This mural, by Adam Gustavson at NJ Transit’s Highland Avenue station in Orange, reflects some of the key themes of the proposed North Jersey National Heritage Area. It shows a diversity of people wearing hats walking down the train station stairs. Orange was a major center for hat making in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Today, the mural welcomes people to the Valley Arts District. Image courtesy of Adam Gustavson.

What's special about North Jersey? Attend the North Jersey National Heritage Area (NHA) Information Session on Thursday, January 23, 2025 and find out!

Sign up for the 2:00pm or 7:00pm session online. Each session is free and open to the public. Pre-register for each session here, www.nnjcf.org/events. Upon registration, participants will receive a link via email to attend the online session. During each session, participants will also be able to ask questions.

Learn about the Northern New Jersey Community Foundation’s (NNJCF) new project and how you can get involved. A NHA is a federally designated region notable for having made a special contribution to American history and culture. This designation could bring up to $1 million in funding to North Jersey and more in economic activity. For information about the project, visit www.nnjcf.oreg/NJNHA.

“To obtain the National Heritage Area designation will take time and resources. This project will help showcase the distinct history and culture of our communities. We need people’s input and support for this to occur,” said Vazquez, who will lead each session.

For additional information about the session, contact Leonardo Vazquez, at leo@nnjcf.org or call 201-568-5608 extension 2.

Donations Appreciated

The NNJCF seeks donations to support the North Jersey National Heritage Area Project.  Donations of any size are welcome and may be made online at https://www.nnjcf.org/donation/. Contributions may also be sent by check made out to 'The Northern N.J. Community Foundation', with ‘NHA’ entered in the memo line. Send checks to the Northern New Jersey Community Foundation, 1 University Plaza, Suite 102, Hackensack, New Jersey 07601. For further information about the NNJCF, call 201-568-5608 or send an e-mail to nnjcf@nnjcf.org.

Founded in 1998, The Northern New Jersey Community Foundation, a not-for-profit 501(c) 3 organization based in Hackensack, New Jersey, works with local governments, school districts, businesses, non-profit organizations, and citizen groups to improve community life. Through collaborative partnerships, regional problems are identified and resolved. Opportunities are discovered and explored by talking and learning from each other and sharing ideas, best practices, services, and resources. The Foundation works to grow more creative and inspiring places, greener and healthier places, and more places of belonging and opportunity.