Livingston Event Will Honor Women Military Veterans

LIVINGSTON, NJ — The following news release comes courtesy of the Township of Livingston. Find out how to post announcements or events to your local Patch site.

The Livingston Committee for Diversity & Inclusion will host a Women Veterans Day event on Friday, June 12, 2026 at 5:30 p.m. at the Oval in Memorial Park. The community is invited to gather in honor of the women who have served in the United States Armed Forces and to hear from featured speaker Maria Cristina Garcia, a U.S. Army Gulf War veteran, educator, advocate, and community builder whose life reflects resilience, reinvention, and a commitment to turning challenge into purpose.

This marks the seventh year that Livingston has held a ceremony honoring women veterans. The annual event was inspired by the selfless service of the late Muriel Fishler Reinfeld and the late Corey Ellen Fefferman — the mother and niece, respectively, of Livingstonian Ava Reinfield — both of whom served in the armed forces. Since its first observance, the program has grown to include representatives from area groups and from federal and local governments.

This year's program will include a flag salute led by local Scouts, remarks, a prayer in support of all service members, and a wreath-laying ceremony.

The event is free and open to the public. Attendees are encouraged to arrive a few minutes before 5:30 p.m. to find seating at the Oval.

"Maria Cristina Garcia represents resilience transformed into purpose," said Ava Reinfield of the Livingston Committee for Diversity & Inclusion and coordinator of the Women Veterans Day event. "She doesn't just turn lemons into lemonade — she builds the stand, runs the business and teaches others how to do the same. We are honored to welcome her to Memorial Park as we recognize the women veterans of our community."

The inaugural ceremony was held in 2019, the same year that Acting Gov. and Lt. Gov. Sheila Oliver signed Joint Resolution No. 15 into law. Under the resolution, New Jersey formally recognizes the contributions women have made to the United States Armed Forces and designates June 12 of each year as Women Veterans Appreciation Day — established, as noted in the law, "to recognize the strength and resilience of our women veterans and to celebrate the diversity and inclusiveness that women bring to our military." Livingston was the first township in New Jersey to recognize June 12 as a state holiday.

Maria Cristina Garcia

After completing her active service, Garcia continued forward through education while navigating the lasting effects of military sexual trauma, PTSD, and ADHD. Through the Green to Gold Program at the University of Texas at El Paso, she earned a bachelor's in international business and a master's in education with a specialization in STEAM, graduating with a 4.0 GPA and joining the Phi Kappa Phi Honor Society. During her time at UTEP, she served in student government as a senator-at-large and as a senator for the College of Business for two years.

Garcia later brought her work to New Jersey as a STEM educator and curriculum developer, building learning environments designed to support, include and encourage every student. Her commitment to community has extended well beyond the classroom. She has served as a PTA Diversity Council member in West Orange, participated in Pride recognition events and the Pride Festival through initiatives with the Livingston Township Council, and remains an active voice for inclusion and representation.

A founding member of Operation Sisterhood and the creator of MC's NetVet Events, Garcia has — through her work with Easter Seals and her own community programming — built spaces where veterans, and especially women veterans, can reconnect and heal. As a single mother, she has continued to rebuild and evolve, using her own journey to lift others. Today, through MCG Healing Journey Consulting, she advocates for veterans, families, and neurodivergent communities.

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