PARSIPPANY — On October 23rd at the general membership meeting of the Sons of Italy, Morris County Lodge 2561, several organizations and citizens were recognized for the valuable, selfless, and caring services they provide to various in-need community groups, be it for safety, support, nourishment, or just their general overall well-being. Lodge 2561, known for their long-standing and ongoing charitable endeavors, generously supports, and partners with, numerous community service organizations and individuals throughout the year, and is always ready and willing to reach out to help when needed.
Sizeable monetary donations were made to both the Jersey Battered Women’s Service (JBWS) and the Interfaith Food Pantry Network, while Parsippany PAL Wrestling was recognized for the important services, they provide supporting our younger generation. Eccola Italian Bistro’s, Jeff DiBlasi, was also recognized for his ongoing support of the Lodge.
Robin M. Hughes, DVS Manager, Crisis Response Team of JBWS, herself a domestic abuse victim, presented an impassioned, insightful, and grateful presentation to the assembled group. Ms. Hughes and her group’s work for abused victims is an essential, if not lifesaving, service that this County is extremely fortunate to have. If you need their services they can be reached at (973) 267-7520 ext. 229, at their helpline at 1-877.R.U.ABUSED, or at www.jbws.org. JBWS also accepts, in addition to monetary donations, such items as clothing, household goods, etc.
Carolyn Lake, Executive Director of the Interfaith Food Pantry, also educated the membership of the organization’s efforts over the past 25 years. The Food Pantry’s mission of improving the health and well-being of Morris County residents in need by providing access to food, education, and other resources is certainly a challenging and worthwhile endeavor, and by taking a look at their 2023 numbers they are succeeding. Last year 2,158,851 pounds of food was distributed, 1,962,591 meals were provided, 856,494 pounds of produce was distributed, and 39,302 household visits were made. Contributions are welcomed to help fund some, or all of their programs, and volunteers are always in need. The Pantry is located at 2 Executive Drive, Morris Plains, and you can contact the Interfaith Food Pantry at (973) 538-8049. Their website is www.mcifp.org.
Kellie Andersen, Julia Wallace, and Shawn Cortese representing Parsippany PAL Wrestling were on hand to thank the Lodge for their assistance in always donating a delicious Italian-style dinner at their annual fundraising event. The Lodge’s ace cooking crew is always glad to come out and spend the day putting together a fantastic pasta and meatball dinner for the usually very large crowd. And, as usual, they have agreed to be there again to continue to create their magic in the kitchen. That date is still to be announced.
The Lodge also voted to provide substantial amounts in food gift cards to families of school-age children to ensure they have the opportunity for a wonderful Thanksgiving dinner. As they do every Thanksgiving, Lodge President Joe Jannarone Jr. and his crew will deliver full turkey dinners to needy members of the community.
Morris County’s Lodge, one of 29 Lodges in New Jersey, is a non-profit organization that proudly contributes thousands of dollars to worthwhile charities and families in need. The Lodge regularly purchases and dispenses gift cards to assist needy families. The Morris County Lodge currently consists of approximately 100 members and continues to grow. The Lodge is proud of the fact that almost every dollar that the organization acquires through donations, fundraisers, etc., goes directly back into the community through the various community groups and individuals in need.
