Cindy Westendorf, director of Amanda’s Easel, presented a community award to Scott Ginsberg.
HAZLET — 180, Turning Lives Around, recognized an outstanding group of community partners during its annual Volunteer and Community Partners Awards Dinner. The highest honor was awarded to Scott Ginsberg, 13, of Manalapan, for his extensive community service program to benefit Amanda’s Easel.
The special awards program provided recognition for more than 35 Community Partners with special recognition plaques and 190 additional appreciation certificates. Greater Media News-papers, which publishes the News Transcript, was recognized for its ongoing coverage of 180’s programs. Staff writer Gloria Stravelli and editorial assistant Catherine Rymas accepted the award on behalf of Greater Media Newspapers.
The agency’s highest honor for community volunteerism, the Mary Olive Reilly Award, was presented to Scott Ginsberg, who conducted a two-county art supply, financial donation and gift drive for 180’s Amanda’s Easel art therapy program.
Scott, who is the son of Rebecca and Alan E. Ginsberg, attends the Manalapan Englishtown Middle School and is in the seventh grade. Conducted as part of his bar mitzvah project, Scott supervised the collection and delivery of hundreds of items, including a special notepad he designed and created from donations of paper from area printers, according to a press release.
Speaking of his desire to undertake this project, Scott said, "As a community project, I wanted to donate my services to a local organization and make my bar mitzvah more meaningful. I remember my mom telling me about Amanda Wengert and we had even met her mother, Karen, while shopping one day.
"Amanda’s death had affected many people throughout the Monmouth County area, especially in her hometown of Manalapan where I live. Amanda attended the same elementary and dance schools that my little sister, Lindsey, went to. I knew then that I had to help this program and keep Amanda’s memory alive.
"Through letters and phone calls I collected art supplies, money, chairs and just about anything else people would donate. I received dozens of e-mails from people just wanting to help.
"With the help of my family and many local printers, I made about 300 art pads from paper stock that was just collecting dust. I couldn’t have completed this project without their generosity or the help of my neighbors, friends, Temple Beth Shalom congregants, local politicians and businesses.
"I never expected to win an award for helping Amanda’s Easel or 180. Everyone tells me Mary Olive Reilly was a very, very special person, and I am honored to win this award in her memory. I would like to thank my mom for all of her help, especially driving me everywhere I needed to go.
"To my dad for keeping an account of all of the records for this project and to my sister Lindsey for helping collate all of the different colored papers for the art pads. I would also like to thank Sue Kozel, Cindy Westendorf and Anna Diaz-White for their help in pointing me in the right direction on this project," Scott said.
"These volunteers bring hope to our agency and provide outstanding services which help our survivors transcend the trauma of domestic violence and sexual assault," said Anna M. Diaz-White, the executive director of 180. "Our hearts were touched by the generosity of Scott Ginsberg, who decided to help other children through his great community service project. Through the actions of children helping other children, we can see how lives can be changed with kindness and love."
Amanda’s Easel is jointly operated by the Friends of Amanda Foundation and 180. In January, Gov. James E. McGreevey provided $100,000 of emergency grant funding to help Amanda’s Easel continue its award-winning art therapy service. According to a press release, Amanda’s Easel has no appropriation included in the fiscal year 2004 budget and the program may be greatly diminished if the governor and Legislature do not restore budget support before June 30.