Unlock a More Youthful You With Hormone Replacemment Therapy In Rockaway, NJ
Aging is inevitable, and for many, it signals the beginning of a new chapter - one where you cross off bucket list items and live life to the fullest, on your own terms. However, for some women, aging is a horrible prospect, filled with chronic fatigue, irritability, and inability to perform in the bedroom. If you're concerned about life in middle age and beyond, we've got great news: there are easy, proven steps that you can take to help stop the negative effect of aging.
Global Life Rejuvenation was founded to give women a new lease on life - one that includes less body fat, fewer mood swings, and more energy as you age. If you're ready to look and feel younger, it's time to consider HRT (hormone replacement therapy), and growth hormone peptides. These therapies for men and women are effective, safe, and customized to fit your goals, so you can keep loving life as you get older.
HRT, and growth hormone peptide therapies bridge the gap between your old life and the more vibrant, happier version of you. With a simple click or call, you can be well on your way to a brighter future. After all, you deserve to be the one in charge of your wellness and health. Now, you have the tools to do so - backed by science and applied by our team of HRT experts with more than 13 years of experience.
What is HRT?
As women age, their hormones begin to go through changes that affect their day-to-day lives. For women, hormone deficiency and imbalance usually occur during menopause and can cause chronic fatigue, hot flashes, and mood swings, among other issues. Hormone replacement therapy helps correct hormone imbalances in women, helping them feel more vibrant and virile as they age.
Often, HRT treatments give patients enhanced quality of life that they didn't think was possible - even in their 60's and beyond.
The benefits for women are numerous and are available today through Global Life Rejuvenation.
HORMONE REPLACEMENT THERAPY
HRT and Anti-Aging Medicine for Women in Rockaway, NJ
As women age, their bodies begin to go through significant changes that affect their quality of life. This change is called menopause and marks the end of a woman's menstrual cycle and reproduction ability. Though there is no specific age when this change occurs, the average age of menopause onset is 51 years old. However, according to doctors, menopause officially starts 12 months after a woman's final period. During the transition to menopause, women's estrogen and other hormones begin to deplete.
As that happens, many women experience severe symptoms. These symptoms include:
- Hot Flashes
- Chronic Fatigue
- Incontinence
- Trouble Sleeping
- Dryness
- Muscle Loss
- Fat Gain
- Mood Swings
The symptoms of hormone deficiency can be concerning and scary for both women and their spouses. However, if you're getting older and notice some of these symptoms, there is reason to be hopeful. Hormone replacement therapy and anti-aging medicine for women can correct imbalances that happen during menopause. These safe, effective treatments leave you feeling younger, healthier, and more vibrant.
What Causes Menopause?
The most common reason for menopause is the natural decline in a female's reproductive hormones. However, menopause can also result from the following situations:
Oophorectomy: This surgery, which removes a woman's ovaries, causes immediate menopause. Symptoms and signs of menopause in this situation can be severe, as the hormonal changes happen abruptly.
Chemotherapy: Cancer treatments like chemotherapy can induce menopause quickly, causing symptoms to appear shortly after or even during treatment.
Ovarian Insufficiency: Also called premature ovarian failure, this condition is essentially premature menopause. It happens when a woman's ovaries quit functioning before the age of 40 and can stem from genetic factors and disease. Only 1% of women suffer from premature menopause, but HRT can help protect the heart, brain, and bones.
Common Issues for Women During Menopause
For many women, menopause is a trying time that can be filled with many hormonal hurdles to jump through. A little knowledge can go a long way, whether you're going through menopause now or are approaching "that" age.
Here are some of the most common issues that women experience during menopause:
Depression
If you're a woman going through menopause and find that you have become increasingly depressed, you're not alone. It's estimated that 15% of women experience depression to some degree while going through menopause. What many women don't know is that depression can start during perimenopause, or the years leading up to menopause.
Depression can be hard to diagnose, especially during perimenopause and menopause. However, if you notice the following signs, it might be time to speak with a physician:
- Mood Swings
- Inappropriate Guilt
- Chronic Fatigue
- Too Much or Too Little Sleep
- Lack of Interest in Life
- Overwhelming Feelings
Remember, if you're experiencing depression, you're not weak or broken - you're going through a very regular emotional experience. The good news is that with proper treatment from your doctor, depression isn't a death sentence. And with HRT and anti-aging treatment for women, depression could be the catalyst you need to enjoy a new lease on life.
Hot Flashes
Hot flashes - they're one of the most well-known symptoms of menopause. Hot flashes are intense, sudden feelings of heat across a woman's upper body. Some last second, while others last minutes, making them incredibly inconvenient and uncomfortable for most women.
