the NJ Devils mascot.

An outstanding committee, including our auction co-chairs Joan DeCosimo and Frania Holloway, made this possible. Thank you to all the individuals and businesses who contributed incredible auction prizes. Our Silent and Live Auctions brought in nearly $20,000.

07/25/2025

BNI Manhattan Chapter 33 - The Dream Team consistently goes above and beyond for The Center for Great Expectations. When our START program needed six convertible car seats, Chapter 33 donated the full amount to purchase all six!

They’ve supplied school items every summer for four years, donated highchairs and dining chairs to the Adolescent house, organized Baby Bottle Brigades, and created lasting community connections.

Each year, they golf, play pickleball, volunteer at our outing, and celebrate with us at the gala. This year, over 20 Chapter members showed up to support the mission.

Their commitment has impacted hundreds of lives—and they’re not done yet.

Thank you, BNI Chapter 33! 💜
https://bnidreamteam.com/

07/24/2025

We are, once again, deeply grateful to Fr. Stanislaw Slaby, the Knights of Columbus Council #6573, and the parishioners of Christ the Redeemer Parish, Manville NJ - Thanks to their generosity, their Baby Bottle Brigade fundraiser raised $4,255—an incredible achievement that will have a meaningful and positive impact on the women & children we serve.