Lauren Rose Albert Foundation NEWSLETTER — MAY 2009
Mothers Matter Volunteers Brighten Mother’s Day for 2,750 Women
In the six weeks Mothers Matter leading up to volunteers to Mother’s Day, women of all volunteers ages and from produced and all walks of delivered a record live throughout 2,750 Mothers southern New Matter gift Jersey — like packages to South the low Jersey mothers income, first facing difficult time mothers challenges. in Gloucester This feat could County; the not have been senior citizen achieved without with Alzheimer’s the tremendous STAR Touring & Riding member Kathy McKenna at the Veteran’s brightens Mother’s Day for a Veteran’s Home resident. home in dedication of numerous Vineland; and individuals who devoted hours upon the mothers of children attending Anna’s hours to the collecting, sorting, creating, Angels medical pediatric day care center wrapping, inspecting, counting, and in Gloucester City. delivering necessary to brighten Mother’s Day for so many women in the region. Every one of these beautiful gift packages was filled to the brim with a colorful array The initiative began in 2001 with just 265 of women’s personal care and beauty gift baskets and has grown significantly items, and each was in some way touched every year. In 2008, the delivery of the by the generous, caring heart of an program’s 10,000th gift package was individual — whether the Girl Scout who celebrated and this year a record number collected donations, the businessperson of Mother’s Day gifts — a total of 2,750 who contributed funds, or the volunteer — were handmade and handdelivered by who created the gift itself.
Making Mothers Matter Every Day
Camden County College LRAF Recipients Celebrate Scholarship a residential facility. When she found out she had been awarded the LRAF Schol arship, “I was excited that people would pay tribute to single mothers. It’s really hard to work and go to school at the same time.”
LRAF President Susan Rose (second from left) and Education Committee Member Sue Brennan (far right) with scholarship recipients Jennie I. Pless, June E. Rule, Alynnia J. Anderson (with son Dlayne), Deborah Stephens, and Anna C. O’Connell.
Five extremely deserving mothers had the opportuni ty to meet LRAF President Susan Rose and celebrate their scholarship awards at the Camden County Col lege Awards Ceremony and Reception May 13. Alynnia J. Anderson, Anna C. O’Connell, Jennie I. Pless, June E. Rule, and Deborah Stephens are enthusiastic and dedicated women who are raising children, working, and attending Camden County College in order to achieve their educational and career goals. Alynnia is a human re sources major with a career goal to work with youth in
Previously a stayathome mom, Anna is raising three daughters, ages 12, 10, and 7, and working in the ER of Kennedy Hospital. She’s completed her prerequisites at Camden County and now has one more year of nursing school. Her goal is to earn her R.N. and then pursue a degree in nursing while continuing work at Kennedy. She’d ultimately like to help people in Third World countries. “I was very happy that the schol arship is going to help me with my education and enable me to pursue my goals.” June is a young woman who has already experi enced tragedy. The mother of two daughters, ages 2 and 3, her husband died suddenly only two months after her youngest child
was born. “Any help I can get for college is fantastic,” June said. She is complet ing her second year at Camden County College and is studying to become a sign language interpreter. Her goal is to transfer to Gallaudet University and pursue a bachelor’s degree in that field. A grandmother of two and a mother of five, ages 5, 10, 12, 17, and 22, Deborah is studying business admin istration and has only nine more credits to complete. She would like to become a hotel manager. She’s very grateful for the scholar ship because there is “so much stress trying to go to school, work and take care of my family.” Jennie is in her second year at Camden County College, in the prenursing program and eventually would like to become an optometrist. She has four children, ages 12, 14, 19, and 21, and has also been raising her sister, now age 21, since she was five years old.
New Program to Help Women Underway The first grant has been made from the new Women’s Advocacy and Resource Initiative (formerly Mothers Matter Everyday). The LRAF has partnered with The Center for People in Transition at Gloucester County College, Rowan University Camden Preschool, and Greater Collingswood Day Care Center to pilot the first year of this effort by awarding grants through these organizations to their clients. The program provides emergency grants in the form of goods, services, or financial assistance to help mothers and their families with a demonstrated, urgent need that cannot be met through any government or agency help. The first grant was made to a client of The Center for People in Transition. It was designated to help offset
medical bills of a recent widow faced with the challenges of her husband’s suicide, the loss of her job within weeks of his death, raising a 15yearold on her own, attending school while undergoing extensive and costly testing to determine if she has lung cancer. According to Jeannie M. LaBuz, Director of The Center for People in Transition, this applicant needed help until she could become gainfully employed. “She’s a fighter and we are asking for the Lauren Rose Albert Foundation’s help to prevent her from falling through the cracks.” The LRAF is seeking grants to help support this initiative which currently is funded through individual contributions and the annual LRAF fundraising event to be held on November 6, 2009.
LRAF Fashion Show & Charity Auction . . . Make a Difference on November 6, 2009
Special Recognition STAR Touring and Riding Club, Chapter 287 1999 at age 40. The two women met at a women’s health fair at Gloucester County College and the col laboration was born. Kathy and her husband Bob are members of STAR 287 and she presented the idea of supporting Mothers Matter to the club.
The STAR Touring and Riding Club, Chapter 287, based in Deptford, for providing volunteers who worked at the Moth ers Matter center every Wednesday night for weeks. They also assisted in delivering the gifts and making special visits to the Veteran’s Home in Vineland and Ronald McDonald House in Camden.
“The help from the men, women and children from STAR was invaluable,” said Mothers Matter cochair Lisa Moriarty. “Last year we made 2,215 Mother’s Day gifts and had set a goal of 2,500 for this year. Our grand total was 2,750 due in great part to the efforts of our good friends from STAR Touring and Riding.”