Symptoms of hot flashes include:
- Sudden, Overwhelming Feeling of Heat
- Anxiety
- High Heart Rate
- Headache
- Nausea
- Dizziness
Typically, hot flashes are caused by a lack of estrogen. Low estrogen levels negatively affect a woman's hypothalamus, the part of the brain that controls body temperature and appetite. Low estrogen levels cause the hypothalamus to incorrectly assume the body is too hot, dilating blood vessels to increase blood flow. Luckily, most women don't have to settle for the uncomfortable feelings that hot flashes cause. HRT treatments for women often stabilize hormones, lessening the effects of hot flashes and menopause in general.
Mood Swings
Mood swings are common occurrences for most people - quick shifts from happy to angry and back again, triggered by a specific event. And while many people experience mood swings, they are particularly common for women going through menopause. That's because, during menopause, the female's hormones are often imbalanced. Hormone imbalances and mood swings go hand-in-hand, resulting in frequent mood changes and even symptoms like insomnia.
The rate of production of estrogen, a hormone that fluctuates during menopause, largely determines the rate of production the hormone serotonin, which regulates mood, causing mood swings.
Luckily, HRT and anti-aging treatments in Rockaway, NJ for women work wonders for mood swings by regulating hormone levels like estrogen. With normal hormone levels, women around the world are now learning that they don't have to settle for mood swings during menopause.
Weight Gain
Staying fit and healthy is hard for anyone living in modern America. However, for women with hormone imbalances during perimenopause or menopause, weight gain is even more serious. Luckily, HRT treatments for women coupled with a physician-led diet can help keep weight in check. But which hormones need to be regulated?
- Estrogen: During menopause, estrogen levels are depleted. As such, the body must search for other sources of estrogen. Because estrogen is stored in fat, your body believes it should increase fat production during menopause. Estrogen also plays a big part in insulin resistance, which can make it even harder to lose weight and keep it off.
- Progesterone: Progesterone levels are also depleted during menopause. Progesterone depletion causes bloating and water retention, while loss of testosterone limits the body's ability to burn calories.
- Ongoing Stress: Stress makes our bodies think that food is hard to come by, putting our bodies in "survival mode". When this happens, cortisol production is altered. When cortisol timing changes, the energy in the bloodstream is diverted toward making fat. With chronic stress, this process repeatedly happens, causing extensive weight gain during menopause.
Low Libido
Lowered sexual desire - three words most men and women hate to hear. Unfortunately, for many women in perimenopausal and menopausal states, it's just a reality of life. Thankfully, today, HRT and anti-aging treatments Rockaway, NJ can help women maintain a normal, healthy sex drive. But what causes low libido in women, especially as they get older?
The hormones responsible for low libido in women are progesterone, estrogen, and testosterone.
Progesterone production decreases during perimenopause, causing low sex drive in women. Lower progesterone production can also cause chronic fatigue, weight gain, and other symptoms. On the other hand, lower estrogen levels during menopause lead to vaginal dryness and even vaginal atrophy or loss of muscle tension.
Lastly, testosterone plays a role in lowered libido. And while testosterone is often grouped as a male hormone, it contributes to important health and regulatory functionality in women. A woman's testosterone serves to heighten sexual responses and enhances orgasms. When the ovaries are unable to produce sufficient levels of testosterone, it often results in a lowered sex drive.
Vaginal Dryness
Often uncomfortable and even painful, vaginal dryness is a serious problem for sexually active women. However, like hair loss in males, vaginal dryness is very common - almost 50% of women suffer from it during menopause.
Getting older is just a part of life, but that doesn't mean you have to settle for the side effects. HRT and anti-aging treatments for women correct vaginal dryness by re-balancing estrogen, progesterone, and testosterone. When supplemented with diet and healthy living, your vagina's secretions are normalized, causing discomfort to recede.
Fibroids
Uterine fibroids - they're perhaps the least-known symptom of menopause and hormone imbalances in women. That's because these growths on the uterus are often symptom-free. Unfortunately, these growths can be cancerous, presenting a danger for women as they age.
Many women will have fibroids at some point. Because they're symptomless, they're usually found during routine doctor exams. Some women only get one or two, while others may have large clusters of fibroids. Because fibroids are usually caused by hormone imbalances, hysterectomies have been used as a solution, forcing women into early menopause.
Advances in HRT and anti-aging medicine for women give females a safer, non-surgical option without having to experience menopause early. At Global Life Rejuvenation, our expert physicians will implement a customized HRT program to stabilize your hormones and reduce the risk of cancerous fibroid growth.
Endometriosis
Endometriosis symptoms are much like the effects of PMS, and include pelvic pain, fatigue, cramping, and bloating. While doctors aren't entirely sure what causes this painful, uncomfortable condition, most agree that hormones - particularly xenoestrogens - play a factor.
Endometriosis symptoms are much like the effects of PMS and include pelvic pain, fatigue, cramping, and bloating. While doctors aren't entirely sure what causes this painful, uncomfortable condition, most agree that hormones - particularly xenoestrogens - play a factor.
