SOUTH BRUNSWICK: CIL to honor two at annual dinner

By Davy James, Staff Writer
   Township residents Susan Edelman, of Monmouth Junction, and Sharon Sullivan, of Kendall Park, will be honored for their service to South Brunswick with the upcoming 19th annual Barry Indik Memorial Awards dinner and dance.
   The award is given by the Citizens for Independent Living as way of honoring members of the community who work for Brunswick. The award is named in honor of the late Dr. Indik, who was one of the founding members of the CIL, a local group established to help adults with developmental disabilities by providing job support, training and living skills.
   Ms. Sullivan has worked serving the developmentally disabled since moving into the township in 1966, working as a substitute teacher and teacher’s aide at Greenbrook Elementary School and as a test development specialist with the New Jersey Department of Personnel. She is also one of the founders of the South Brunswick Special Education Association and has worked extensively with the CIL.
   ”It’s a tremendous honor to receive this award,” Ms. Sullivan said. “For years, I had been involved with the CIL and had been on the committee to select other people to receive the award but never thought of receiving one myself.”
   As a former president of the CIL, there are few committees Ms. Sullivan hasn’t chaired or served on, including the annual gift program, fundraising and the nominating committee.
   ”With the CIL, we were able to create a program from scratch, that had no funding and was just a group of parents, teachers and concerned community members who got together to get this started and establish goals,” Ms. Sullivan said. “It’s really satisfying that we were able to produce a program from scratch that changes the lives of these individuals. We were able to create a program that really expanded the opportunities for people with special needs.”
   The CIL holds a special place for Ms. Sullivan because she has a 50-year-old son with special needs who has thrived thanks to the support offered by the CIL.
   ”When he was first in school, there was really a void and were few educational opportunities for these individuals,” she said. “By the time my son graduated from school, there were more programs established, and he has done quite well. He has his own apartment that’s affordable for him, and he has a social life with other members of the group. Before CIL, he really didn’t have many friends. He’s just a very happy and emotionally stable individual, and that’s what all parents want for their child, I think.”
   Ms. Edelman is being honored for her 30 years of service with the South Brunswick Public Library Association and the Friends of the South Brunswick Library. She also served on the township Planning Board and the Monmouth Junction PTA.
   The CIL Barry Indik Community Service Award and CIL Independence Ball will be held Oct. 30 at Charlie Brown’s Steakhouse in Kingston. Cocktail hour is scheduled from 6 to 7 p.m. with dinner and dancing from 7 to 10:30 p.m. There will be door prizes and a raffle.
   Tickets are $50 and can be purchased at the door. All funds go to the CIL to help run its programs.
   For more information, call 732-355-0620.