To the editor:
The Somerset County Business Partnership recently named Alina Klein as Outstanding Citizen of the Year. I can’t think of a better person deserving of this honor.
As an active volunteer both locally and worldwide with United Way Women United, a women’s philanthropic network, Alina has dedicated herself to helping others. She is a member of the Women United Global Leadership Committee and is the chairperson for United Way of Northern New Jersey’s regional network, which serves Somerset County as well as Morris, Suburban Essex, Sussex and Warren counties.
Alina’s United Way efforts are focused on improving financial stability for ALICE (Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed) women and families who work hard, but struggle to afford the basics. In Somerset County alone, 22 percent of households are living paycheck to paycheck.
But Alina is not just a volunteer — she is an innovator who has brought about positive change for ALICE families here and nationally. Alina was instrumental in founding a local women’s philanthropic Giving Circle, which helps to fund various supports for ALICE families, including an ALICE scholarship program she helped establish at Raritan Valley Community College.
Through her work with Women United, Alina is raising awareness of the ALICE population, providing advancement opportunities for ALICE, and removing the barriers keeping ALICE from succeeding in life.
She serves as a beacon for others by inspiring, leading by example and striving to bring about lasting, positive community change for ALICE families in Somerset County and beyond. Naming her as this year’s Outstanding Citizen is a well-deserved honor.
Michele Dreiblatt
Associate Director of Women’s Philanthropy and Leadership Giving with United Way of Northern New Jersey