Xenoestrogen is a hormone that is very similar to estrogen. Too much xenoestrogen is thought to stimulate endometrial tissue growth. HRT for women helps balance these hormones and, when used with a custom nutrition program, can provide relief for women across the U.S.
Is HRT for Women the Right Answer?
Hormone stability is imperative for a healthy sex drive and for a normal, stress-free life during menopause. HRT and anti-aging treatments for women balance the hormones that your body has altered due to perimenopause or menopause.
HRT for women is a revolutionary step in helping women live their best lives, even as they grow older. However, at Global Life Rejuvenation, we know that no two patients are the same. That's why we specialize in holistic treatments that utilize HRT, combined with healthy nutrition, supplements, and fitness plans that maximize hormone replacement treatments.
If you've been suffering through menopause, is HRT the answer? That's hard to say without an examination by a trusted physician, but one thing's for sure. When a woman balances her hormone levels, she has a much better shot at living a regular life with limited depression, weight gain, mood swings, and hot flashes.
Here are just a few additional benefits of HRT and anti-aging treatments for females:
Benefits of HRT and Anti-Aging Medicine for Women in Rockaway, NJ
Hormone imbalance causes a litany of issues. But with anti-aging treatments for women, females can better process calcium, keep their cholesterol levels safe, and maintain a healthy vagina. By replenishing the body's estrogen supply, HRT can relieve symptoms from menopause and protect against osteoporosis. But that's just the start.
Global Life Rejuvenation's patients report many more benefits of HRT and anti-aging medicine for women:
- Fewer Mood Swings
- Thicker Hair
- Stronger Bones
- Less Body Fat
- More Energy
- More Stamina
- Increased Sex Drive and Pleasure Sensations
- Better Cognitive Functions
- Improved Pain Receptors
- Less Hot Flashes and Night Sweats
- Lower Triglycerides
- Fewer Bladder Infections
If you're ready to feel better, look better, and recapture the vitality of your youth, it's time to contact Global Life Rejuvenation. It all starts with an in-depth consultation, where we will determine if HRT and anti-aging treatments for women are right for you. After all, every patient's body and hormone levels are different. Since all our treatment options are personalized, we do not have a single threshold for treatment. Instead, we look at our patient's hormone levels and analyze them on a case-by-case basis.
HRT from Global Life Rejuvenation
At Global Life Rejuvenation, we help women rediscover their youth with HRT treatment for women. We like to think of ourselves as an anti-aging concierge service, guiding and connecting our patients to the most qualified HRT physicians available. With customized HRT treatment plan for women, our patients experience fewer menopausal symptoms, less perimenopause & menopause depression, and often enjoy a more youth-like appearance.
Reverse Aging with Growth Hormone Peptides
Growth hormone peptides are an innovative therapy that boosts the natural human growth hormone production in a person's body. These exciting treatment options help slow down the aging process and give you a chance at restoring your youth.
What is Sermorelin?
Sermorelin is a synthetic hormone peptide, like GHRH, which triggers the release of growth hormones. When used under the care of a qualified physician, Sermorelin can help you lose weight, increase your energy levels, and help you feel much younger.
Benefits of Sermorelin
Human growth hormone (HGH) therapy has been used for years to treat hormone deficiencies. Unlike HGH, which directly replaces declining human growth hormone levels, Sermorelin addresses the underlying cause of decreased HGH, stimulating the pituitary gland naturally. This approach keeps the mechanisms of growth hormone production active.
- Benefits of Sermorelin include:
- Better Immune Function
- Improved Physical Performance
- More Growth Hormone Production
- Less Body Fat
- Build More Lean Muscle
- Better Sleep
What is Ipamorelin?
Ipamorelin helps to release growth hormones in a person's body by mimicking a peptide called ghrelin. Ghrelin is one of three hormones which work together to regulate the growth hormone levels released by the pituitary gland. Because Ipamorelin stimulates the body to produce growth hormone, your body won't stop its natural growth hormone production, which occurs with synthetic HGH.
Ipamorelin causes growth hormone secretion that resembles natural release patterns rather than being constantly elevated from HGH. Because ipamorelin stimulates the natural production of growth hormone, our patients can use this treatment long-term with fewer health risks.
Benefits of Ipamorelin
One of the biggest benefits of Ipamorelin is that it provides significant short and long-term benefits in age management therapies. Ipamorelin can boost a patient's overall health, wellbeing, and outlook on life.
