Paterson-Passaic-Ridgewood Club Makes  Christmas Real

The Pioneers of the  Paterson-Passaic-Ridgewood Club entertained the guests at the Chestnut Hill Assisted Living Home in Passaic.  They were assisted by the Girls Scouts and a local band.  They lead the guests in singing all the Christmas song favorites.  Pioneer volunteers included Judy Blakely, Chris Liszner, Bob and Patti Stonier, Tina Callahan, Joyce Hallowich, Jeannette Watson and of course Santa Bruce.

The Pioneers of The Paterson-Passaic-Ridgewood Club held a party for the families of Family Promise.  Family Promise uses churches for shelters for homeless working families.  Gifts were given to all the children along with face painting by Tina Callahan and Patti Stonier.  Elves played with the children and helped give out the gifts.  Eleves were Judy, Sarah, Cora, Joyce, Tina, Patti, Bob, Millie, Doris, Chris and of course Santa Bruce.

The Pioneers of Paterson-Ridgewood Club entertained the children at the Passaic County Women’s Shelter.  Twenty five children received the gifts on their wish lists.  Elf Patti gave all the children tattoos.  The rest of the elves helped with a pizza party and baked goods for dessert.  Elves included Judy, Sarah, Cora, Doris, Patti, Millie D. , Millie O., President Chris and of course Santa Bruce.

The Pioneers of the Essex Life Member Club donated 96 dictionaries to the Lincoln Ave. School in Orange on November 22.  Pictured are the Assistant Principal Colon and Pioneer Cathy Brantley.

The Paterson-Passaic-Ridgewood Club delivered Domestic Violence Bags to The Passaic County Women’s Shelter along with Halloween goody bags.  They also delivered Halloween goody bags to the boys at Mt. St.  Joseph’s Home for boys.

H. G. McCully Chapter #12 recently held their face to face chapter meeting at the Warren Life Member Club annual Picnic.  This year’s picnic was in honor of long time member, Joan Dinger, who recently passed away.  Joan was a recent president of the club, past president, and she held many important chair positions over her years with the Pioneers.  Besides the meeting and a wonderful pot luck lunch, there was a tricky tray.  Above are some pictures of some of the happy winners.

The Paterson-Passaic-Ridgewood Club recently partnered with three groups from Clifton at School 12.  Over 200 backpacks were filled with school supplies to make many of the Clifton and Paterson children happy.  Nine volunteers from the PPR Club helped fill the backpacks.

The Essex-Hudson Council Pioneers, Family and Friends had a day of fellowship at the Nordic Lodge Lobsterfest in Charlestown, Rhode Island.  They made a stop at the Foxwood Casino and Shopping Mall before going to the Lodge for a huge buffet of all you can eat, lobster, chicken, shrimp and dessert!

The Paterson-Passaic-Ridgewood Club recently visited Mt. St. Joseph’s Home for Boys in Totowa.  All of the boys, 26 of them, had “Happy Feet”.  “Happy Feet” is the latest McCully Chapter #12 project.  Each of the boys received a new pair of sneakers, two pair of socks and an age appropriate book.  Needless to say there were 26 very happy boys at the home. Essex-Hudson Council Pioneers donated sneakers, socks and a book to the afterschool program at One Step Ahead Learning Center in East Orange.  The kids were given these items as part of the New Vision Pioneers Happy Feet and Minds project.

The Paterson-Passaic-Ridgewood Club recently completed an environmental and an educational project.  The Club partnered with St. Peter’s Haven in Clifton to plant a Remembrance Garden.  Sara Liszner, a Pioneer Partner, recently did her spring cleaning  and made a much needed donation of gently used clothes to the “Dress for Success” program in Paterson.  The Club also visited the Paterson Charter School and distributed 80 ” I Like Me ” books to the kindergarten students.

Five high school juniors from Newark are singing the praises of the active and retired Verizon employees who are assisting in an all-expense-paid trip for the students to visit London. The employees, members of The New Vision McCully Upstate Essex-Hudson Council Pioneers, purchased five sets of five-piece luggage, digital cameras with memory, rain ponchos, toiletries and journals for the students.

H. G. McCully Chapter #12 held an Earth Week Poster Contest.  The winners came from the Paterson-Passaic-Ridgewood Club area.  The children above, from St. Philip’s School in Clifton, were the first through fourth place finishers.

The Paterson-Passaic-Ridgewood Club and the Warren Life Member Club held workshops to put together Easter baskets for local children’s agencies.  PPR’s baskets will go to to the Passaic County Women’s Shelter and St. Peter’s Haven in Clifton.  Warren’s baskets will go to the Warren County Department of Child Protective Services.

On 4-11-2015, the PPR Club Volunteers and Partners went to Mt St. Joseph’s Home for Boys in Totowa for Game Day.  The Warren Life Member Club collected cat supplies for F.U.R.R. aka Feline Urban Rescue and Rehab.

The Essex-Hudson Club, PPR Club and the Essex Life Member Club visited area schools on Dr. Seuss’s birthday.  They read to the children and gave them various items in honor of Dr. Seuss.

Pictured are members of the PPR Club.  They visited a location Shelter in Passaic to spread some good cheer.  This shelter provides a confidential place to stay, education, counseling and case management services to survivors of domestic violence and their children.  A 24-hour hotline is also operated at the shelter.

New Vision Pioneers partnered with St. Barnabas Health and Burn Center for its Fire Safety Program.  Students from School #13 (Clifton) and North Star Academy (Newark) were educated on fire safety and experienced what it would be like to be in a fire at the Fire Safety House. At the end of the program, the Pioneers handed out 9-1-1 Coloring books, crayons, pencils and rulers.  Pictures are from the PPR Club and Essex-Hudson Council