Lauren Rose Albert FoundationN EW S L E T T E R — M A Y 2 0 0 9

Making Mothers Matter Every Day

In the six weeks leading up to Mother’s Day, volunteers produced and delivered a record 2,750 Mothers Matter gift packages to South Jersey mothers facing difficult challenges. This feat could not have been achieved without the tremendous dedication of numerous individuals who devoted hours upon hours to the collecting, sorting, creating, wrapping, inspecting, counting, and delivering necessary to brighten Mother’s Day for so many women in the region.

The initiative began in 2001 with just 265 gift baskets and has grown significantly every year. In 2008, the delivery of the program’s 10,000th gift package was celebrated and this year a record number of Mother’s Day gifts — a total of 2,750 — were handmade and hand­delivered by

Mothers Matter volunteers to women of all ages and from all walks of live throughout southern New Jersey — like the low­income, first­time mothers in Gloucester County; the senior citizen with Alzheimer’s at the Veteran’s home in Vineland; and

the mothers of children attending Anna’s Angels medical pediatric day care center in Gloucester City.

Every one of these beautiful gift packages was filled to the brim with a colorful array of women’s personal care and beauty items, and each was in some way touched by the generous, caring heart of an individual — whether the Girl Scout who collected donations, the businessperson who contributed funds, or the volunteer who created the gift itself.

Mothers Matter Volunteers Brighten Mother’s Dayfor 2,750 Women

STAR Touring & Riding member Kathy McKenna brightens Mother’s Day for a Veteran’s Home resident.

LRAF Fashion Show & Charity Auction . . . Make a Difference on November 6, 2009

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.

Camden County College LRAF Recipients Celebrate Scholarship

Five extremely deserving mothers had the opportuni­ty to meet LRAF President Susan Rose and celebrate their scholarship awards at the Camden County Col­lege 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 re­sources major with a career goal to work with youth in

a residential facility. When she found out she had been awarded the LRAF Schol­arship, “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.”

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 schol­arship is going to help me with my education and enable me to pursue my goals.”

June is a young woman who has already experi­enced 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 complet­ing 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 admin­istration and has only nine more credits to complete. She would like to become a hotel manager. She’s very grateful for the scholar­ship 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.

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.

New Program to Help Women Underway

Special Recognition

The STAR Touring and Riding Club, Chapter 287, based in Deptford, for providing volunteers who worked at the Moth­ers 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 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 Sep­tember 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

1999 at age 40. The two women met at a women’s health fair at Gloucester County College and the col­laboration 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 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.”

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 year-round 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!

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!

Thank You, Steve, for Another Job Well Done!

STAR 287 President Frank Jennings and Susan Rose deliver Mother’s Day gifts to Ronald McDonald House.

STAR Touring

and Riding Club,

Chapter 287

Schools and Colleges

Ann Mullen Middle SchoolA. Russell Knight SchoolAshbrook Elementary SchoolAssumption Elementary SchoolAudubon High SchoolBeacon AcademyBell Oaks Elementary SchoolBerlin Community SchoolBirches Elementary SchoolBlackwood Elementary SchoolBobby’s Run Elementary SchoolBret Harte Elementary SchoolBright Beginnings AcademyBunker Hill Middle SchoolCamden Catholic High SchoolCherry Hill High School WestChestnut Ridge Middle SchoolChews Elementary SchoolEast Greenwich SchoolsEthel Burke Elementary SchoolFleetwood Elementary SchoolFlorence Walther Elementary SchoolGlen Landing Middle SchoolGloucester Catholic High SchoolGoddard School (Washington Township)Haddonfield Middle SchoolHamilton Elementary SchoolHarrington Middle SchoolHenry C. Beck Middle SchoolHighland Regional High SchoolHoly Trinity Regional SchoolHurffville Elementary SchoolJames F. Cooper Elementary SchoolJames Johnson Elementary SchoolJoyce Kilmer SchoolKingston Elementary SchoolLaurel Springs Elementary SchoolLumberton Middle SchoolMagnolia SchoolMansion Avenue SchoolMark Newbie SchoolMemorial SchoolMerchantville Elementary School

Partial List

Oaklyn Jr. High SchoolOur Lady of Mt. Carmel Regional SchoolOur Lady of Grace Regional SchoolParkview SchoolRancocas Valley Regional High SchoolRichard A. Levine­Lifelong Learning CenterRichard Stockton Elementary SchoolSomerdale Park Elementary SchoolSouth Valley Elementary SchoolSt. Cecilia Elementary SchoolSt. Marks Nursery SchoolSt. Peter Elementary SchoolThe Malvern SchoolThomas Jefferson Elementary SchoolTimber Creek High SchoolVoorhees Middle SchoolWhitman Elementary SchoolWilliam P. Tatem Elementary SchoolWinslow Twp. #2 Elementary SchoolWinslow Twp. #5 Elementary SchoolWinslow High School

Special “Thank You” to Mothers Matter Friends & Contributors

Lauren Rose Albert Foundation

106 Kenwood Drive

Cherry Hill, NJ 08034~ Make a Difference ~

Save the Date! Friday, November 6, 2009

Lauren Rose Albert Foundation

Fashion Show & Charity Auction

6:00 - 9:00 p.m.

Tavistock Country Club

Businesses, Organizations, and Individuals

Allstate Burlington MCOBurlington County Prosecutor’s OfficeCamden County Freeholders/EmployeesCamden County LibraryCamden County Office of the ProsecutorCampbell Soup CompanyCare ‘N Share Shop of Trinity Presbyterian ChurchChamomile Cottage Natural Bath, Spa, & Body Care

Cherry Hill Township Mayor’s OfficeCooper Hospital: Cathy Capps, Kay Forbes, Danielle Majuri & Kathy Zublic

Curves (Washington Township)Dollar Tree StoresGirl Scout Troops 30093, 30527, 30616, 30953, 30962, 30999, 30171

Gloucester County CollegeGloucester County Community ChurchGloucester County Institute of TechnologyJune Griscom Jefferson University HospitalHeidi KaganKadar OrthodonticsLockheed MartinMary Ann KearneyNew Jersey Federation of Women’s ClubsNew Jersey Manufacturers Insurance CompanyParty PalsPresbyterian Women of Trinity Presbyterian ChurchRothman InstituteRobin ScrivanaIan SchultzSTAR Touring & Riding, Chapter 287St. Pius X ParishStratford Public LibrarySouth Jersey IndustriesValero RefineryWashington Twp. Democratic Executive CommitteeWashington Township Women’s ClubWashington Township Mayor’s OfficeAnna WawrzyniakWedgwood Women’s Club

MOTHERS MATTER2009 SPONSORS

Allstate Burlington MCO

Care ‘N Share Shop

of Trinity Presbyterian

Church

Kadar Orthodontics

South Jersey Industries

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