When there is an increased concentration of growth hormone by the pituitary gland, there are positive benefits to the body. Some benefits include:
- Powerful Anti-Aging Properties
- More Muscle Mass
- Less Unsightly Body Fat
- Deep, Restful Sleep
- Increased Athletic Performance
- More Energy
- Less Recovery Time for Training Sessions and Injuries
- Enhanced Overall Wellness and Health
- No Significant Increase in Cortisol
Your New, Youthful Lease on Life with HRT for Women
Whether you are considering our HRT and anti-aging treatments for women in Rockaway, NJ, we are here to help. The first step to reclaiming your life begins by contacting Global Life Rejuvenation. Our friendly, knowledgeable HRT experts can help answer your questions and walk you through our procedures. From there, we'll figure out which treatments are right for you. Before you know it, you'll be well on your way to looking and feeling better than you have in years!
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Latest News in Rockaway, NJ
Teriyaki Madness Arrives in Rockaway, NJ
Ryan Gallagherhttps://jerseybites.com/2024/04/teriyaki-madness-arrives-in-rockaway-nj/
This is madness!No, this is Teriyaki Madness.Please, don’t kick this messenger down the well, Spartan. Hold up and listen to a tale about one specific taste profile that became the basis of an entire restaurant concept.The Rockaway Town Plaza location of Teriyaki Madness opened in November 2023. Built around options prepared in a sweet, salty, and (sometimes) spicy glaze. And this fast-casual concept includ...
This is madness!
No, this is Teriyaki Madness.
Please, don’t kick this messenger down the well, Spartan. Hold up and listen to a tale about one specific taste profile that became the basis of an entire restaurant concept.
The Rockaway Town Plaza location of Teriyaki Madness opened in November 2023. Built around options prepared in a sweet, salty, and (sometimes) spicy glaze. And this fast-casual concept includes a mad dedication to quality ingredients.
Bowls, bowls, and more bowls. As the manifesto for Teriyaki Madness reads: “It takes big bowls to make something this awesome!”
That something—for many customers—is the chicken teriyaki bowl.
“My favorite also happens to be the number-one selling dish,” said the Rockaway, NJ, Teriyaki Madness operating partner, Tony Santarelli.
“In the chicken teriyaki bowl, you have the choice of thigh or breast,” he said. “For me, thigh is more flavorful. And we make really good fried rice. So, you can get that bowl with fried rice. Sometimes I get a side of the ‘Mad Spicy’ sauce and that brings some thunder. I just stick the edge of my fork in it, and that quenches my need for heat.”
Santarelli is the operating partner of the Rockaway, NJ, Teriyaki Madness location. He’s so stoked on the Madness that he’s signed on for four more locations in the Garden State. Today, though, Santarelli is focused on pleasing the audience dining at his Rockaway Mall location.
Most commonly, meals at Teriyaki Madness go just like Santarelli suggested. If a customer orders a chicken teriyaki bowl, they might also grab a fountain soda, an appetizer—maybe an egg roll, potstickers, or crab rangoon—and perhaps even a chocolate cookie for the road.
When customers aren’t set on the chicken teriyaki bowl or the spicy chicken teriyaki bowl, they might be trying the orange chicken or the steak teriyaki.
“Your typical bowl is white or brown rice, a veggie mix that contains broccoli, zucchini, carrots, onions, cabbage, and then a protein like chicken,” explained Santarelli. “And the sauce changes things up a little bit. Plus, you can customize it with fried rice or noodles as base. Typically, people elect for a bowl and side, as well as a drink.”
The audience has grown as word has spread about the quick, healthy, made-to-order food at Teriyaki Madness. You can order takeout or delivery, or sit down to eat in the restaurant.
Customers looking for vegan, vegetarian, and/or gluten-free food choices will find options available at Teriyaki Madness. “It’s great for multiple audiences,” said Santarelli. “It was very appealing to us because the menu is slanted toward gluten free—which is something my wife and I seek when we go out dining as well. And there are options for no meat—we have tofu, and we have salmon.”
Endless rice and chicken bowls are what dreams are made of for so many health-conscious diners.
“I would say that the key thing for us in the franchise world is that our food comes out hot and made-to-order, and we prep every day,” said Santarelli, about the business’s operating habits.
“For example, the heads of cabbage and the broccoli are fresh. We slice fresh veggies all day, so they are ready for guests. Nothing is pre-cooked and held under a heat lamp. The first thing customers see is our grill section where we’re cooking proteins all day.”
The Teriyaki Madness in Rockaway is the first of five new NJ locations to be managed by Santarelli, who has managed multiple Dunkin Donuts franchises.
Santarelli said he fell in love with the Teriyaki Madness concept because it was a step above fast food with the cook-to-order promise, and had dine-in and takeout options, while still offering quick service.
Teriyaki Madness differs from other concepts like Bubbakoos or Chipotle because “those brands are scoop and go, the food is pre-made and down the line customers are building the product, and the food is instant,” explained Santarelli.
