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Thank you for visiting H. G. McCully Upstate Chapter #12′s Pioneers. Here is a short list of projects we’ve done in our communities:  Coat Drives, Hug-A-Bears, Smart Bears, Holiday Baskets, Parties and Stockings, Environmental Projects, Food Drives, Pajama Parties, Health Kits, Animal Shelter Drives, Carpet and Playground Maps, School Backpacks, Coastal Clean-Up, Aluminum Tab Collection, I Like Me Books, Book Donations, Heart Pillows, Troop Aid, Walk-a-thons, Showers for Shelters, Dictionary project, Wheelchair ramps, etc.

***Don’t forget to check out our FUNDRAISING tab for great ways to save on a variety of items. ***

***Thank you to all of our New Vision H. G. McCully Upstate Chapter #12 Pioneers, Family and Friends.  ***

 H. G. McCully Chapter #12 Welcomes

2024  President, Christine Williams

My Fellow Pioneers,

Thank you for the opportunity to serve as your chapter president! For the last two years, the world has been in the throes of a pandemic. It has affected our ability to answer the call to those in need. Despite the shutdown, HG McCully Upstate Chapter 12 was able to volunteer over 30,000 hours in 2022! We were able to figure out how to continue to volunteer and serve in the communities where we work and live.

The pandemic showed us how many of our friends, families and neighbors needed support with goods and services. We were able to continue to support our local schools, churches, food and clothes pantries and other organizations such as domestic violence shelters and nursing home facilities that needed our help.

Our chapter consists of two clubs. The North Jersey Club serves Passaic, Bergen, and part of Warren and Morris counties under the leadership of Chris Liszner, president. The Essex Hudson Club serves Essex and Hudson counties under the leadership of Jeannette Watson, president. The clubs consist of active and retired employees of Verizon. The North Jersey Club meets on the 4^th Tuesday of the month. The Essex Hudson Club meets on the 1^st Monday of the month.

WE NEED YOUR HELP!! We have upcoming projects that need volunteers. If you are interested in volunteering, please email: newvisionupstatepioneer@gmail.com for more information. I will personally contact you as soon as possible.

The Pioneers cannot do this without your help! Please ask your family and friends to assist! They can become members of this great organization too. Please email us for more details.

I look forward to working with you!

Yours in Pioneering,

Christine D. Williams

President-HG McCully Upstate Chapter 12

Christine can be reached at: newvisionmccullyupstatepioneer@gmail.com

Coming together is a beginning. Keeping together is progress. Working together is success. ~ Henry Ford 

Once again the Pioneers of the North Club of H.G. McCully Chapter #12 have brought some holiday cheer to the communities they serve. Deliveries were made to local community centers. 150 pajama sets were delivered to Oasis in Paterson. They were donated by Michelle from St. Thomas Moore Church in Fairfield. 150 children’s blankets were also delivered to Oasis. 30 children’s blankets were also delivered to St Peter’s Haven in Clifton. 25 sweatshirts and sweat pants were also delivered to St. Peter’s Haven. All of the deliveries were coordinated and delivered by Judy Blakely (Recasino). Judy has been playing Mrs. Claus and has been an elf for the Pioneers for the past 30 + years. She has touched the lives of battered women, children, and homeless people throughout North Jersey. The Pioneers have been blessed to have Judy as a member. She is truly a Christmas Angel.

Read Across America

Dr. Seuss’s  Birthday  March 2,  2023

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On Read Across America Day, Dr. Seuss’s birthday, the Pioneers from the North Club of H.G.McCully Chapter #12 visited School #27 in Paterson.  The volunteers read to six kindergarten classes. Each child received a gift from the Pioneers.  They enjoyed pencils, bookmarks and stickers.  Each class received several Dr. Seuss books. The children loved their visit from the Cats with Hats.

North Club Volunteers At 

A Night to Shine 2024

Essex Hudson  Club

Christmas Deliveries

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   On December 23 the Pioneers of the Essex – Hudson Club donated toys to the Ebenezer Baptist Church Toy Drive, 119 Camden St, Newark. The President Jeanette Watson, and fellow Pioneers attended the event. They participated in helping to distribute Santa Hats and Reindeer headbands. The Christmas program included the children in the audience singing  their favorite Christmas song. Later in the program, the children came up to select a toy of their choice, then  refreshments and face paintings. President Jeanette Watson and  the Pioneers were very happy  to be a part of the toy drive and giving back to the community.

On December 11, 2023, the Essex Hudson Life Member Club delivered books to the second grade class at eh Benjamin Banneker School in East Orange.  

