PARSIPPANY — Stickley Museum at Craftsman Farms held a “Head, Hand & Heart Gala” on Saturday, October 15 at Knoll County Club East.
The “Head, Hand & Heart Gala” was held to honor two local non-profit groups, Kiwanis Club of Greater Parsippany and Woman’s Club of Parsippany-Troy Hills.
Parsippany-Troy Hills Mayor James Barberio gave special recognition to the honorees, the Kiwanis Club of Greater Parsippany and the Woman’s Club of Parsippany-Troy Hills and thanked the Craftsman Farms Foundation for helping to make Parsippany a great place to live and work. Those volunteer organizations make up the fabric of Parsippany and have contributed to the designation by Money Magazine as the fifth best place to live in the nation.
Governor Christ Christie, in a letter to the attendees stated “As a National Historic Landmark, the Stickley Museum has been an integral part of New Jersey’s historical and cultural landscape. By offering a range of educational programs and tours for its visitors, the Museum is committed to providing a distinctive for their dedication to preserving and sharing our State’s history and commend those who will continue this worthy endeavor in the future.”
The Gala’s “head, hand, and heart” theme has long been associated with the Arts and Crafts movement, the movement that inspired Gustav Stickley’s vision for Craftsman Farms, stated Vonda Givens, Executive Director. “The dedicated members of the Kiwanis Club of Greater Parsippany and the Woman’s Club of Parsippany-Troy Hills serve our community with head, hand and heart. Over the years Kiwanis Club has partnered with Stickley Museum at Craftsman Farms and both clubs have pointed the way, pioneering a path of service to the community that the museum seeks to emulate. We all share the overlapping goal of serving children in Parsippany-Troy Hills and enhancing the lives of local families. For many years, the Kiwanis Club and the Woman’s Club have worked tirelessly doing both. We are thrilled to spotlight their efforts,” said Givens.
For over 60 years, the Woman’s Club of Parsippany-Troy Hills has demonstrated its commitment to the community through an impressively wide range of community service endeavors. For many years the Club has served the township and the state with initiatives to support education, home life, conservation and more. An early project supported the founding of Parsippany Library. Today the Woman’s Club is involved with both large and small projects, many ongoing, which assist and support families in need, victims of domestic violence, the elderly and active military. Educational opportunities for local children are fostered through a spelling bee, reading awards for 5th graders, citizenship awards for middle school students and scholarships for high school seniors. For the last two years, the club has also awarded a scholarship to a victim of domestic abuse who wants to continue her education. Every two years, the New Jersey Federation of Woman’s Clubs selects a new charitable organization to support. Currently the club is championing “Prevent Child Abuse-NJ.” Past statewide projects included “Autism Awareness” and support for “National Alliance on Mental Illness.” The club also has an active social side. From Bunco nights, a book club, holiday parties and more – club members keep busy!
The focus of the Kiwanis Club of Greater Parsippany is to improve the quality of life for children and families by giving primacy to the human and spiritual rather than the material values of life. The Club is committed to making the world better by making communities better.
Marking its 25th year of service to Greater Parsippany, the Kiwanis Club hosts weekly meetings, each Thursday morning at 7:15 a.m. at Empire Diner. Any community need can become a Kiwanis service project, especially the needs of children. The Kiwanis Club of Greater Parsippany believes that by helping one child, you help the world. This dynamic organization sponsors Key Clubs in both local Parsippany high schools, Builders Clubs in the middle schools, and K-Kids Clubs in elementary schools, with over 500 student members. The Kiwanis Club has supported the Stickley Museum at Craftsman Farms’ Family Days and other children’s programs for many years, but it is just one local organization to benefit from the organization’s support. Its community service efforts, particularly in service to children and families, leave a large footprint on the area. The club supports the Parsippany Child Day Care Center, Parsippany Library, and numerous other organizations such as Housing Partnership, NJ Sharing Network, The Women’s Theater, Jersey Battered Women’s Service, Homeless Solutions, Eliminate Project, Parsippany Community Center, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Camp Nejeda and Children’s Specialized Hospital.