“We’re doing fresh cooking at that exact moment,” he continued. “Customers sit and get a table, or get delivery and we bring it out, to-go, and bag it up. The differentiation there is we have customers that order fresh-cooked and assembled food—nothing has been there since 8 a.m. Even still, there’s an eight-minute speed-of-service expectation, and if you ordered ahead, it should be ready when you get here.”
Teriyaki Madness also provides ordering for curbside pickup through its app, what they call: “Mad Dash.” “It’s essentially drive thru without the drive thru,” said Santarelli. “Customers order ahead, we see on our iPad the progress of their vehicle coming, and we take the order to their car at the curb. Just download the app and select ‘curbside’ for the Mad Dash experience.”
It’s not just dine-in or takeout either. Teriyaki Madness also offers catering to office employees as well as residents in the area who need food for an off-premise event.
“We have a large office population here as well as medical reps and pharma employees, so we’ll do catered lunches or meetings,” said Santarelli. “The quality of the food speaks for itself. There are varieties so most people wouldn’t veto the food. And we don’t just dump it off on the counter, we take pride on setting it up with labels, utensils, plates, and such.”
Overall, Santarelli is betting that New Jersey residents are underserved when it comes to teriyaki-style food.
“I went in on Teriyaki Madness with a partner of mine, and we kind of joined forces because we loved the fresh-cooked food, the very small freezer space, the daily vegetable prep, and the cook-to-order model,” said Santarelli. “It’s a blend of sit down and quick serve where customers can get fresh food in a relatively short period of time. Plus, it’s a taste profile of the food we loved.”
Ultimately, Santarelli was sold on Teriyaki Madness when the food quality and taste met his expectations for how a franchise restaurant should operate. So, keep an eye out for more locations across the state.
Teriyaki Madness 395 Mount Hope Avenue, #600 Rockaway, NJ 973-891-1041
Rockaway Borough Food Truck & Music Festival
Carly Weaver -https://bestofnj.com/events/rockaway-borough-food-truck-music-festival/
Location: Rockaway Borough Fireman’s FieldAddress: 144 Beach Street, Rockaway, 07866Event Date: 07/29/2023Event Time: 11:00 am - 7:00 pmEvent Description:The Rockaway Borough Food Truck & Music Festival takes place on Saturday, July 29, 2023 at Firemans Field in Rockaway. The event is from 11:00 am until 7:00 pm. Admission is $5, but kids under 5 can attend for free. ...
Location: Rockaway Borough Fireman’s Field
Address: 144 Beach Street, Rockaway, 07866
Event Date: 07/29/2023
Event Time: 11:00 am - 7:00 pm
Event Description:
The Rockaway Borough Food Truck & Music Festival takes place on Saturday, July 29, 2023 at Firemans Field in Rockaway. The event is from 11:00 am until 7:00 pm. Admission is $5, but kids under 5 can attend for free. Visit the Just Jersey Fest website to learn more about this event.
The Rockaway Borough Food Truck & Music Festival offers up to 15 food trucks and music all day. Dogs are welcome at this event. Tickets for the festival are available on-site. Follow Just Jersey Fest on Facebook for event updates and more details.
Every Just Jersey Fest festival is guaranteed to feature over 20 gourmet food trucks per event. In addition, all festivals are kid friendly and many events are dog friendly as well. (It’s best to check with each event for more info about rules regarding pets.) Other benefits of Just Just Fest Events include craft beer, sangria, and margarita bars. Plus, all events feature either a live band performance or a DJ.
Just Jersey Fest does ask guests to bring their own blankets or chairs, as they do not provide seating. Likewise, they do not permit outside food, drinks, or coolers. (Food and refreshments are available for sale at every event.) Finally, Just Jersey Fest asks all attendees to consider bringing a non-perishable canned or boxed item for donation. These donations are provided to local food pantrys.
Allison Kohler is the president of both Just Jersey Fest and JMK Shows. With over 35 years of experience in event promotion, she is the premier event organizer for food truck festivals. She also organizes the Big Brew Beer Festival, Beer BBQ Bacon Showdown, Taco Palooza, and many other local festivals.
Click Here To See More Events on Best of NJ.
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Upcoming Events at Rockaway Borough Fireman’s Field:
Celebrating Wellness: Holistic Re-Leaf Unveils its New Cannabis Dispensary in Rockaway, NJ
Holistic Re-Leaf Dispensaryhttps://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/celebrating-wellness-holistic-re-leaf-unveils-its-new-cannabis-dispensary-in-rockaway-nj-302087006.html
ROCKAWAY, N.J., March 13, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- A new destination for cannabis connoisseurs is set to open its doors in Morris County. Holistic Re-Leaf, located at 321 Mt. Hope Ave. in the Rockaway Township Mall, is celebrating its grand opening on March 15th, 2024, marking a significant milestone in New Jersey's growing cannabis market. Just an hour outside of New York City and conveniently situated off Route 80 with ample parking, Holistic Re-Leaf is set to become the center of holistic health and wellness in the community.Sherry Hun...
