Clifton Merchant Magazine - September 2016

In addition to her work on the Kindness committee, the soft-spoken Warren is the president of the Garden Club, and she is a member of the Friends of the Library, and also serves on Clifton’s Beautification, Special Events, and Main Centennial committees.

A lifelong city resident, she attended St. Brendan’s Church and Kindness Committee members include, standing from left Renee Ashmead, School and graduated from Pope Pius Anna Maria Menconi, Pat Zalesny, Joann Gursky and Kim Oeffler. Seated are High School in Passaic. She recalls Norma Smith and Fran Warren. the words of her grandmother, “the that every morning, when she walks her dog past the more you give, the more you get back.” Warren is home of an elderly couple in her neighborhood, she always prepared to hand out a red umbrella. picks up the daily newspaper—thrown on the sidewalk Oeffler volunteers at St. Stephen’s Magyar Catholic in front of their home—and places it at their doorstep.

Church in Passaic, participates in the Clifton’s Relay One morning she was surprised when this couple for Life fundraiser and is a member of the city’s Parade, had their front door open. “We’ve been waiting to meet Dinner, Special Events, and Fundraising committees. you,” they said to her. “We’re not feeling well these “We want to encourage good deeds and good will. days, so you have no idea how much we appreciate Give someone the right-of-way in traffic. If someone what you do for us every morning.” has had surgery and is recuperating, make them dinner,” Oeffler said, offering suggestions for quiet and Charity and Mercy simple acts of kindness.

According to the Hindu faith, living and practicing a Spread kindness by calling someone and giving spiritually awakened life leads one to feel compassion them an emotional lift. “Sometimes just listening to for others. For a faithful follower of Hindu, to feel someone can help them feel better.” empathy when learning of the suffering of others is People already have begun to donate their Random essential. This compassion will lead one to acts of kindActs of Kindness stories. Organizers shared one anonyness or mercy. mous note left in a box at City Hall. A woman wrote Acts of charity are made to those who are in greatest need. The Hindu concept of mercy also is extended to animals, and because of this many Hindus are vegetarians.

Expressions of kindness and mercy take place every week in Clifton at BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir, a place of worship and community gatherings located on Bloomfield Ave. BAPS (Bochasanwasi Akshar Purushottam Sanstha) is a global spiritual and civic network within the Swaminarayan branch of Hinduism, and a mandir is a 6 September 2016 • Cliftonmagazine.com