Returned Peace Corps Volunteers of New Jersey

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Returned Peace Corps Volunteers of New Jersey

Founded in 1978 - RPCVNJ is the official affiliate group of the NPCA for New Jersey.

07/22/2026

RPCV-NJ

Book Club Update — Summer 2026
Earlier this summer we conducted a book club review via zoom. We discussed the book entitled River Town: Two Years on the Yangtze by Peter Hessler. Peter was a Peace Corps Volunteer who served in China in the 1990’s and his book was on the New York Times Best Seller List. We were very fortunate to have Michele G. among our book club review participants that evening since she also served as a teacher in China around the same time as the author. The fact that she also served in China helped give credence to what the author presented in his book. Michele’s insights and contributions helped us all better understand what a difficult (yet rewarding) assignment it was to serve in China during the late 90’s.

Our next book is a novel written by a former New Jersey RPCV, Naomi Shank. Naomi served in Senegal and her novel took her twelve years to research and write.

The following quote is an excerpt from the back cover of the book:
“Perfect for lovers of cultural and historical fiction, and readers drawn to stories of Africa and its diaspora, Naomi L. Shank’s When The Universe Pivots is a lyrical, deeply human tale of memory and resilience.”

We invite you to read the book and join us for a zoom-based review discussion which will be held around mid-October. Naomi plans to join us for the discussion of her novel.

NEXT BOOK SELECTION:
Title: When the Universe Pivots
Author: Naomi L. Shank
Paperback ISBN #: 979-8-9951415-0-1
eBook ISBN #: 979-8-9951415-1-8
Zoom Review Discussion: Mid-OCTOBER (Exact Date To-Be- Determined)

06/22/2026

Anthony’s Coal-Fired Pizza Review

Who wants this last slice???
We had a nice time at our last stop on the NJ Pizza Trail. Twelve RPCVs attended the event, and it was a pleasure to meet several new people and a few who went to events many years ago and have returned today.

As you can see from the photos, we ate five large pies with no problem. The coal-fired ovens at Anthony’s can reach nine hundred degrees and they can cook a pizza in 2 to 3 minutes but once taken out of the oven they cool down very quickly— and that was a bit disappointing. The taste was good and the variety of toppings was vast. As for our review, some people “loved it”, the author “liked it”, and others said, “It’s OK”. So, we had a mixed bag of opinions at this pizzeria.

Over the past year or so we have eaten at a significant number of famous pizzerias. A few of us attended almost every event and came to a consensus on which ones were the best.

Here is our list of the top 3:
Star Tavern in Orange, NJ –— By Far the BEST (Traditional Bar Pie)

Angeloni’s in Caldwell, NJ— Second Best (“Thinny-Thin Pizza”)

De Lorenzo’s in Robbinsville, NJ— Third Best (Trenton-Style Tomato Pie)

If you want excellent pizza, try these three recommendations from our RPCV pizza crew.

Now we plan to visit other types of restaurants, and we encourage you to join us on our culinary adventures. Keep an eye on your emails for future events.

06/03/2026

RPCV-NJ BOOK CLUB

Our next book club entry is a New York Times Best Seller written by a RPCV who served in China. It is available on Amazon, and should be fairly easy to find in most major libraries.

BOOK: River Town: Two Years on the Yangtze (copyright 2001)
Author: Peter Hessler
ISBN: 0-06-019544-4

ZOOM Review Date: Zoom discussion will be on Tuesday, June 30, at 7 PM.

After you have read the book, contact Doug at [email protected] and we will then send you the link for the zoom meeting (a few days before the event.)

05/28/2026

Pizza Luncheon in Wayne, NJ

Our next and final pizza luncheon on the NJ Pizza Trail will be in a more northern location — Wayne, New Jersey.

We will enjoy the unique coal-fired pizza at Anthony’s Coal Fired Pizza. Their ovens can reach 900 degrees and it only takes a few minutes to cook the pie. The high heat gives the pizza a wonderful taste with a little bit of tasty char.

Here are the details:
PLACE: Anthony’s Coal Fire Pizza
ADDRESS: 1600 NJ-Route 23, Wayne, NJ, 07407
DATE: Sunday, June 14
TIME: 12 Noon
RSVP to Doug at [email protected] by June 12 at the latest, so we can make the appropriate reservations.

Special Notes: Based on the number of people in attendance, we will order an appropriate number of pies and non-alcoholic beverages, and then share the costs equally. Please bring CASH because it helps us settle the bill more easily.

05/26/2026

RPCV-NJ— 2026
ANNUAL PICNIC REVIEW

May 16th was a perfect weather day for our 2026 RPCV-NJ Annual Picnic at Terhune Orchards in Princeton. Our gracious hosts Pam and Tannwen Mount provided a comfortable, air-conditioned event room in their winery barn. We presented them with a flower photo on canvas in appreciation of their continued support of our organization.

Forty-three people attended the picnic / send-off celebration. This was a terrific turnout, given that this time of year is busy with graduations, trips, etc. for many people. We were pleased to meet a good number of new RPCVs, as well as many of the “regulars”. All of whom brought ample amounts of delicious food of all types to share with others.

The highlight of the afternoon was a candlelight send-off ceremony for 4 Peace Corps invitees who will be entering the Peace Corps in the near future. This was an excellent opportunity for them to mingle with RPCV’s who are always eager to share their experiences and wisdom with new members. Here are the places where the new invitees will be serving:

Brandon – Guatemala
Christian — East Africa
Zane— Eswatini
Jennalee—North Macedonia

We always have an enjoyable time at our social events. Please consider joining us at our next event on Sunday, June 14, at noon, for our last in a series of pizza luncheons at Anthony’s Coal Fired Pizza in Wayne, NJ. Keep an eye on your emails for a detailed flyer about this event.