ROCKAWAY, N.J., March 13, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- A new destination for cannabis connoisseurs is set to open its doors in Morris County. Holistic Re-Leaf, located at 321 Mt. Hope Ave. in the Rockaway Township Mall, is celebrating its grand opening on March 15th, 2024, marking a significant milestone in New Jersey's growing cannabis market. Just an hour outside of New York City and conveniently situated off Route 80 with ample parking, Holistic Re-Leaf is set to become the center of holistic health and wellness in the community.
Sherry Hundal, a Denville native, opened Holistic Re-Leaf with the goal of combining conventional wellness with innovative cannabis solutions. With a bachelor's degree from Kansas University and an Ayurvedic Wellness Post Baccalaureate Certificate from the University of Maryland, Hundal brings a distinct viewpoint and a wealth of experience to the cannabis sector.
"As we open the doors to Holistic Re-Leaf, we're not just launching a dispensary; we're cultivating a community centered around healing and holistic well-being," explains Sherry Hundal, owner. "Our goal is to enlighten and educate our customers, offering them a diverse range of premium cannabis products tailored to fit their unique lifestyles and needs."
As a certified MWBE (Minority and Women Business Enterprise) in New Jersey, Holistic Re-Leaf stands out for its commitment to diversity, quality, and community. Customers of Holistic Re-Leaf may look forward to an experience that promotes knowledge, comprehension, and responsible use, in addition to premium cannabis products. The staff at Holistic Re-Leaf is committed to helping our customers understand the many advantages that cannabis can provide.
Grand Opening Event Details:
Date: March 15th, 2024Location: 321 Mt Hope Ave., Rockaway Township Mall, Rockaway, NJ 07866Time: 10:00am - 9:30pm
Join us for a day of celebration, education, and discovery. Experience the Holistic Re-Leaf difference and start on a journey toward better wellness and holistic health.
About Holistic Re-Leaf™:
Holistic Re-Leaf is striving to offer a comprehensive experience that enables our clients to make educated decisions for healthy living, all while upholding purity, potency, and responsible use. We are dedicated to providing premium items that reflect the variety and requirements of our community as a locally owned, woman and minority owned business in New Jersey.
Media Contact:Raman Singh, MarketingEmail: ramanholistic@gmail.comPhone: +1 (845) 420-9449
SOURCE Holistic Re-Leaf Dispensary
They've handed out 450 presents over four years. Meet the Christmas angels of Rockaway
Gene Myershttps://www.dailyrecord.com/story/news/local/morris-county/2023/12/06/morris-county-christmas-gift-drive-angel-helps-450-kids/71758996007/
Three years ago, Rockaway Township’s Cathy Vonk passed a giving tree in Denville and decided to help. Supported by friends and family, she has spread the Christmas spirit to hundreds of kids in need since.Vonk was on a coffee run in 2020 when she walked into SmartWorld Coffee on Diamond Spring Road in Denv...
Three years ago, Rockaway Township’s Cathy Vonk passed a giving tree in Denville and decided to help. Supported by friends and family, she has spread the Christmas spirit to hundreds of kids in need since.
Vonk was on a coffee run in 2020 when she walked into SmartWorld Coffee on Diamond Spring Road in Denville and spotted an "Angel Tree" − a Christmas tree festooned with tags requesting gifts for a child. She took one.
Her heart sank a week later when she returned to see no other tags had been claimed. She took two more and turned to Facebook, where she shared an image of the neglected tree alongside the gifts her family had prepared. Then Vonk appealed to her friends. “There are so many kids in need,” she wrote. She offered to do the shopping and wrapping; she just needed donations to help buy the gifts.
That first year, Vonk and her supporters bought presents for more than 100 kids − toy drones and art kits and Barbie Dreamhouses and more. But the holiday spirit didn't end there. Season after season, the family has gone back to Angel Trees in the area. Now in its fourth year, the effort has raised more than $16,000 to buy gifts for some 450 kids and counting.
No strangers to hardship
Vonk, a clerk in Rockaway Township's town hall, empathized with the struggling families. So did her husband, Patrick, who spent time in homeless shelters when he was a young child. Now a civil engineer, he encouraged Cathy's generosity. Childhood sweethearts, they grew up together in Elmwood Park.
"My husband had a very rough start to his life," Cathy Vonk said. "He was a tag on a giving tree more than once. He was without a home more than once."
Of her own upbringing, she said: "We didn't have much growing up, but I didn't know it because my parents were always giving ... If anybody needed a meal, they were at our dining room table."
Vonk returned to that first tree a couple of times in 2020 to check on its progress before deciding to take all of its tags. Her living room looked like Santa’s workshop as the family packaged presents for children of all ages.
