(Eastern Bergen County, New Jersey; May 13, 2022) –This spring, the business community in northern New Jersey stepped up to support The Community Chest of Eastern Bergen County’s Young Women’s Leadership (YWL) Program. Founded in 2017, the YWL Program expanded its services this year to provide seven awards to outstanding high school juniors or seniors identifying as female and implemented a leadership workshop series for the applicants.
Two New Jersey businesses, The Stacy Esser Group of Keller Williams in Tenafly, and Max Mara, a women’s retail store located at the Shops at Riverside in Hackensack, were pivotal to the program’s expansion, with their financial and human resource contributions. The 2022 YWL Program’s award recipients will be announced in June.
Workshop and Fashion Show Develop Young Women Leaders
On May 1, Stacy Esser, CEO-Founder of Stacy Esser Group, led a workshop at Keller Williams’ office in Tenafly to provide young college bound women with guidance on how to assume leadership roles in their personal and community relationships. Young women high school students from eastern Bergen County, who applied to the YWL Program, were invited to attend the presentation and practice some of the skill building exercises to help them managing their personal and school relationships.
Following the successful workshop series, a cocktail party and fashion show at Max Mara at the Shops at Riverside on May 5 celebrated the accomplishments of the young women leaders and raised funds for the YWL Program. In recognition of their outstanding contributions to the community, the YWL Program selected these young women leaders to be models in the fashion show — Abby Kushman, a junior at Tenafly High School; Christine Salazar, a senior at the Academies at Englewood; and Jing Li, a senior at Northern Valley Demarest High School. Abby LaValle, the regional manager of Max Mara, and Davide Gervasi, fashion coordinator, hosted the event. LaValle introduced the young women’s contributions and announced Salazar plans to attend New York University and Li will enroll at the University of Michigan in the fall.
Guests, who attended the fashion show, celebrated the accomplishments of these young women and received a 15% discount on select styles to purchase. The store continues this discount opportunity until the end of May. Ten percent of the total sales will be donated to The Community Chest’s YWL Program.
With the motto ‘Neighbors Helping Neighbors’, The Community Chest of Eastern Bergen County’s leads initiatives and supports nonprofits that make communities stronger and benefit people in eastern Bergen County, New Jersey. “As The Community Chest observes nearly 90 years of service helping our neighbors in their time of need in the region, we are extremely grateful to these community-minded businesses for supporting the Young Women’s Leadership Program. Their generous contributions enable us to continue providing valuable programming and cash awards in the coming year,” said Dr. Shelly Wimpfheimer, Executive Director, The Community Chest of Eastern Bergen County.
The Legacy of the Three Elizabeths Continues
The YWL Program honors the legacy of the three Elizabeths — Elizabeth Cutter Morrow, Elizabeth Morrow Morgan, and Elizabeth Cady Stanton. During the Great Depression, Elizabeth Cutter Morrow, an Englewood resident, became the founding board chair of The Community Chest. Elisabeth Morrow Morgan, the founder of The Elisabeth Morrow School, grew up in Englewood. Tenafly resident Elizabeth Cady Stanton was a leader in the suffragist movement.
Support
The Community Chest welcomes donations to recognize the work of these young women and support the YWL Program. Contributions of any amount may be sent by check with payment made out to The Community Chest, located at 122 South Van Brunt Street, Englewood, New Jersey 07631. Visit The Chest’s website, www.thecommunitychestebc.org, for more information about the YWL Program and the organization’s mission and work or contact Dr. Shelly Wimpfheimer at (201) 568-7474.
About The Community Chest
Founded in 1933, The Community Chest, a nonprofit, tax-exempt organization headquartered in Englewood, New Jersey, has supported local not-for-profit agencies for nearly 90 years. The Chest leads initiatives and supports nonprofits that make our communities stronger and benefit people in need in eastern Bergen County. Each year, The Chest raises funds and allocates them to agencies demonstrating the capacity to provide services to local citizens. The organization also provides coordinating and planning services in its communities, serving as a bridge between agencies and organizations and investing in the stability and quality of the service network.
The Community Chest’s Board of Managers is comprised of community leaders dedicated to improving the lives of neighbors in need. People interested in being considered for board membership may contact Executive Director Dr. Shelly Wimpfheimer at (201) 568-7474.
For further information about The Chest, visit www.thecommunitychestebc.org/ or contact (201) 568-7474. Stay updated about the organization’s activities on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.
