News & Events

The Animal Welfare Association (AWA) remains a close partner to Voorhees Township. This February, the AWA announced its participation in Puppy Bowl XXII, the Animal Planet’s longest-running and most heartwarming call-to-adoption television event.  Beagle puppy “Finch” will represent the AWA as part of Team Fluff in the Animal Planet’s iconic call-to-adoption event which airs on Sunday, Feb. 8 at 2 p.m.

Each year, Puppy Bowl brings together shelter puppies from across the country to celebrate adoption and raise awareness about animals in need of loving homes. For the AWA, Finch’s selection is both a joyful honor and a powerful reminder of what is possible when shelters, rescues and communities work together.

“Having Finch participate in Puppy Bowl XXII is incredibly special for our entire organization,” said Laura Houston, Executive Director of the AWA. “Finch represents so many of the animals who come through our doors full of potential, personality and love. We are thrilled for him and excited for the opportunity to inspire families everywhere to consider adoption.”

Puppy Bowl airs annually on Super Bowl Sunday and features adoptable puppies competing on a miniature football field in a lighthearted, playful format. From surprise naps to enthusiastic toy chases and tail-wagging touchdowns, the event has become a beloved tradition that blends entertainment with a meaningful mission.

“This is such a wonderful opportunity to shine a spotlight on shelter dogs everywhere,” Houston added. “Every puppy you see has a story, and every one of them deserves a chance at a happy ending. We hope Finch’s Puppy Bowl debut encourages viewers to visit their local shelters and open their hearts to adoption.”

Filming for Puppy Bowl took place in early October 2025. Puppy Bowl XXII will simulcast across Animal Planet, Discovery, TBS, truTV, HBO Max and discovery+. Finch has since been adopted by a local family and is doing very well.

Stay involved! To learn more about the AWA and upcoming events, contact Jaime Moore jaimem@awanj.org or visit awanj.org

We look forward to 2026 as a year of hope, love and optimism.  We should take one last moment to reflect on the eventful year that was 2025.

