Volunteer spotlight on…Livingston Women’s Club

The motto of the Livingston Women’s Club – “Not for ourselves, but for us all” – is evident in all that their more than 50 members do.  They bring cookies and candy to patients at a local psychiatric hospital on Valentine’s Day, visit a local veterans’ hospital, collect food and gift cards for local families in need, collect books for needy students and phone cards to send to soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan.  For them, it is just the continuation of their club’s 75 year history of helping those who need it.  Their club is also part of an international network of women’s clubs providing service around the world.

The club first became involved with Horizon School when several members offered to help sell raffle tickets for an event run by the Parent Teacher and Therapist Association (PTTA).  Soon after, Volunteer Coordinator Corry DeMarco asked if they could help with the annual toy drive.  Donations had come in very late and the gifts for more than 80 students needed to be wrapped quickly.  “There were bags of toys piled higher than our heads!” laughed member Mimi Koehler.  Mimi and other club members came to the rescue, wrapping gifts for hours on end.

They returned for the school’s first Grandparents’ Day in January.  Since some children’s grandparents could not attend, they served as “grand friends.”  Since they thought some of the boys would like a male grand friend, they even persuaded some of their husbands to come out to help.  “Though we don’t usually allow them to participate in things,” whispered member Marilyn Groome with a laugh.  Over time, members have learned the names of students and staff and each member recalls vividly a connection with a particular student they have worked with.  “Even if a child can’t speak, you develop your own language and ways of understanding one another when you spend time together,” said member Catherine Mignone thoughtfully as other members nodded their agreement.

“These women are always there when we need them,” said Corry.  “They’ve supported everything from our Read Across America event to Thanksgiving food baskets for our school families in need.  I don’t know what we, and especially our kids, would do without them.”