UNITED WAY GIVES VOLUNTEERS
"AN EVENING TO REMEMBER"

On June 28, 2007, the United Way of Essex and West Hudson formally recognized the contributions of its most prized resource - its volunteers. The affair took place at Anheuser-Busch, Inc. in Newark, NJ.

"Our organization would not be able to achieve its goals without our dedicated group of volunteers" said Keith Green, President and CEO of the United Way of Essex and West Hudson. "Tonight, we recognize the contributions of those individuals and organizations that have provided outstanding service by giving of their time, talent and energy to make our community a better place to live and work."

Volunteering means so many things at the United Way - whether serving on the Board of Trustees; being a member of Women's Leadership Council; reading to children; running a workplace campaign; participating in our vision councils; or making corporate donations to support the work - each of these roles are critical to helping us realize our vision of meaningful impact in the community.

Seven awards were given for outstanding and exemplary service to the United Way in various capacities.

The Corporate Citizen Award was presented to Anheuser-Busch, Inc. for their outstanding support and assistance in making a direct impact in the communities we serve. As a steadfast supporter of United Way's work, their impact is felt throughout the state of New Jersey.

The recipient of the Vision Council Community Partner Award was Bernadette Scott, Development Director for Unified Vailsburg Services Organization for her untiring support and work on behalf of the Family Power Vision Council.

For his enthusiasm and commitment to our youth and literacy, the Celebrity Read Literacy Award was presented to Anwar Robinson. As a first-time vice-chair of the Celebrity Read program, Anwar brought a passion for literacy and a commitment to children. He shared his love for music and life experiences and achievements with children at numerous schools in the communities.

For her consistent and unwavering support of our United Way, in particular through our Women's initiatives, United Way presented the Women's Philanthropy Award to Jennifer Adubato. This award is given to a woman who exemplifies the spirit of philanthropy by sharing her passion, leadership, time and financial support with her community through her commitment and support of the United Way's women's initiatives.

The Ed Morano Community Impact Award is presented to a representative of the United States Postal Service. This year's award was given to Brian Tait for his many years of faithful service to this community and chairing major federal workplace campaigns for many years.

The recipient of the Employee Campaign Award was Erica Clarke-Muhammed of Anheuser-Busch, Inc. Ms. Muhammed worked tirelessly to take fundraising efforts at her company to new heights. Her hosting of corporate campaign kickoffs and volunteer trainings resulted in Anheuser's employee campaign raising over $60,000.

The evening culminated in the presentation of the United Way's most prestigious volunteer award, The Connie Woodruff Cornerstone Award. This award honors an individual who is dedicated to giving of him or herself for the betterment of the communities in which they live and work. This individual has gone over and above the call of duty in his or her volunteerism and makes a measurable impact in the community. This award was created to honor the memory of an extraordinary woman whose dedication and service continues to transport good deeds into positive action.

The recipient of the 2007 Connie Woodruff Cornerstone Award is Joan Lyons for her commitment and dedication to serving the community. For her caring, her sharing of herself, her time and her talents over the years, United Way of Essex and West Hudson is proud to present the 2007 Connie Woodruff Cornerstone Award for Community Service to Ms. Lyons.

The United Way of Essex and West Hudson salutes all of our volunteers for their dedication and commitment in giving of their most precious commodity - their time.

 View photos from this event

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