The FoodBank of Monmouth and Ocean Counties’ 14th annual Culinary Classic will be held May 16 at The Mill at Spring Lake Heights. The event, which will run between 5-9 p.m. will showcase the talented chefs working in both counties. All of the food and wine served is donated by generous participating restaurants and wineries. Door prizes will be given. Only 800 tickets, at $75 per person, are sold for the event. Tickets can be purchased by calling the FoodBank at (732) 918-2600.

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The Arc of Monmouth will host its seventh annual Step Up For The Arc Walk on May 21 at Bucks Mill Park in Colts Neck. Mayor League Baseball pitcher, Al Leiter will be the celebrity spokesman.

Registration for the walk begins at 9 a.m. accompanied by a continental breakfast. The walk starts at 10 a.m. led by mascot Eugene the Bear. Walkers may chose to walk any distance from a half-mile to 5 miles. Tee shirts will be given to anyone who raises at least $50 and prizes will be awarded to walkers who raise $150 or more.

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The Atlantic Highlands Historical Society will present its 2005 Historic Home Tour on Saturday, May 21 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. The tour will include the historic Adolph Strauss Mansion, headquarters of the historical society, along with six other historic showcase homes in Atlantic Highlands.

Tickets are $20 and include refreshments. For information on purchasing tickets, please contact Doreen Frantz at (732) 872-9124 or Jo-Ann Hunt at (732)708-1895.

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Monmouth Reform Temple in Tinton Falls will hold Open House Days for people interested in joining a temple on Sunday, May 22, from 3 to 5 p.m., and Tuesday and Wednesday, May 24 and 25, from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m.

Temple members will give tours of the synagogue and hand out religious school materials. Children are welcome.

Located at 332 Hance Ave., the temple was founded in 1959 and was the first Reform Jewish congregation to serve the area around Red Bank. Rabbi Sally Priesand, the first American woman rabbi to be ordained, became spiritual leader in 1981. Worship services evolved over the years and the temple grew more involved in the community, strongly supporting social action causes.

The temple office can be reached at (732) 747-9365 of visit www.monmouth.com/mrt.

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The Coastal Monmouth Alliance will meet today from 6-7:30 p.m. at the Maple Place School in Oceanport.

For more information, call (732) 571-6511.

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Fair Haven Boy Scout Troop 125 will hold a car wash and yard sale fund-raiser Saturday from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Fair Haven Firehouse on River Road.

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Christ Church United Methodist on Ridge Road is scheduled to host a concert Sunday at 3 p.m. with a reception to follow.

All proceeds will be used to purchase a plaque for the historical restoration of an old African Methodist Episcopalian (AME) church built in 1880.

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On Sunday, May 22, from 10 a.m. to noon, volunteers will be planting native plants, spreading mulch and picking up trash at the new Bellhaven Nature Area on Locust Avenue in Red Bank.

This event is sponsored by the Red Bank Environmental Commission. For more information, contact Linda at (732) 939-3461.

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On Monday, May 23, at 7:30 p.m. the Little Silver Borough Council will hold a special meeting on a proposal to build an age-restricted condominium development. Kalian Associates, the developer proposing to build townhomes on a tract at the corner of Eastview Road and Oceanport Avenue, across from the Little Silver train station, will make another presentation on the project at Little Silver Borough Hall. Residents are encouraged to attend and ask questions about the project.

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The Red Bank Chapter of Deborah Hospital Foundation is sponsoring a bus trip to Trump’s Taj Mahal Casino-Hotel in Atlantic City on Thursday, May 19. The bus will depart from the Shrewsbury Firehouse, Route 35 north, at 9 a.m. and will return at 6:30 p.m. The cost is $20, with a casino give-back of $17, plus $5 toward food. For reservations, call (732) 542-3247.

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On Saturday, May 14, the National Association of Letter Carriers, in conjunction with the U.S. Postal Service, is sponsoring the Stamp Out Hunger Food Drive. Letter carriers will pick up nonperishable food items placed next to the mail box on that day. Please do not include out-of-date items or those in glass containers.

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“Coping with Issues Facing Our Teens; A Free Workshop About Parenting in a Changing World” will be held at Monmouth Regional High School, Tinton Falls, May 16 at 7:30 p.m. The workshop is sponsored by the Parent Teacher Student Association and will take place in the high school’s media center, 1 Norman J. Field Way.

The speakers plan to answer the question “What is stress?” Topics for discussion include how times have changed, living in a changing world, questions and answers, techniques and strategies. Issues to be addressed include self-esteem, Internet friends and love, media influence, fad diets, violence, handling conflicts, changing family dynamics, working parents, accountability, and communicating with teens.

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The Greater Township of Ocean Democratic Club (encompassing Ocean, Allenhurst, Deal, Interlaken and Loch Arbour) will hold its next meeting May 19 at 7:30 p.m. at the Oakhurst meeting room at Fireman’s Field on Memorial Parkway in Oakhurst. The Democratic candidates for state Assembly District 11 seats will be presented, as will the county Freeholders candidates. For directions or questions, call (732) 493-3417.