Clubwomen Help Others During COVID-19 Pandemic
The member clubs of the New Jersey State Federation of Women’s Clubs of GFWC(NJSFWC) did not let the COVICD-19 Pandemic stop them. They quickly switched from meetings and fundraisers to finding ways to help the essential workers in their area from the safety of their homes.
Back in July members of the 43 clubs that sent in information reported making 15,980 masks, 4,655 hats, 496 ear savers and shields, and 1,363 PPE. They donated food, gift baskets and gift cards worth $14,655 to hospital workers and first responders. An additional donation of food worth $17,043 was donated to local food banks. One club donated iPads and chargers for patient use and another purchased clogs for the doctors. Members also sent hundreds of notes and cards to the hospital workers and first responders. Those numbers continue to climb as the need for our assistance remains. The Woman’s Club of Paramus has sewn over 10,700 masks for donation.
The NJSFWC is also working with Operation Chillout, New Jersey’s oldest (and only) all-volunteer mobile outreach for homeless veterans, men and women, by providing masks and sweatshirts for their backpack distribution. Without masks the homeless are not able to enter buildings for the services they need. If you would like to donate a large or extra large sweatshirt order it online from your favorite store and have it delivered to NJSFWC Headquarters, 55 Labor Center Way, New Brunswick, NJ 08901, or send a check made out to NJSFWC and earmarked sweatshirt. We will purchase it for you.
The NJSFWC, a volunteer, community service organization, was founded in 1894. It is headquartered on the Douglass College campus in New Brunswick, the college the NJSFWC founded in 1918. In 2019, the organization, with a membership of over 6300, reported almost 21,600 community service projects involving over 498,000 volunteer hours and $3.4 million in cash and in- kind donations. The NJSFWC is a member of the General Federation of Women’s Clubs, headquartered in Washington, DC. The GFWC is the largest and oldest women’s volunteer community service organization in the world.
For more information about the NJSFWC and/or membership in a local club, visit www.njsfwc.org or call 732-249-5474.