 North Club Butterfly Project

The North Club recently partnered with School #27 in Paterson on a ‘Butterfly Project” for their five kindergarten classes.  The Club purchased butterfly kits with butterfly eggs and cages.  The eggs turned into butterfly cocoons and then turned into butterflies.  Volunteers from the club took a picture of each child and inserted them into frames which the children decorated.  Each child then had a glitter tattoo applied to their arm.  It was a great day to be a kindergartener for School #27.

North Club Thanksgiving Delivery

On November 16, 2024, the Pioneers and Partners of the North Club shopped for a variety of Thanksgiving food for the Ponds Food Pantry in Oakland, NJ. They carefully selected items to create a complete Thanksgiving experience, including delicious sides, pie-making ingredients, pasta, tuna, and soup.

On November 19, 2024, they dropped off the food at the pantry and happily helped organize it on the shelves, knowing it would bring comfort and joy to families in need this holiday season. The Pioneers of the North Club are Always Helping Communities in Need!!!!

                                    North Club Easter Project

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The North Club of H. G. McCully #12 held a workshop to put together 125 Easter Baskets/Pails of chocolates and other goodies.  Nine Pioneers and Partners helped put the baskets together.  

All pails and baskets with goodies were delivered to Oasis Home in Paterson by Judy. They will bring smiles to 125 children!

Essex Hudson Club

Easter Baskets

For over 20 years, the H.G. McCully Upstate Chapter #12 clubs and councils donated 1000’s of Easter baskets/pails to day care centers, schools, senior centers and other organizations. This year was no different.

This year the Essex Hudson Club chose Sierra House and Women Rising, Inc. for their donations. 

 HG McCully Upstate Chapter #12 continues to answer the call in need!

For more information on projects and volunteer opportunities, please email newvisionmccullyupstatepioneer@gmail.com. 

North Club School Supplies

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Back to school! The Pioneers and Partners of the North Group of H.G. McCully #12 assembled 500 pencil cases full of school supplies. The supplies will be going to DYFS of Morris County, DSSACC of Morris County, Schools No.’s 2, 4,and 27 of Paterson. More will be delivered to the Power of One in Clifton. Thanks goes out to Judy Blakely’s grandchildren for their help along with Millie Osta, Becky McDonald, Doreen DeWitt, Judy and Jim Bkakely and Bruce Yennie. Always helping communities in need.  

Essex Life Member Club Project

Hygiene Kits 

The New Vision Pioneers Essex-Hudson Life Member Club delivered 20 hygiene kits (10 male and 10 female) to Angela Spence, Nurse Manager, Behavioral Health, East Orange General Hospital. The kits will be distributed to patients who are discharged.

H.G. McCully #12 Community Service Projects

The North Club delivered items to the Goryeb Children’s Hospital-The Valerie Fund at Morristown Memorial Hospital in Morristown NJ. 

The Club delivered snacks of all kinds to be passed out to the children who  are in or at the hospital for treatments of all kinds.  The hospital is always most grateful to receive donations like this.

We also delivered 110 packs of fruit snacks for our 110th Birthday of Pioneering.  All had a label marking our birthday.

In October, Essex Life Member Club delivered 115 additional books to Edward T. Bowser Elementary School in East Orange. 88 books were previously donated for third and fourth graders.  There are over 200 third and fourth graders.  We bought additional books so each child in third and fourth grade so all of the children can have a book.

Pioneer Partner Adele Gimon and President Chris Lizsner delivered wish list items to Paramus  Veterans Home.  They were happy to receive T shirts socks deodorants and sweats. Restrictions are enforced so we couldn’t enter the building. 

.  Essex Council Baby Basket Project

Essex Hudson Council donated 6 baby baskets to the East Orange Community baby shower career and expo for moms being held on June 22, 2019 .

H.G. McCully #12 Easter Basket Project

The Essex Life Member Club prepared  Easter Baskets that were delivered to the third and fourth graders at UVSO. 

The North Club also prepared Easter Buckets.

Essex/Hudson Council delivered 30 Easter buckets to Christian Penecostal  Daycare, Irvington , NJ.  The buckets were assembled by Ebony Jones. Each bucket had a chocolate bunny, activity book, chips, cookies, Easter eggs, juice, fruit snacks and a lots of Love.

The children were so exited. They said the buckets had a lot of good snacks.

Essex Council Bowling Fundraiser

The Essex Hudson Council hosted their spring fundraiser at Brunswick Zone Belleville Lanes in Belleville, NJ. 

Donnessa Victor, president, thanked everyone who came out and supported their efforts. 

