By Sally DeeringÂ
 On August 25th Jonathan Verpent of Hoboken will blow out the candles on his 30th Birthday cake and complete something that took him a year to accomplish. Verpent will be celebrating his birthday doing his 30th good deed of the year.
 30 Deeds is Verpent’s website where he documents his experiences volunteering for many well-deserving non-profit organizations here in Jersey and in New York. With the help of New YorkCares.com and NewJerseyCares.com – two websites devoted to connecting volunteers with non-profits who need a helping hand – Verpent has completed 18 good deeds that have included walking dogs at an animal shelter, giving out meals to people who are homeless and building homes through Habitat for Humanity. Verpent performed his first good deed on the Saturday after Hurricane Sandy.
 “I gathered clothes, shoes and food, drove down the shore and went to Belmar where I spent a lot of time growing up,†Verpent says. “I spent the entire day from 9 am to 8 at night helping sort through donations and give out donations, helping in any way they needed a helping hand.â€
 Verpent walked around town and saw first-hand the devastation Hurricane Sandy left behind – water getting pumped from peoples’ homes, the National Guard driving up and down the streets upholding the town’s curfew.
 “I’d never seen anything like it, people coming with a handful of donations, people showing up from all over the country with truckloads of donations,†Verpent says. “It was extremely inspiring to see how people came together at a time of crisis. Then I thought why do we have to wait for something tragic to happen to help each other? That’s what drove me to continue. I created the website, Twitter and Facebook pages to keep track and to motivate as many people as I can to give back. If one person reads it and decides to give back, I feel I’m accomplishing my goal.â€
 Verpent admits he never realized doing good things for others could feel so good. He says it wasn’t until his 29th birthday that he realized he had spent 29 years celebrating himself and that for his 30th year, he wanted to celebrate others. To find non-profits that could use a helping hand, Verpent visits NewYorkCares.com and NewJerseyCares.com which lists local volunteer opportunities.
 “They make it very easy to find opportunities that are right for you,†Verpent says.
He just completed Deed No 19 this week – a trip to Little Ferry where he helped build homes for Habitat for Humanity.  This coming weekend, Verpent will be running a 5K race called “Hair of the Dog†at a winery in Robbinsville where all proceeds go to an animal shelter. Race organizers are allowing runners to bring their dogs, so Verpent will be running with his aunt’s pup Kali.
 The 5K race will be his 20th deed and Verpent has until his August 25th birthday to complete his mission. He plans to do his 30th deed as part of a two-week volunteer vacation in another country, possibly South Africa.Â
 “I wanted to complete 30 deeds and I wanted it to lead to something,†Verpent says. “Just in the past couple of months, my overall outlook has changed. One of the things I did, I volunteered at a church that serves food to the homeless, people who don’t know where they’re going to sleep, how they’re going to stay warm. It makes you stop and think no matter how bad you think you have it there are people that have it much worse. I’ve tried to be mindful and respectful of the people I’m helping.â€
  If you’d like to read more about Jonathan Verpent’s 30 Deeds, go to:
 For volunteer opportunities, go to:
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