Long are the days of meeting at member homes and enjoying tea sandwiches for the ladies of the Women’s Civic Club of Hammonton.
Members like Linda Bucci, who is a past president, remembers those meetings growing up. And even though those days are no more, the feel-good deeds of the club’s mission remains.
Today, members of the club meets at 418 S. Liberty St., a location they have had since they took over the building in 1959. The organization began in 1908. This year marks 115 years of servicing the community.
“We really try to help the local families in need,” said Pat Berenato, president of the club, who said most of the work is essentially done behind the scenes.
If there is a fire, the Women’s Civic Club steps in, if there is a tragedy, the club steps in, if a family falls on hard times, the club steps in, if a family is suffering from a medical need, the club steps in.
They work with the local schools and nurses in Hammonton, Folsom, Atco, and Mullica, local police departments, and the Family Success Center for community contacts.
“We do several different projects in the year to help the families,” Berenato explained “We try to partner with different organizations and different groups to see where the need is.”
During the pandemic, the club helped families that lost jobs and children who lost parents. They helped single parents get on their feet. And even though they are a women’s organization, if a man needs help, they will jump in.
The club’s entire basement is essentially their Kids Closet filled with donated toys, clothing and accessories for children and teens in need. Also located in the Kids Closet, is the organization’s Prom Project. The organization provides free donated beautiful prom dresses, jackets, clothes, shoes, and more.
They have also helped young men with suits and tuxes.
Just in the past three years, they have dressed close to 35 girls. They have dressed a bridal party. They even dressed young ladies for the Tim Tebow Foundation Night of Stars.
The club also assists in providing work wear for women stepping out into the workforce.
They sponsor a local high school junior girl annually to the Girls’ Career Institute at Douglas College.
The organization is currently in its busy season from September to December.
A welcome back dinner and paint night was held in September. An open house, vendor night is scheduled for Oct. 20. A Friendsgiving Thanksgiving dinner is planned in November inviting anybody who would like to join the club.
“During Thanksgiving, we donate meals to a family in need,” Berenato said. “Last year, we delivered a Thanksgiving meal to a dad with three children.”
The many projects during the Christmas season rounds out the year from delivering poinsettias to those who cannot leave their home to transforming their hall for a Santa meet-and-greet.
“During Christmas time, we adopt 12 families providing full meals, toys, and clothing for all the children,” Berenato said. “This past year, one of the families had 11 children and we found out they didn’t have pillows or blankets. Our members got together and got 12 pillows, 12 blankets.”
The club also holds donation drives for children with cancer for their state project with Emmanuel Cancer Foundation as well as a food drive for local pantries.
“We donate books to Camden County free books project,” Berenato said, collecting craft supplies and things for the children at the children’s hospital.
To say the club is busy, busy, busy is an understatement. Berenato said they have roughly 47 members, half of which are active. The women range from their early 30s to women in their 90s and meet the third Tuesday each month. Each meeting, they try to have a different speaker and discuss different topics.
For their continued efforts, the Women’s Civic Club of Hammonton earned the Leadership Award this year through the New Jersey General Federation of Women’s Club.
And to celebrate 115 years, the members plan to make a blueberry cookbook filled with blueberry recipes from appetizers and desserts to meals and jams and jellies to drinks and smoothies.
“Anything made with blueberries,” Berenato said of their special anniversary project.
The hope is to have the book ready for the 2024 Red, White and Blueberry Festival in Hammonton. For those who submit recipes, their name will appear in the cookbook.