The partnership between the club and Mothers Matter began with two mothers who bonded over a shared tragedy — the loss of a child. Kathy McKenna, whose son Timothy, a young husband and father of two girls, died suddenly in Sep tember 1999 from an unforeseen aortic rupture at age 24, and Susan Rose, LRAF president, who began Mothers Matter to honor her daughter Lauren Rose Albert, a mother of three who was killed in a road accident in Morocco in February STAR 287 President Frank Jennings and Susan Rose deliver Mother’s Day gifts to Ronald McDonald House.
Thank You, Steve, for Another Job Well Done! A few years ago when LRAF Board Member Steve McBride volunteered to handle Mothers Matter bin deliveries and pickup and gift basket deliveries, the task was difficult but “doable.” This year the chore demanded much of Steve’s time with school and business collection drives greater than ever and a record 2,750 gift packages for delivery the week before Mother’s Day. Steve’s trusty old Ford van was once again retrofitted to hold three layers of gifts, or about 250 gifts per trip, leaving from the Washington
Township headquarters and going to more than 40 locations in Burlington, Camden, and Gloucester Counties. With the help of his delivery crew of Mike Dunn, Stu Rose, and Kenny Jacoby, plus some wonderful Mothers Matter volunteers, everything was delivered in time for Mother’s Day. Whether it’s building shelves in the headquarters, moving hundreds of heavy cartons, traveling all over three counties to pick up bins loaded with products, or delivering thousands of Mother’s Day gifts, Steve makes it all look easy — and fun!
Dollar Tree Stores, their customers, and staff went above and beyond the call of duty by generously donating more than 40,000 products! This donation ensured the success of the Mother’s Day gift package project and also provided an ample supply of women’s personal care and beauty products to support the yearround effort. The Board of Directors and volunteers of the Lauren Rose Albert Foundation wish to extend their sincere appreciation to District Manager John Denning, his store managers, and staff for their commitment to the Mothers Matter project. Thank you for helping us show that Mothers Matter Every Day!
Special “Thank You” to Mothers Matter Friends & Contributors Schools and Colleges
Businesses, Organizations, and Individuals
Ann Mullen Middle School A. Russell Knight School Ashbrook Elementary School Assumption Elementary School Audubon High School Beacon Academy Bell Oaks Elementary School Berlin Community School Birches Elementary School Blackwood Elementary School Bobby’s Run Elementary School Bret Harte Elementary School Bright Beginnings Academy Bunker Hill Middle School Camden Catholic High School Cherry Hill High School West Chestnut Ridge Middle School Chews Elementary School East Greenwich Schools Ethel Burke Elementary School Fleetwood Elementary School Florence Walther Elementary School Glen Landing Middle School Gloucester Catholic High School Goddard School (Washington Township) Haddonfield Middle School Hamilton Elementary School Harrington Middle School Henry C. Beck Middle School Highland Regional High School Holy Trinity Regional School Hurffville Elementary School James F. Cooper Elementary School James Johnson Elementary School Joyce Kilmer School Kingston Elementary School Laurel Springs Elementary School Lumberton Middle School Magnolia School Mansion Avenue School Mark Newbie School Memorial School Merchantville Elementary School
MOTHERS MATTER 2009 SPONSORS Allstate Burlington MCO Care ‘N Share Shop of Trinity Presbyterian Church Kadar Orthodontics South Jersey Industries
Oaklyn Jr. High School Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Regional School Our Lady of Grace Regional School Parkview School Rancocas Valley Regional High School Richard A. LevineLifelong Learning Center Richard Stockton Elementary School Somerdale Park Elementary School South Valley Elementary School St. Cecilia Elementary School St. Marks Nursery School St. Peter Elementary School The Malvern School Thomas Jefferson Elementary School Timber Creek High School Voorhees Middle School Whitman Elementary School William P. Tatem Elementary School Winslow Twp. #2 Elementary School Winslow Twp. #5 Elementary School Winslow High School
Partial List
~ Make a Difference ~
Allstate Burlington MCO Burlington County Prosecutor’s Office Camden County Freeholders/Employees Camden County Library Camden County Office of the Prosecutor Campbell Soup Company Care ‘N Share Shop of Trinity Presbyterian Church Chamomile Cottage Natural Bath, Spa, & Body Care Cherry Hill Township Mayor’s Office Cooper Hospital: Cathy Capps, Kay Forbes, Danielle Majuri & Kathy Zublic Curves (Washington Township) Dollar Tree Stores Girl Scout Troops 30093, 30527, 30616, 30953, 30962, 30999, 30171 Gloucester County College Gloucester County Community Church Gloucester County Institute of Technology June Griscom Jefferson University Hospital Heidi Kagan Kadar Orthodontics Lockheed Martin Mary Ann Kearney New Jersey Federation of Women’s Clubs New Jersey Manufacturers Insurance Company Party Pals Presbyterian Women of Trinity Presbyterian Church Rothman Institute Robin Scrivana Ian Schultz STAR Touring & Riding, Chapter 287 St. Pius X Parish Stratford Public Library South Jersey Industries Valero Refinery Washington Twp. Democratic Executive Committee Washington Township Women’s Club Washington Township Mayor’s Office Anna Wawrzyniak Wedgwood Women’s Club
Lauren Rose Albert Foundation 106 Kenwood Drive Cherry Hill, NJ 08034
Save the Date! Friday, November 6, 2009 Lauren Rose Albert Foundation
Fashion Show & Charity Auction 6:00 - 9:00 p.m. Tavistock Country Club !"!#$%&!'()#"%'$!)'*#+,-&%*../..0')1.234-562-7478../..9#:1.234-842-;2;; <==>1??@@@-)#"%'$!)'*#+,-&%*../..@@@-)#"%'$!)'*#+,-&%*