Maplewood Salon Partners with the Linda & Rudy Slucker NCJW/Essex Center for Women to Provide a Special Day for Women

Before January of this year, Monica Lutz of Bloomfield, NJ, a mother of three, was desperate. “I was married for 17 ½ years, then divorced with no profession and I felt so broken,” she recalled. “Then a brochure caught my eye – it said ‘empowering women’ – and I was lucky enough to find the NCJW/Essex Center for Women.”

On Monday, May 15th, Monica, along with eight other clients from the Linda & Rudy Slucker NCJW/Essex Center for Women, was treated to a special pampering, thanks to the generosity of the award-winning Anthony Garubo Salon in Maplewood, NJ. Usually closed on Mondays, the salon opened its doors and donated its time and talent to help empower the CFW clients with a new look. All services were donated and anything was possible, from a blowout to cut, color and even highlights, as the stylists consulted with each individual client.

“When I made that first phone call to the Center for Women I was immediately met with compassion and kindness,” said Lutz. “These were total strangers but they had my back and they helped me heal.” Lutz took advantage of the RISE program – Reaching Into Self Empowerment – as well as job coaching, resume writing, computer classes and women’s workshops. This month she starts a new chapter in her life with a new job, a fresh look and lots of support.

The Anthony Garubo Salon has graciously hosted this event for the past four years because of their desire to give back to the community and specifically to women in need. As Janine Garubo Austin, Managing Director said, “We love this tradition and it is the high point of our year. With spring and Mother’s Day, it feels like a good time to have a new beginning. My staff and I are honored to be a little bit of a catalyst for change.”

Patty Kremen, Career Services Manager at the NCJW/Essex Center for Women, organizes this event because she feels it is important to help women who are looking for a job or in transition to feel empowered and good about themselves. “Sometimes you are too focused on your job search and you need to take time to look inward and focus on yourself.” Patty also commented on the salon’s generosity remarking, “The Garubo Salon has given these women an amazing opportunity to feel refreshed and recharged.”

“I can’t express my gratitude enough,” said Lutz. “The Center for Women gave me hope and a reason to believe in myself. Today I feel like I am dreaming! I urge any woman going through a difficult transition to reach out to this amazing organization.”

The Center for Women is a resource for women focusing on growth and self-improvement. The Center offers workshops on a variety of topics, computer classes, legal guidance, career services and peer support. Clients of the Center are learning skills to enter or re-enter the workforce, finding encouragement to cope with new or unexpected life situations, gaining the confidence to develop their own career path and improving personal relationships.

The Linda & Rudy Slucker NCJW/Essex Center for Women is located at 70 South Orange Avenue, Livingston, NJ. For more information, please visit www.centerforwomenNJ.org or call (973) 994-4994.

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PHOTO CAPTIONS:

Photo 1: Monica Lutz, a client at the NCJW/Essex Center for Women (CFW), was pampered at the Anthony Garubo Salon with color and highlights. Thanks to the CFW, she now has hope and a new look as she embarks on the next chapter in her life.

Photo 2: Feeling refreshed and grateful, Monica Lutz is pictured with her stylists who donated their time on a day when the salon was closed to give back to women in need.

Photo 3: Pictured (left to right): Janine Garubo Austin, Managing Director of the Anthony Garubo Salon, Patty Kremen, Career Services Manager at the Center for Women, Leslie Lavinthal, NCJW/Essex volunteer and Vice President of the Center for Women, and Christopher Catanese, Creative Director at the Anthony Garubo Salon.

The Linda & Rudy Slucker NCJW/Essex Center for Women (CFW) is a nonsectarian service provider sponsored by the National Council of Jewish Women, Essex County Section. CFW provides a variety of support groups for women and children, dating abuse prevention and awareness for teens, and skills training for women re-entering the workforce.

About National Council of Jewish Women, Essex County Section

The National Council of Jewish Women (NCJW) is a grassroots organization of volunteers and advocates who turn progressive ideals into action. Inspired by Jewish values, NCJW strives for social justice by improving the quality of life for women, children, and families and by safeguarding individual rights and freedoms. With more than 3,200 members, Essex County Section is the largest of the more than 100 NCJW Sections around the country. The Section was founded in 1912 and maintains offices in Livingston, N.J. For more information, log on to www.ncjwessex.org