Disney dress-up costumes, walkie-talkies, roller skates and scooters: Vonk did what she could within a $40 spending limit for each tag. She added her own money whenever the bill went a little over. In the spirit of Christmas, she always added a little something extra as well.
"We always put candy canes in their bags," she said. "We put small toys like bubbles or slime or a puzzle or a slinky. It's just something extra."
Searching for Angel Trees
Donations came in various amounts, from $5 up to $200. Vonk makes sure that all the money goes toward gifts; she posts pictures on Facebook for contributors to see what they're buying for families.
When the 2021 holiday season rolled around, Vonk found herself in coffee and bagel shops across Morris County searching for more Angel Trees. By that point, her kids were involved, too.
Vince, her 11-year-old son, enjoys sketching and comes along whenever art supplies are requested. He helps his mom pair presents with their tags and package them into cellophane bags. "He asks me every morning, 'Did we get anything overnight? How many kids are we helping today?'" Cathy Vonk said.
More:Where to cut down a Christmas tree in New Jersey and New York this year
Daughter Grace, 8, assists with the buying and is also in charge of morale. It's her encouragement that gets her mom out the door to shop after work. In one of Vonk's Facebook posts, Grace can be seen dancing to Christmas music in front of her mom’s red shopping cart at Target.
“My daughter does all the shopping,” she said. “We call her Head Elf."
Together, the Vonks and their supporters spread Christmas cheer to 121 kids in 2021 and 116 last year. The family has raised and spent between $4,000 and $4,500 each year, with Vonk kicking in about $200 of her own money per season, she said.
Inspired by Boonton pastor
The Angel Trees are the brainchild of Pastor Dunia Velasquez of the King Jesus Rise and Shine International Ministry in Boonton. The nonprofit puts the trees around Morris County each year and typically collects about 1,500 gifts for children whose families are struggling.
The trees were the impetus for the ministry, which started 12 years ago. Like the Vonks, Velasquez has faced hard times. There were a few years when she couldn't put presents under the tree for her own children, she said.
Velasquez refers to everyone who helps with the program as an angel. But Cathy Vonk, she said, is her "special angel."
How to help
Vonk has no intention of stopping. She's shopped for 108 kids so far this year. She's hoping she'll be able to surpass the previous years' totals before donations slow down in the middle of the month.
It's what her parents taught her, she said.
"They always kind of said, 'If you have a little bit, but someone has less than you, you have to give what you can,' and that kind of stuck with me," Vonk said. "When I was looking at that tree with all those tags, I thought, 'Oh, I don't want them to have nothing.' And it just turned into this."
Those interested in donating can email [email protected].
Gene Myers covers disability and mental health for NorthJersey.com and the USA TODAY Network. For unlimited access to the most important news from your local community, please subscribe or activate your digital account today.
Email: [email protected]
Twitter: @myersgene
Gene Myers covers disability and mental health for NorthJersey.com and the USA TODAY Network. For unlimited access to the most important news from your local community, please subscribe or activate your digital account today.
Email: [email protected]
Sugar Leaves Cannabis Dispensary Fighting Rockaway Borough
Dan Ulloahttps://headynj.com/dispensary/sugar-leaves-cannabis-dispensary-fighting-rockaway-borough-issues/
The NJ adult use cannabis dispensary Sugar Leaves wants to open in Rockaway Borough. But the town awarded multiple resolutions while only allowing two dispensaries.They were always only planning to allow two NJ adult use cannabis dispensaries to open. Rockaway Boroough likely thought the NJ Cannabis Regulatory Commission (NJ-CRC) would decide who would be allowed to open within their borders.Sugar ...
The NJ adult use cannabis dispensary Sugar Leaves wants to open in Rockaway Borough. But the town awarded multiple resolutions while only allowing two dispensaries.
They were always only planning to allow two NJ adult use cannabis dispensaries to open. Rockaway Boroough likely thought the NJ Cannabis Regulatory Commission (NJ-CRC) would decide who would be allowed to open within their borders.
Sugar Leaves owner Usman Khawaja is a local Pakistani American seeking to open a New Jersey adult use cannabis dispensary in town. He has launched a petition to get the town to allow him to open.
Khawaja is seeking people to advocate that he be allowed to open at the next council meeting this Thursday, September 28th.
“I was the first one to get a license. The town is telling me you’re going to get it,” he said. “I don’t know what they were thinking. They took the money from all 5,6.”
Rockaway Brough Administrator/ Chief Financial Officer Patricia Reiche has running the local cannabis licensing process.
Sugar Leaves recently received their annual license necessary to open approval from the NJ-CRC since they had a location and the necessary town resolution. But with the town cap they cannot get the final paperwork from Rockaway Borough to open.