• The Voorhees Township Police Department saw the retirement of Chief Lou Bordi who proudly served our community for 38 years.  Chief Bordi was at the forefront of many policing initiatives, especially those involving community engagement and school safety.  Under his leadership, we were the first town in the area to put a Police Officer in every school all day every day.  We thank Chief Bordi for his service and we congratulate our new Chief of Police, April Herrington.  Last year, the VTPD continued all of their successful programs, including the Citizens Police Academy and Junior Police Academy.  They initiated the Blue Envelope Program, which supports drivers with autism and communicative disorders by allowing those drivers to put all vehicle paperwork in a blue envelope to enhance safety and positive interaction with the police.
• Under the leadership of Chief Jim Poland, the Voorhees Township Fire Department kept our families safe. They engaged with our community through Fire Prevention Day, Santa on a Fire Truck, our Holiday Parade, Winter Festival and Cookies with Santa.
• Under the leadership of new Director of Public Works, Chris Taylor, our streets, parks and athletic fields were kept safe. Snow removal and trash removal were done seamlessly and efficiently.
• Under the leadership of Township Administrator Stephen Steglik, our Town Hall employees continued to provide the highest level of municipal services in an efficient and effective manner.
• The Township Committee worked hard to reduce spending and control costs. Voorhees engaged in sensible shared services programs with Eastern Regional High School, the Voorhees Township Schools, Gibbsboro, Berlin Township and Camden County.  We continued our programs of side-arm trash collection and single stream recycling collection, allowing our manpower to be used more efficiently.
• The Voorhees Road Program continued with the repaving of 18 Township roads and five courts. With a New Jersey DOT grant of $854,000, pedestrian and bike lane improvements were made to provide better access to the Ashland Station.  With another New Jersey DOT Safe Routes to School Grant of $1.246 million, new sidewalks were installed on both sides of Van Buren Road and Lucas Lane.
• We continued to improve our parks and athletic fields. A new playground was installed at our Soccer Complex.
• To help keep our community safe, we continued our Safe Exchange Zone, NextDoor App, Project Medicine Drop, the Anonymous Crime Tip Line, Nixle and the Safe Cam Program.
• We continued to make our local government transparent and accessible. We televise all of our Township Committee Meetings and we regularly update the Township website.  Over 8,500 follow the Township on Facebook, 3,000 on Instagram, 1,000 on Twitter, almost 6,000 on the Township App and almost 10,000 on the Next-Door App.
• The Township engaged in Community Outreach Programs including our annual Rabies Clinic, Real I.D. services with the New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission, local Motor Vehicle Inspection through the NJMVC, Senior tax assistance, TSA pre-check enrollment, housing and mortgage assistance programs and shredding events.
• We continued our “Voorhees Saves Lives Program.” Through contributions from private donations, free Uber rides home are provided to Voorhees residents from Dooney’s Pub, Iron Hill Brewery, Ott’s Tavern, the Library II and the ChopHouse in Gibbsboro from 9 p.m. to 2 a.m.  Since the inception of this program, DUI incidents have been dramatically reduced.
• We continued with our Shop Voorhees Property Tax Rewards Program, allowing a portion of your normal purchasing dollars spent on goods and services to be applied toward your property tax bill, thereby reducing your taxes at the end of the tax year. Last year, 2,000 households and 19 businesses participated in the program.
• Over 10,000 people attended our Summer Concert Series featuring the FM Band and tributes to Bruce Spingstein and the Beatles. We also had our first Food Truck and Music Festival in September and Movies under the Stars.
• The Arts are alive and well in Voorhees. In 2025, the Voorhees Art Commission sponsored many programs for residents of all ages, including the Fifth Annual Voorhees Got Talent Contest, Art in the Park, Healing Art for a Hero’s Heart and Classics by Candlelight.  The Art Commission had a presence at every Township event.
• Voorhees continued to embrace and celebrate our diversity.  Our Cultural and Diversity Committee continued to be “ambassadors” of celebrating our differences, holding a Juneteenth Freedom Celebration and another successful International Day in October.  In Voorhees, we acknowledge our differences, we embrace our differences and we celebrate our differences until differences make no difference at all.
• Voorhees Township continues to be a destination for new businesses.  Our Voorhees Business Association (VBA) holds monthly networking lunches and successful happy hours.  As a result of a partnership between the Township Committee our residents and the VBA, a total of 46 new businesses opened in Voorhees Township in 2025.
• On October 27, Township Committee unanimously approved a Redevelopment Agreement with Hoboken Brownstown Company to launch a major revitalization of the former Echelon Mall area, now known as the Voorhees Town Center. This transformational partnership sets the stage for the property’s rebirth as a vibrant, mixed-use destination.  The plan includes a mix of residential, retail and civic uses with new townhomes and apartments, over 38,000 square feet of new commercial and entertainment space and a multi-level parking garage.  New park areas, bike paths and landscaped public gathering spaces are also part of the plan.  A 30,000 square foot donation of indoor space from Hoboken Brownstown to Voorhees Township for community use was also included.  We look forward to this area once again being the “heartbeat of our community.”

 

Congratulations to my colleague and friend, Jackie Fetbroyt, who was re-elected in November to the Voorhees Township Committee.

Thank you to the many volunteers who serve on our Township’s boards, committees and commissions.

Thank you for allowing me the privilege of serving as your Mayor in 2025.  I will again embrace the honor in 2026.  On behalf of the Voorhees Township Committee, we will continue to work hard to make Voorhees a great place in which to live, work and raise a family.

 

 

 

“Hate is too great a burden to bear. I have decided to love.”

~ Martin Luther King Jr.

This month we celebrate the life of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and honor the memory of this civil rights pioneer who dared to dream. As we observe Martin Luther King Day, let us remember Dr. King’s vision for equality, dignity and respect to all human beings.

