A Busy and Meaningful Start to 2023
NCJW/Essex has been bustling since the beginning of 2023, with volunteers starting the year making a difference in our community. We had a packed agenda in January, with much more planned for the remainder of the year.
Fighting Hunger on College Campuses
Our First Mitzvah-in-a-Minute for 2023
Food insecurity affects approximately 40 percent of college students, and our January Mitzvah-in-a-Minute set out to address this need directly. We hosted a collection for the Red Hawk Food Pantry on the campus of Montclair State University. On January 24, a group of 20 volunteers sorted, counted and weighed donations before delivering them to the pantry on campus. Thanks to the generosity of NCJW/Essex members and friends, we were able to provide nearly 2000 individual food items and almost 800 personal care and household items. Together it was 800 pounds of donations!
“We don’t often think about hunger on college campuses, so this was an eye-opening experience for many,” said Audra Sapherstein, chair of this MIM . “Thank you to our volunteers and to everyone who donated to help fill this need in our backyard.”
Bigger Than Roe Rally
On Sunday, January 22, NCJW/Essex joined others in the community to mourn the loss of Roe and demand action. Reproductive Rights Co-Chair Phoebe Pollinger energized the crowd and urged action on the Reproductive Equity Act, now pending in the NJ Legislature.
Period.Project Offers Menstrual Products to Businesses
The Period.Project kicked off a pilot program in conjunction with Girls Helping Girls. Period. on a pilot program to provide free menstrual products to a limited number of small businesses in Essex County for both employees and guests/customers. Read more about the Period.Project and read VP of Advocacy Laurie Kahn’s message on menstrual equity in New Jersey schools.
CFW Director Patty Kremen Named an NJ-11 Hero
Congratulations to Patty Kremen , director of the Linda & Rudy Slucker NCJW/Essex Center for Women, who was named a 2022 NJ-11 Hero by Congresswoman Mikie Sherrill.
The 2022 Heroes program recognizes members of our community who made a difference in NJ-11 over the past year. Patty was nominated by NCJW/Essex Board Member Beth Randall Branigan who wrote: “[Patty’s] dedication and passion are beyond description. Patty assists with any aspect of her clients’ lives, from coaching on job search to connecting them with resources to help with housing and healthcare.”
We are proud to call Patty a colleague, friend and hero! You can read more about Patty and all the heroes here.