“Neither are minorities. One is an MSO (Multi-State Operator corporation),” Khawaja noted. “A millionaire came into town and they forgot about minority businesses.”
Rockway already has a dispensary open with the company Kind Kush.
Fighting for an NJ Adult Use Cannabis Dispensary
Khawaja has worked for nearly 3 years to open an NJ adult use cannabis dispensary. Initially, the town didn’t allow any.
“I advocated for it, I fought for it,” he explained. “I kept going back and forth with the town.
Sugar Leaves has been paying rent on their location in a coveted Green Zone spot where cannabis companies are allowed for 3 years.
“You know how hard it is to get in the zone? I got fucking blessed,” Khawaja exclaimed. “Now they won’t let me open up. That hurts to my core.”
He noted Sugar Leaves could donate 3 to 5 percent of their earnings to the town as a community giveback.
“I want to work with the town. We’re bringing people from this community. We’re hiring minorities,” Khawaja said.
Passionate About Cannabis & Sugar Leaves
He has been passionate about cannabis for years. In 2016 a car accident left him badly injured. Initially he tried legal medical pills to treat the pain.
“I developed anxiety. Here’s an anxiety pill. A month later I was on 5 different meds I never needed,” Khawaja noted.
Cannabis helped him heal.
He thought the name Sugar Leaves would stand out.
The original definition of Sugar Leaves is trimmed weed like “I got the sugar leaves.”*
Khawaja launched Sugar Leaves as a clothing brand first.
He has a background in sales and management. Khawaja was previously an assistant manager at cell phone stores. He came to United States when he was 12 when his family moved to Dover in Morris County from Pakistan.
“This is home. That’s why I’m fighting so hard,” Khawaja said.
Rockaway Borough and Dover have a combined school district so the two towns are closely linked he explained.
At 28 he’s a family guy with 2 kids.
“I’m at work every single day. I would love to be home with my kids,” Khawaja noted.
Running a CBD Store
While he was waiting to open an NJ adult use cannabis, Khawaja opened up a CBD store.
“The town loved me for that. I got the mayor to come in for the ribbon cutting when we opened up the CBD store,” Khawaja noted.
A lot of money that went into converting Sugar Leaves to a NJ adult use cannabis dispensary was generated from the store.
He has been selling Delta 8 and legal Delta 9 THC hemp-derived products and CBD.
“We don’t sell weed,” Khawaja declared.
He noted many smoke shops have been doing so.
But the CBD store sales can be hit or miss.
“Most come wanting actual weed,” Khawaja noted. “People don’t want to hear about that Delta stuff.”
Raising and Spending Money
“I spent over half a million trying to get a build out. I have money invested,” he noted.
Khawaja said he raised the money from smaller personal loans from friends and family.
“I put too much money into it: I can’t just move to another spot. I don’t have money to move. I’m running on my last fuckin dime,” he lamented.
Khawaja said the construction and conversion of his CBD store to a licensed New Jersey adult use recreational cannabis dispensary is almost complete.
“I’m 80 percent done with my build-out. I could open in less than a month,” he noted. “I don’t need millions of dollars to do it.”
Wary of Many Cannabis Investors
“The State is telling us you need money. But they want you to partner with investors. They’re leeches,” Khawaja exclaimed. “They want… everything from you.”
He is in a Catch-22.
“The investor wants the town to give me my last permit. The town wants me to show investors before they give me the license,” Khawaja lamented. “I don’t know how to move forward.”
“If I could get town approval, then I could be in a better position negotiating,” he noted. “They want me to be desperate to take these deals.”
“We want 50 percent of your company. I know a lot of suppliers. We would be able to get the inventory without paying upfront,” Khawaja recounted investors saying.
He explained investors are uninterested in Social Equity and giving back to the community. They want to take it over and make him a figurehead puppet.
Khawaja is fearful he could lose the company to investors. Some potential investors wanted 60 percent of the company.
He tried to enter the NJ-EDA’s grant program for cannabis companies. But their initial pilot program filled up quickly.
“As a minority, what are we supposed to do? The State isn’t helping. The towns are not helping,” Khawaja said. “Minorities don’t have the money to open up.”
His story is not unique. Khawaja is not the only one telling horror stories about potential licensed New Jersey cannabis business investors.
Determined to Move Forward
Khawaja is unhappy that for all the great rhetoric that went into passing New Jersey cannabis legalization, the results seem very different.
“They’re supposed to be helping minorities out,” he declared.
Despite the time and the great difficulty, he has made great progress jumping over the hurdles of the New Jersey cannabis industry.
“It’s not easy. I have a passion for it. That’s the only reason I stuck along,” Khawaja noted.
“This is what I was meant to do with my life. It’s truly what I believe. I gotta just keep moving forward. This is the fight of our lives,” he added. “Either I gotta sue the town, or I gotta sue the State.”
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