NJSFWC 2020/2021 Cecilia Gaines Holland Award Recipients honored

New Brunswick NJ

04 August, 2021

7:37 PM

Description

Established in 1944, the Cecilia Gaines Holland Award is the highest honor that can be bestowed upon a New Jersey clubwoman. Named after the second President of the New Jersey State Federation of Women's Clubs (NJSFWC) of GFWC, this prestigious award is given annually to one clubwoman who demonstrates her commitment to her community by performing outstanding civic and volunteer work that extends above and beyond her service to her club. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the 2020 award presentation was postponed and the recipient, Jane Mackesy was honored at a special summer conference in August, along with the 2021 winner, Marie Louise Sullivan. Jane Mackesy, from Kearny is the 76th Cecilia Gaines Holland award winner. She is a member of the EMD of the Woman's Club of Arlington in the Liberty District. Jane was a health and physical education teacher for 18 years and retired after 13 years as an elementary school counselor. She is founder and currently works part time as project coordinator of the local Prevention Coalition, a youth-focused campaign to reduce substance abuse. She is a fundraiser for the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation; serves on the JDRF Liberty State Park Walk Committee; is a Family Team Chairperson; and mentors families of children newly diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes. As part of her membership and past president of the County Genealogical and Historical Society, Jane gives lectures on exploring family ancestry and presents the "Ask Granny" program to school groups and at the local library Jane's participation in her church includes serving as lector and Eucharistic Minister; a Trustee; President of Rosary Society who coordinates the Town Hall Lunch program every 8 weeks; coordinator of the Christmas Giving Tree and Easter Giving Cross; co-chairs the Pillars of the Parish Committee. In Kearny, Jane is instrumental in the Annual Town Wide Clean Up; member of United Irish Parade Committee; 20 year volunteer for Municipal Alliance; assisted in organizing city wide planting of trees; is a charter member of local chapter of AWAKE protecting Kearny's waterways and local environment by reducing water pollution; and recently appointed to ACES (Advisory Committee on Environmental and Sustainability) Jane was the V.F.W. Citizen of the year in 2017; and Deputy Grand Marshall of the 2015 St. Patrick's Day Parade. She is a member of Kearny Interfaith Network and Friends of the Library. The 77th Cecilia Gaines Holland Award recipient Marie Louise Sullivan, from Paramus. She has a long history of community service, selfless acts of philanthropy and a life of giving back. Marie has been an active member of the Federation for over 15 years, serving her club in various officer positions including President. Within the Federation she served as District Vice President for not one but two Districts – Palisades and Ramapo. Marie has volunteered for the Center for Hope and Safety, a battered women's shelter, where she was instrumental in organizing a food drive to stock the pantry. She reached out to other groups to donate gift cards and had a much-needed freezer donated. She organized a coat and clothing drive for the shelter residents, collected and wrapped costume jewelry for the children living there to give to their moms at the holidays. Within her community, Marie was a volunteer children's swimming instructor, religious education teacher, Little League & volleyball volunteer and assumed leadership roles in her PTA. During the pandemic, Marie organized a sewing brigade making and donating over 20,000 face coverings which were donated to hospitals, nursing homes, senior centers, women's clubs, veteran's homes, homeless shelters and special education classrooms. Marie is an Applied Behavior Analysis Therapist offering advice and compassion to parents of children with special needs. New Jersey State Federation of Women's Clubs, founded in 1894, has its Headquarters on the Douglass Residential Campus, in New Brunswick. The college, formerly Douglass College, was established by NJSFWC in 1918. To learn more about NJSFWC and membership in a local club, visit www.NJSFWC.org or call (732) 249-5474. For more information regarding the General Federation of Women's Clubs, contact www.GFWC.org. Opportunities are provided for women in education, leadership training, and community service projects through participation in local clubs, enabling members "to make a difference in the lives of others, one project at a time".