Yearly Archives: 2018

Hometown Hero!

2023-01-02T18:11:39-05:00December 15th, 2018|

42 new 'Hometown Heroes' of North Jersey honored Last year, Rep. Josh Gottheimer had an idea to honor ordinary citizens who are doing extraordinary things to improve the lives of others in the 5th Congressional District. He asked community leaders to nominate those who were making a positive difference and, in December, feted 20 North [...]

This Jewish Teen Is Fighting Opioid Addiction in a Powerful Way

2023-01-02T18:11:46-05:00October 18th, 2018|

There were almost 70,000 fatal drug overdoses by the end of 2017, according to the National Center for Health Statistics. Each one of those deaths was uniquely tragic — and Stephanie Reifman wants their stories to be heard. Stephanie first started researching the opioid crisis in 2013, after she heard about Cory Monteith’s overdose. Monteith [...]

Real Life Rad Girls: Tikkun Olam Award Winners!

2023-01-02T18:11:57-05:00September 24th, 2018|

Why were you inspired you to create/begin your project? I was inspired to create my heroin awareness project, H.A.P.P.Y. (Heroin Addiction Prevents People’s Years) Week, in 2013 after my favorite actor, Cory Monteith died of a heroin overdose. I had always been a huge fan of his and of the show and I was devastated [...]

Happy to Help

2023-01-02T18:12:04-05:00September 1st, 2018|

Upper Saddle River Teen Stephanie Reifman Wins National Award for Heroin Education Program The problem with student heroin education, Stephanie Reifman decided at age 13, was that no one was listening. Five ears later, Reifman's HAPPY (Heroin Addiction Prevents People's Years) Week heroin program for middle and high school students has earned her a $36,000 [...]

Upper Saddle River teen wins national award for heroin education program in NJ, NY schools

2023-01-02T18:12:13-05:00July 6th, 2018|

UPPER SADDLE RIVER — The problem with student heroin education, Stephanie Reifman decided at age 13, was that no one was listening. Five years later, Reifman's HAPPY Week heroin program for middle and high school students has earned her a $36,000 Helen Diller Foundation Teen Tikkun Olam ("repair the world") Award, one of only 15 [...]

‘Changemaker’ receives Diller Award

2023-01-02T18:12:21-05:00June 28th, 2018|

Local teen lauded for creative efforts to prevent drug addiction In the summer of 2013, when Stephanie Reifman of Upper Saddle River was 13, Cory Monteith — one of her favorite actors — died of a heroin overdose. “I was devastated,” she said. “I loved him and I loved ‘Glee,’” the TV program he starred [...]

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