Dr. King followed the non-violent protest philosophies of Gandhi and constantly reminded his followers that their fight for equality would be victorious if they did not resort to bloodshed.  Between 1957 and 1968, Dr. King traveled over six million miles and gave over 2500 speeches, while writing five books in support of civil rights and equality for all Americans.

On August 23, 1963, more than 250,000 people gathered in Washington D.C. where Dr. King led a peaceful march to the Capitol Building to support the passing of laws that guaranteed every American equal civil rights.  It was on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial that Dr. King delivered his legendary speech later entitled, “I Have a Dream.”

During his crusade, Dr. King was awarded five honorary degrees and named “Man of the Year” by Time Magazine in 1963.  At the age of 35, he became the youngest person to receive the Nobel Peace Prize and donated his prize money of $54,123 to the civil rights movement.

Dr. King skipped two grades in high school, 9th and 11th, and entered Morehouse College at the age of 15 in 1944. By 19, he received a Bachelor’s Degree in Sociology.

Today, over 700 streets in the Unites States are named after Martin Luther King Jr. There is one such street in almost every major city. George Washington and Abraham Lincoln are the only other Americans to have had their birthdays observed as a national holiday (now combined as President’s Day).

On the evening of April 4, 1968, while standing on the balcony of his motel room in Memphis, Tennessee, this man of peace was violently assassinated.

“I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed:  We hold these truths to be self-evident; that all men are created equal.  I have a dream that my four children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character…”

When we celebrate this holiday, we are celebrating the life and legacy of a man who brought hope and healing to our nation. We honor the values he exemplified and remember his teachings of courage, truth, respect, integrity, humility and service.

** The Voorhees Breakfast Rotary Club’s 17th Annual Community Service Awards event will be held on Thursday, Jan. 22, 2026, from 6:00pm to 9:00pm at Lucien’s Distinguished Catering in Berlin.  For sponsorship opportunities and more information on this signature event, visit the Voorhees Breakfast Rotary Club website

www.voorheesbreakfastrotary.org or call Nick Colanzi at 856-435-6200.

 

 

 

Keeping our roads safe during inclement weather is of utmost importance to all of us.

Our Voorhees Township Public Works Department is responsible for clearing 220 lane miles of Voorhees Township roads for safe travel during a snowstorm.  Each snowstorm is different and requires different snow removal techniques to achieve safe driving conditions.  

Prior to a snowstorm, the Public Works Department will utilize road salt or salt brine to pretreat the roads.  The temperature, precipitation, storm timing and weather forecast determine which pretreat method is used.  The brine keeps ice from forming on roads but only works when temperatures are above 23 degrees and the roads are dry.

During a snowstorm, the Public Works Department will dispatch their fleet of 30 plow and salt trucks once snow has accumulated to at least 3 inches. Each plow truck driver is assigned a route. Drivers prioritize clearing snow from main roads, intersections and hills followed by secondary roads and courts.  As snow falls, the drivers will clear snow from all Voorhees roads on their routes multiple times.  When the snow stops falling, drivers will make a final pass with the plows on their routes and apply road salt to avoid a freeze.  The drivers will clear the roads curb to curb during the final pass to ensure proper access for emergency vehicles and mail delivery.  During the final pass, plows push snow to the sides of streets and, unfortunately, accumulation of snow on driveway aprons is unavoidable.  The final plow pass can take up to 10 hours.  An average of 200 tons of road salt is used during one snowstorm.  

Residents can help with snow removal by taking all parked vehicles off the streets so the plow trucks can clear snow curb to curb and by avoiding placing snow back into the street from driveways and sidewalks after the streets have been cleared. Snow from driveways and sidewalks can cause a hazard for emergency vehicles.

Camden County Public Works is responsible for snow removal on all county roads in Voorhees and the State of New Jersey is responsible for snow removal on Route 73 in Voorhees.  

During cold emergencies, Code Blue plans will be initiated. If you or someone you know loses heat or needs protection from the elements, Voorhees Township, along with the Camden County Health Department and the Office of Emergency Management, work to ensure that we have proper resources in place. Every municipality in the County has identified locationsto accommodate residents seeking shelter from the severe weather. Voorhees has identified the Voorhees Library, 203 Laurel Road (856) 772-1636 and the Voorhees Town Center (856) 772-6400.

