Judy Banes Of Westwood Is A 'Champion'

The 13th Annual "Salute to Champions" was held Friday at the Bergen County Plaza in Hackensack. Eleven people were recognized for their "unique accomplishments of individuals with disabilities and those persons in the community who perform selfless acts of assistance and advocacy on behalf of persons with disabilities," according to a press release by Bergen County Executive Kathleen Donovan.

Jim Thebery, the director of the division, added "we are extremely proud of all our champions." In 1978, Bergen County was the first county in the state to establish an office to serve the needs of residents with disabilities.

Michele Hart-Loughlin, along with Judy Banes of Westwood, found out 19 years ago that a dozen mental health challenged individuals planned to spend Thanksgiving alone. These people either did not have families or were not accepted by them. Right then, Hart-Loughlin and Banes knew they had to do something, so they cooked a Thanksgiving dinner and served it at a drop-in center in Hackensack, called "On Our Own."

This Thanksgiving will mark their 20th year having grown from 12 people to 340. The dinner is now hosted by Christ Church in Hackensack. Local organizations, like the Ridgewood AM Rotary and the Hackensack Rotary, help cook turkeys and the Hackensack Golf Club cooks hams. Volunteers from area schools, churches and the drop-in center volunteer to serve and help clean up.

"We hope we never have to do this again," said Hart-Loughlin, hoping that one day "we will be able to satisfy the need of hunger."

Banes summed it up by saying, "It's great, people helping each other."