SAGE Eldercare will be “Celebrating 2014” at its 61st Annual Meeting on Thursday, June 18 at 6:30 pm at 290 Broad Street in Summit. The evening will include a presentation of awards to volunteers and staff who have demonstrated an exceptional commitment to SAGE and its mission of helping older adults remain in the comfort of their own communities as they age.
Linda Delma of Summit will receive the Agnes N. Badgley Award, created in 1989 to recognize the invaluable contributions of an outstanding SAGE Eldercare volunteer. Mrs. Agnes Badgley was an active volunteer and President of the Board of Trustees who devoted many years of service to SAGE.
Mary Zimmerman of Summit will be the first recipient of the Bob Abelson Carry the Torch Award, created in 2014 to honor a volunteer who devotes their talent and time to SAGE and other organizations in the community.
“Bob, who was a resident of New Providence, was extremely active in the greater community, serving as a longtime volunteer at Overlook Medical Center and with their foundation, in addition to devoting time to many of SAGE’s departments over the course of two decades,” noted Marianne Kranz, Director of Volunteers at SAGE. “In 1996, due to his service and volunteerism, he carried the Olympic torch across New Jersey on its way to the summer Olympic games in Atlanta, GA. We are privileged to have known him and to have been able to reap the benefits of his kindness and many talents, which is why we have created an award in his honor.”
Overlook Medical Center’s Community Health Department will receive the Community Partner Award. Established in 1996, this award honors local individuals or businesses that generously share their expertise in support of SAGE Eldercare and older adults in the community.
Summit Area Public Foundation will receive the Good Neighbor Award. This award was also initiated in 1996 to honor local organizations that generously share their resources in support of SAGE Eldercare and older adults in the community.
Marie Francois of Elizabeth will receive the Home Health Aide of the Year Award, which is given to the individual who is recognized for their continuous dedication and service to providing quality home care to SAGE Eldercare clients.
A trio of high school orchestra musicians from Millburn, Satyen Gupta, Shantanu Laghate, and Alex Ren, will receive the Outstanding Youth Volunteer of the Year Award, which was created in 2005 to acknowledge ongoing volunteer involvement by local youth who have committed their time and service to SAGE.
In addition, SAGE employees will be honored for varying years of service, from five years to forty years of employment at the organization. The staff being recognized includes Violet Allen of Vauxhall, Chundrowtia (CC) Harpal of North Plainfield, Jeanne Julien of Maplewood, Diana Lara of Union, Brenda Lee of Scotch Plains, Rose Rittweger of Springfield, Comfort Swain of Maplewood, and Bacani (Betty) Tannis of Newark.
The meeting is open to the public, but reservations are required by Wednesday, June 10. For more information or to RSVP, contact Sunanda Sharma at 908.598.5504 or at ssharma@sageeldercare.temp312.kinsta.cloud.