Essex Life Member Club

Crayon Day

The Essex Life Member Club visited the United Vailsburg Service Organization on March 29, 2019 and visited with the K-4th grade students.  Crayons were distributed to the students.  

North Club 

Community Service Projects

On March 14, 2019 , members of the North Club put together Pediatric Cancer Bags for the patients at the Valerie Center  at the Morristown Hospital.  

The North Club also collected gently used gowns, dresses, shoes and purses to be given away at the annual Natasha’s Closet Prom Dress affair.  They collected 57 dresses, 16 pair of shoes and 12 purses.  

Paterson-Passaic-Ridgewood North Club

Princess Project

The new North Club of H. G. McCully Chapter #12 are putting together “Young Women’s Bags” for the Urban Princess Project in their local communities.

H. G. McCully # 12

Community Service Projects

The Essex-Hudson Council  provided lunch and dinner for 135 people at Faith Temple OFWB Church Home Mission in East Orange.

The Essex Life Member Club collected and provided food for The Sierra House, East Orange.

The Warren Life Member Club provided bedroom and bathroom items to the Veterans Haven North Department of Military and Veterans Affairs.  They also wrote 64 thanks cards to the veterans thanking them for their service.

H. G. McCully Chapter #12 provided feminine products to 200 homeless women which included homeless veteran women.

The Paterson-Passaic-Ridgewood Club were at the Church of the Nativity where they prepared and served dinner to the men of Jericho Road.

North Club

Community Service Projects

The Paterson-Passaic-Ridgewood Club made a their adopted family happy for Thanksgiving by supplying them with their dinner and enough food for many more dinners.

Volunteers also filled bags to be delivered for Christmas at the Chestnut Hill Home and other local facilities.

North  Club

School Supplies Workshop

School Supplies!!!!! The North Club held their annual “School Supplies Workshop” recently.  The Pioneers, Partners and their grandchildren filled 400 pencil cases with pencils, pens, erasers and scissors.  The school supplies will be going to the Power of One in Clifton, Oasis in Paterson and DYFS of Morris County.     

North Club

Helping the Homeless

The Paterson-Passaic-Ridgewood Club has adopted a project helping St. Peter’s Haven of Clifton renovate a house that will be used to transition families from homelessness.  The club has been gathering furniture, household items and other necessities for the transitional house.  Five volunteers; Dorothy Miller, Tina Callahan, Bruce Yennie, President Bob Stonier, and professional painter Todd Liszner recently painted the bathroom, kitchen and the dining room.  They also cleaned out the house of used furniture and cleaned the remaining rooms.

Essex-Hudson Council Provide Meals

The Essex-Hudson Council fed Lunch and dinner to displaced families, veterans, and people transitioning to permanent residences with funds from the TPCF Grant.

Prom Dresses by the Essex Council

The Essex Council has been collecting new and gently used prom dresses and gowns for area prom goers.  They are also collecting accessories to enable our young friends to fully enjoy their proms.

H. G. McCully Chapter #12

Celebrate Volunteer Week

The H. G. McCully Chapter #12 Upstate Pioneers celebrated Volunteer Week by hosting a Paint and Chew hosted by the Essex-Hudson Council for young mother’s from the Sierra House.  They painted a woman and filled in words that inspires them.  Our Chapter President, Suhayla Abdus-Salaam, volunteered with Jersey Cares at West Side High School for an Art Expressions workshop where the students created posters and Vision Boards.

Paint, Sip and Fellowship

The Essex-Hudson Council hosted a Sip and Paint Night.  Great masterpieces and some great Fellowship.  Some of the paintings might even be for sale!

Pioneers Help Those in Need

The Pioneers of the Essex Life Member Club delivered socks to the Grove Manor Nursing Home in East Orange.  The Paterson-Passaic-Ridgewood Club delivered Health Kits to the Clifton Fire House for hurricane relief.  Helping Those in Need

Essex Life Member Club

Delivers Back Packs and School Supplies

The Life Member Club of Essex delivered school supplies and back packs to the Pride Academy in East Orange.  They also delivered “The Magic of Color Books” to the Jackson Academy in East Orange.

North  Club

Helping Those in Need 

Paterson-Passaic-Ridgewood Club President, Bob Stonier delivered the Magic of Color Books to the Boys and Girls Club of Clifton.  PPR also adopted a family for Thanksgiving and supplied food and household supplies.  Hand made scarves and hats were delivered to St. Marys and to the Divine Mercy Soup Kitchen.  The Club collected toiletries for the men at the Market Street Mission.  PPR adopted another mom and collected and delivered food and supplies to them for Christmas.

“Volunteering for Those in Need”