Other Emergency information to keep available during the winter season includes:

Atlantic City Electric 1-800-833-7476 / www.atlanticcityelectric.com/home.

PSE&G 1-800-436-7734 / www.pseg.com/home/customer_service/outage_info/index.jsp.

NJ American Water 1-800-272-1325 / www.amwater.com.

South Jersey Gas 1-800-582-7060 / www.southjerseygas.com.

Verizon 1-800-837-4966 / www.verizon.com.

Comcast -1-800934-6489 / www.xfinity.com.

Camden County Public Works 856-566-2980 / www.highway@camdencounty.com.

Voorhees Township Public Works 856-428-5499www.voorheesnj.com.

We hope you enjoy the winter and stay safe.

** The Voorhees Breakfast Rotary Club’s 17th Annual Community Service Awards event will be held on Thursday, Jan. 22, 2026, from 6:00pm to 9:00pm at Lucien’s Distinguished Catering in Berlin.  For sponsorship opportunities and more information on this signature event, visit the Voorhees Breakfast Rotary Club website

www.voorheesbreakfastrotary.org or call Nick Colanzi at 856-435-6200.

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Voorhees Township Police Chief Lou Bordi will retire on December 31, 2025, closing an extraordinary chapter in the life of a man who has dedicated nearly four decades to keeping our community safe.  Under his steady leadership, our officers have grown into what many consider one of the finest police departments in the state.

Chief Bordi is the epitome of the term “hometown boy.”  He grew up in Voorhees and is a product of our Voorhees schools and a graduate of Eastern Regional High School.  He received both a Bachelor’s Degree and a Master’s Degree from Fairleigh Dickinson University.

Since his start in 1988, Chief Bordi has worn many hats – Patrol Officer, canine handler and trainer, Patrol Lieutenant, Captain and since 2012, the fifth Chief of Police in VTPD history.  At every step, he brought a level of professionalism that set a high bar for everyone around him.  His commitment to school safety helped make Voorhees the first community in our region to place a police officer in every school, all day, every day.

Community partnership has been at the heart of his service.  Under Chief Bordi’s leadership, programs such as the Junior Police Academy, Citizens Police Academy, Voorhees Saves Lives, the Safe Exchange Zone, Project Medicine Drop, the Nixle Notification System, the Anonymous Crime Tip Line and Safe Cam all took shape.  Each one reflects his belief that good policing starts with strong relationships and open communication.

Chief Bordi was also instrumental in leading the Voorhees Fire Department during a time of transition.

Chief Bordi’s contributions extend well beyond our borders.  He is one of the most well-respected Chiefs in the state of New Jersey, taking leadership roles on the Executive Board of the Camden County Association of Chiefs of Police and the New Jersey State Association of Chiefs of Police.  He was named to the IACP, Patrol and Tactics Board in 2016, 2017 and 2018 and served as the President of the New Jersey State Association of Chiefs of Police in 2020-2021.  He continues to serve on the Executive Board as the Immediate Past-President.

Chief Bordi keeps the following quote from Maya Angelou at the bottom of his emails, “People will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.”  Chief Bordi made us all feel safe.

On behalf of my colleagues on the Voorhees Township Committee and the entire Voorhees Community, we wish Chief Bordi a happy and healthy retirement.  The Voorhees community will move forward without Chief Bordi, but we will always carry with us the impact of his service.

 

** The Voorhees Breakfast Rotary Club’s 17th Annual Community Service Awards event will be held on Thursday, Jan. 22, 2026, from 6:00pm to 9:00pm at Lucien’s Distinguished Catering in Berlin. For sponsorship opportunities and more information on this signature event, visit the Voorhees Breakfast Rotary Club website www.voorheesbreakfastrotary.org or call Nick Colanzi at 856-435-6200.