'Heart of Gold' party will support mission
BY REBECCA MORTON Staff Writer
As the holiday season draws closer, area residents are invited to get a head start on their shopping and help orphans in Romania.

"The Heart of Gold" Christmas party will be held on Nov. 15 from 3-7 p.m. at the Freehold Township Independent Fire Company, 30 Siloam Road, Freehold Township.

Members of the Immanuel Bible Church, Howell, are hosting the fundraiser in the hope of raising money to send a group of five to seven missionaries to Romania in March 2010 to work with orphans through the nonprofit Livada Orphan Care organization.

Livada Orphan Care consists of western visitors and Romanian staff serving and ministering to more than 600 orphaned and abandoned children in Mures County, Romania. For more information about Livada, visit www.livada.org.

The "Heart of Gold" Christmas party entrance fee is by donation only. The money raised through those donations will be used to purchase socks for the orphans that the missionaries will be visiting.

At the "Heart of Gold" party, attendees will be able to sell unwanted jewelry through Earth Treasures, of Eatontown. Organizers said Earth Treasures is a licensed buyer that uses state certified scales to weigh jewelry an individual wishes to sell.

Event organizer Dana Cortright said the Romanian mission team will receive a percentage of the proceeds from the jewelry sales. Platinum, sterling silver, coins, scrap gold, costume jewelry or dental gold may be sold to Earth Treasures.

Vendors will also be on hand with merchandise. The vendors are expected to include Earth Treasures' jewelry estate case, as well as representatives of Tastefully Simple, Pampered Chef, Joe Corbi's food, Avon, Celebrating Home (previously known as Home Interiors) and Smart Start Toys.

A portion of the shopping will also be donated to the mission team's trip.

There will be activities for children including face painting, a magic show, crafts, games and Christmas movies. Holiday portraits will also be available.

Appointments for a photo session must be made before Nov. 10. To set up a time for photographs, send an email to Dana Cortright at Dana_loc_ro@yahoo.com.