04/28/2026

Café Crevier Pizza Lunch Review

It was a damp and very rainy day on April 25, when a group of dedicated RPCVs came from far and near to enjoy a pizza lunch at Café Crevier in Denville, New Jersey. Now, we are going to make your mouth water by describing the four different pizzas we ordered:
“Easy on the Pizzi” — A vodka sauce base, crispy cupped pepperoni, mozzarella, fresh burrata, basil, and a drizzle of Hot Honey for a perfect blend of rich and sweet flavors.

“Sweet Cups of Spice”—Rectangular Pie with Cupped Pepperoni, Sweet Whipped Ricotta, Diced Hot Cherry Peppers, Mozzarella, Fresh Basil, Plum Tomatoes, and Mikes Hot Honey

“Thinny Thin & Thinny Thin with Mushrooms” —Paper thin, well done, no crust, with a crown of crispy cheese to the end.

YUMMMMMM !

Near the end of the luncheon, everyone wrote down a brief comment about the event/food. Their comments are listed below:

“The Thinny Thin strikes once again! Café Crevier did not disappoint (same owners as Angeloni’s). The Thinny Thin with mushrooms was my favorite. The ‘crisp” was perfect.”

“The pizza with sausage, fresh basil and mozzarella was unique and wonderful.”

“The regular pizza get-togethers are a wonderful way to meet people who have had similar life experiences and share a sense of adventure. And the pizza is always delicious.”

“I’ve had the Thinny Thin pizza before at Angeloni’s and I loved it at both places. The Sweet Cups of Spice pizza was a delight to my taste buds –a perfect blend of tasty ingredients. Also, the interaction of attendees at these RPCV events is always enjoyable.”

Please join us at future events. Our biggest event of the year is our Annual Picnic (check your emails for more details) which will be held on May 16 at Terhune Orchards in Princeton,

04/24/2026

Returned Peace Corps Volunteers of New Jersey
RPCV-NJ ANNUAL PICNIC & PUBLIC BOARD MEETING 2026

Location: Terhune Orchards (330 Cold Soil Road, Princeton)
Date: Saturday, May 16, 2026
Time: 11am-3pm

Schedule:
11 am-12 pm—Public Board Meeting (open to all)
12 pm-3 pm—Annual Picnic

***This year we are combining our RPCV Public Board Meeting with our Annual Picnic.

These events are open to all RPCVs and their families and friends.

This is our BIG Event - Please Do Not Miss It
The event is Rain or Shine (indoor event) and will be held at Terhune Orchards.

This is a potluck event, so we request that everyone please bring food and/or non-alcoholic beverages to share. All types of food are welcomed, including international dishes. Crock pots and warming trays can be plugged in (but grilling is not permitted.)
This is an opportunity to see friends and meet new people. There will also be plenty of time to explore Terhune Orchard’s country store, winery, “pick your own” opportunities and pet the animals.

RSVP to Doug at [email protected] no later than May 14.

04/10/2026

Pizza Luncheon in Denville, NJ

Our next pizza luncheon will be in a more northern location — Deville, New Jersey.

We will enjoy the delicious thin crust pizza (actual photo above) at Café Crevier (don’t let the French name fool you – the pizza is great.) Here are the details:

PLACE: Café Crevier

ADDRESS: 25 East Main Street, Denville, NJ, 07834

DATE: Saturday, April 25

TIME: 12 Noon

RSVP to Doug at [email protected] by April 22 at the latest, so we can make the appropriate reservations.

Special Notes: Based on the number of people in attendance, we will order an appropriate number of pies and non-alcoholic beverages, and then share the costs equally. Please bring CASH because it helps us settle the bill more easily.

04/01/2026

DeLorenzo’s Tomato Pies — Review

DeLorenzo’s was established in 1938 in Trenton and has now moved to Robbinsville. It’s famous for its “tomato pies” which use smashed plum tomatoes as the sauce, resulting in a fresh, tangy pizza.

Unfortunately, they don’t open on the weekends until 4 PM, and we think this late hour most likely kept some of our members away, resulting in only 13 RPCV’s attending. But this small group devoured five large pies in less than 30 minutes—it was that GOOD! They ate them so fast that we were not able to get pictures of the group until after all the pizza had “vanished” from the table.

In the author’s opinion, this is one of the best pizzas that we have had so far on our pizza tour. DeLorenzo’s is extremely popular, so much so that a line formed outside the restaurant 30 minutes before the doors opened. There was a steady stream of patrons throughout the evening and a waiting line all night long.

If you want great pizza, this is the place to go. The place is very noisy (poor acoustics), but your taste buds will thank you.
Our next pizza luncheon will be near the end of April (exact place and date to be announced soon.) This time it will be in a northern area of New Jersey. Please join us.

03/05/2026

To RPCVs and our followers, we have a volunteer initiative through ENGin below. Its a great program for those looking to volunteer and making connections beyond.

Join ENGin as a Conversation Partner and Change a Life

Want to support Ukrainians today, but aren’t sure how? ENGin connects English speaking volunteers to Ukrainians for weekly online conversation practice and cultural exchange. This unique program allows you to connect directly to someone, support their English development, and form a lasting friendship.

They are always welcoming new volunteers, and would love to see you join their program!

How Does It Work?
Sign up at www.enginprogram.org/volunteer
Complete onboarding process, including 1 hour of video trainings
Commit to 1 hour per week for a minimum of 3 months with your match (flexible schedule)
Open to volunteers ages 13-80+ worldwide, no prior experience with ESL learners or Ukrainian language necessary

Learn more about ENGin on our website, by watching their informational video, or by reaching out to their team at [email protected].

Address

New York, NY

Telephone

+16462858815

Website

http://www.rpcvnj.org/

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