Caregiver Volunteers of Central Jersey - A Faith In Action Program

June 16, 2008

Fashion Show to feature the "Distintive"

Fashion show to feature the "distinctive"
Women raise money for seniors
By Bobbi Seidel • STAFF WRITER • June 15, 2008

A fashion show and dessert buffet on Thursday will honor several Ocean County women and raise money at the same time for a nonprofit group that provides free services to county senior citizens.

"Women of Distinction Caregiver Catwalk," which benefits Caregiver Volunteers of Central Jersey, takes place from 7 to 9 p.m. Thursday at the Beachwood Community Center, 147 Compass Ave., in Beachwood. The women being honored will model clothes provided by Dress Barn of Toms River, said Judi Dawson, director of development for Caregiver. A dessert buffet with gourmet coffees, door prizes, and a raffle for various prizes, including gift certificates for restaurants, are part of the event, she said.

The honorees include Ocean County Prosecutor Marlene Lynch Ford, a former Superior Court judge and state assemblywoman; Sgt. Cynthia E. Boyd, an Ocean County Prosecutor's Office investigator; Carol Kelaher, coordinator of Caregiver volunteers at St. Joseph Church in Toms River and wife of Toms River Mayor Thomas F. Kelaher; Maria Laface, senior vice president and director of litigation for Ocean-Monmouth Legal Services; Victoria Magliacane, a district manager for Investors Savings Bank; Jane Maloney, director of the Ocean County Office of Senior Services; Trish Mazejy, vice president of business for Bartley Health Care; Lorraine Morreales, who works with The Kokes Organization; and writer Arline McGraw Oberst, who co-authored "Chicken Soup for the Volunteer's Soul."

" "Women of Distinction' are women within our community who have made accomplishments in their careers, and on top of that, are involved within the community. They're women who deserve to be honored," Dawson said. "Carol Kelaher, for example . . . the work she does is absolutely priceless.

"Lorraine Morreales has been involved with our annual golf outing, a fundraiser, for eight years. She is instrumental in making it a success," Dawson said.

Caregiver Volunteers provides free services to more than 2,000 Ocean County senior citizens each month, Dawson said. Services include shopping for groceries, driving people to medical appointments, and providing respite for those caring for a loved one suffering from Alzheimer's disease or other related ailments.

"Ocean County has the second-highest senior population in the country, second only to (Miami) Dade County in Florida," Dawson said. "The need for help continues to grow and is growing rapidly as the senior population continues to grow in the county."

The all-volunteer agency has more than 1,000 volunteers who assist the seniors, she said. There is no income eligibility for services; seniors must be no longer able to drive a vehicle and in need of assistance, she said.

All money raised at the event will go toward providing services, Dawson said.

Tickets are $25 each and must be purchased by Wednesday. To purchase tickets, for more information or to volunteer, call Dawson at (732) 505-2273, ext. 209. More information also is available at www.caregivervolunteers.org, or at Caregiver Volunteers, located in the House of Hope, 253 Chestnut St., off of Hooper Avenue behind the Presbyterian Church of Toms River.