The Board of Directors of the Woman’s Exchange of Monmouth County recently presented a check in the amount of $350,000 to Brookdale Community College President David Stout.
The funds will provide scholarships over a period of 10 years to women, age 25 or older, living in Monmouth County, who are enrolling in continuing education courses, according to a press release from Brookdale, which is the county college of Monmouth County.
“The mission of the Woman’s Exchange to ‘help women help themselves’ will now continue into the future,” said Monica Boscarino, president of the Woman’s Exchange Board of Directors.
In 2020, the woman’s organization closed its retail shop and sold the building. The proceeds from the sale made this donation possible, according to the press release.
Stout said, “On behalf of the Board of Trustees and all our students whose lives will be touched by this incredibly generous donation, I thank the Woman’s Exchange for choosing to support Brookdale.
“This gift will ensure that the impact of the Woman’s Exchange will live on for many years through the work of our Continuing and Professional Studies career training programs.
“We pledge to educate the scholarship recipients about the Woman’s Exchange Movement and to honor our mutual mission to support economic stability and independence,” the president said.
The Woman’s Exchange of Monmouth County, a nonprofit 501(c)3, was first in Rumson before moving to Little Silver. The organization was established in 1934 during the Depression and provided artisans and crafters the opportunity to support themselves, according to the press release.
For more than 75 years, the Woman’s Exchange has provided hundreds of thousands of dollars in donations to charities throughout Monmouth County and has paid out more than $2.5 million to artisans selling their handmade gifts.
“We are honored that the members of the Woman’s Exchange of Monmouth County chose Brookdale Community College as the recipient of this most generous gift.
“The scholarships created from this donation will provide financial support that will lift the burden that so many of our students who are pursuing their education face,” said Nancy Kaari, vice president of advancement at Brookdale Community College.
Brookdale’s Office of Continuing and Professional Studies offers programs in healthcare, information technology, business, teacher education, human resources, nonprofit management, entrepreneurship and more.
The programs are developed with the adult student in mind. Classes are delivered online, instructor-led remote-live, and in person. Job placement assistance is available for many of the career programs, according to the press release.