Essex County Senior Writing Contest Returns For 2023

ESSEX COUNTY, NJ — Are you a senior with a big story to tell? Here’s your chance, Essex County.

The Essex County Division of Senior Services is once again inviting local residents 60 and older to submit an original story about a “special person, life-changing experience, or significant period of their life” for the 2023 Essex County Legacies Writing Contest.

The contest rules are as follows:

• Writers must be Essex County residents who are 60 years of age or older.
• Entries should be original stories focusing on a special person, a life-altering experience, or a significant period in your life.
• The suggested maximum length is 1,500 words.
• Stories must be typed or legibly hand-written on 8.5-by-11-inch paper.
• Entries must have a cover page with the story’s title, the author’s name, date of birth, address, and telephone number.
• The story title with no identifying information should appear on the first page of the story text. All identifying information about the author is removed when stories are judged by the review committee.
• Seniors may submit only one entry.
• Previously published stories may not be submitted.
• Seniors should keep a copy of the story. Entries will not be returned.

The deadline for entries is Monday, April 17. Late entries will not be accepted.

Stories can be emailed to dwertz@seniors.essexcountynj.org, or mailed to the Essex County Division of Senior Services, Attn: Doreatha Wertz, 465 Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Blvd., Suite 102, Newark, NJ 07102.

All writers who submit stories will be invited to the Division of Senior Services Legacies Award Ceremony in May 2023. Awards will be presented to the authors of the winning and honorable mention stories. These stories will be posted on the Essex County website at www.essexcountynj.org.

For a complete list of contest rules or for more information, visit www.essexcountynj.org or call the Essex County Division of Senior Services at 973-395-8389.

“Our senior citizens have led interesting lives and I am always impressed by the stories that are submitted,” Essex County Executive Joseph DiVincenzo Jr. said.

“Our Legacies Contest is an opportunity for our older residents to remember their past and share their experiences with family, friends, and the younger generation,” DiVincenzo said. “It’s never too early to begin collecting your thoughts and writing your drafts.”

The Division of Senior Services also offers a wide range of services to eligible Essex County seniors. It offers adult protective services, provides transportation, administers adult day care, offers counseling for caregivers, provides home delivered meals and offers visiting nurse services. For more information about these and other services, call the Division at 973-395-8375. Individuals with hearing impairments may reach the Division by calling the New Jersey Relay Service (711V/TYY).

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