For over 50 years, the nonprofit Center for Vocational Rehabilitation of Monmouth and Ocean County (CVR) has been helping those with disabilities and barriers find employment within their community. At any given time, CVR assists more than 500 individuals in Monmouth, Ocean, Middlesex, and Mercer Counties with job training, resume building, and support.

Participants in the CVR Program

In an effort to continue to grow their programs, CVR (15 Meridian Road, Eatontown) will be hosting their Annual Golf Outing on June 21st at Woodlake Country Club in Lakewood. Last year, the golf outing raised $11,000 that helped fund various programs including their Autism Academy, Job Coaching, Vocational Training, and Mental Health Services.

CVR’s Annual Charity Golf Outing

“Our golf outing is one of our two big yearly fundraisers (the other is Casino night),” said Holly Corbella, Employment Specialist at CVR. “It’s really important for our programs to have a big turnout. This event is especially fun because it’s not serious and instead is geared towards charity. More than half the people last year never even golfed before!”

Winners of the Buhler Hole In One Challenge

The all day event features breakfast for golfers, a round of golf, a lunch awards ceremony, and tons of games and prizes. Last year, a lucky golfer even won the Buhler Hole in One Challenge and drove home a brand new 2015 Ford Mustang. Smaller prizes including BlueClaws, Yankees, and Devils tickets are also in the mix as well as passes to other New Jersey country clubs.

Golfers of all abilities can join in the fun to support CVR’s organization, which in turn supports hundreds of residents a year for just $150 per person. Additional specials and sponsorships range from $100 for a Hole Sponsor to $1,500 for a corporate sponsor.

The golf outing will help CVR continue their mission to “promote social independence and maximum vocational potential for persons with disabilities through counseling, training, and support designed to assist them in achieving their personal goals in the area of health, employment, and community living.”

Christian, A Participant in the CVR Work Program

With the help of these fundraisers, CVR can continue to teach life skills on an individual level with students in their Autism Academy; provide mental health services including teaching life skills, anger management, and how to deal with stress to those 18 and over; provide job coaching skills including interviewing and how to handle work situations; and vocational training where 70-80 individuals work at CVR to learn how to work with others and independently.

“We provide the support system that is needed for those with barriers including anxiety and depression to seek and maintain employment,” said Corbella. “We’re constantly trying to expand at CVR to help more people, but we need funding to reach everyone who needs help in the state.”

Whether you’re new to golf or new to CVR, their Annual Golf Outing on June 21st is the perfect excuse to try out a new golf course, mingle with new friends, and help raise funds for a local nonprofit that has supported the community for over 50 years. For more information, contact Diane Rotondelli at 732-544-1800 x231 or drotondelli@cvrus.org.