State Women’s Club kicks off Prevent Child Abuse Awareness month

April is Prevent Child Abuse Month, and the New Jersey State Federation of Women's Clubs Executive Officers kicked off the Month by planting a Pinwheel Garden outside their Headquarters Office in New Brunswick. Prevent Child Abuse NJ, Executive Director Gina Hernandez assisted in this important annual event. In 2008, Prevent Child Abuse America introduced the pinwheel as the national symbol of child abuse prevention through their Pinwheels for Prevention® program.

Ever since April was designated as National Child Abuse Prevention month in 1983, the New Jersey State Federation of Women's Clubs of GFWC (NJSFWC) and Prevent Child Abuse America (along with other child welfare organizations), have recognized it as a time to raise awareness and inspire collective action, so that our country’s children can lead their best lives.

Pictured here L/R: Corresponding Secretary Ann Ribinsky Brown, Financial Secretary Chris Burlew, Prevent Child Abuse NJ, Executive Director Gina Hernandez, NJSFWC President Jan Hanson, Second Vice President Barbara McCloskey, President-elect Shirley Holly, Treasurer Shirley Holly, Recording Secretary Joanne Mangels.

The NJSFWC, a volunteer, community service organization, was founded in 1894, and is headquartered on the Douglass College campus in New Brunswick. The NJSFWC founded the New Jersey College for Women in 1918. In 2020, the organization, with a membership of over 6200, reported almost 16,963 community service projects involving over 320,119 volunteer hours and $2.3 million in cash and in- kind donations.

The NJSFWC is a member of the General Federation of Women’s Clubs (GFWC), which is headquartered in Washington, DC and is the largest and oldest women’s volunteer community service organization in the world.

For more information about the NJSFWC and/or membership in a local club, visit

www.njsfwc.org or call 732-249-5474.