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(Paramus, NJ) October 22, 2007 - More than 200 community-minded residents from northwestern Bergen County flocked to Children's Aid and Family Services' annual Food and Wine Tasting Evening on Saturday, October 20, at St. Leon's Church in Fair Lawn, NJ, to benefit the agency's programs for infants and young children. This special event focused particularly on supporting the Baby Basics program, which provides diapers and formula to low-income families with children less than 2 years of age, the "Boarder Baby" infant foster care program, and Turrell Child Care & Early Learning Center in Paramus.
Wine connoisseurs enjoyed a selection of fine wines from around the world, provided by Carlos Russo's Wine & Spirit Word in Ho-Ho-Kus. In fact, Carlo Russo's Wine & Spirit World of Ho-Ho-Kus will donate 20 percent of the proceeds of any of these wines purchased before November 16, 2007. Please call 201.444.2033 for order forms or more information.
The guests also feasted on delicacies provided by La Lanterna, The Melting Pot, Silver Oak American Bistro, Kevin's Thyme, Gazelle Café & Grill, Bazzini @ 28 Oak Street, Whole Foods Market, La Cambusa, and many more.
Guests eagerly bid on the items in the silent auction, which included a ride on the Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey's Blimp, a tour of the U.S. Capitol as well as a U.S. flag that has been flown over the United States Congress, a behind-the-scenes tour of a major television network and a relaxing weekend at a lake home in picturesque Chincoteaque Island, VA. A popular addition to this year's event was a raffle with food and wine-related prizes.
During the evening, two extraordinary women were honored, Linda Yolman and Jean Ann Lynch. Ms. Yolman, of Wyckoff, has been a foster mother for 37 years and has opened her home to 162 babies. In 1997, she began fostering for Children's Aid and Family Services' Boarder Babies program, in which individuals or families provide foster care for infants whose mothers are unable to care for them for a variety of reasons, including substance abuse and homelessness.
Ms. Lynch, a former Ridgewood resident, founded the Baby Basics program in 1994 with support from a team of volunteers from West Side Presbyterian Church. She later developed other programs in Florida and Massachusetts to provide diapers and formula to working poor families, which in turn inspired others to set up similar programs in other states.
"We're especially grateful to the evening's sponsors, Applebee's, Boiling Springs Savings Bank, and Saddle River Valley Bank, for their wonderful support, as well as the businesses that generously donated food, wine, and items for the silent auction," said Liz Mason, executive vice president, Children's Aid and Family Services. "We are also extraordinarily grateful to our amazing group of volunteers that planned and coordinated the event: Caroline Barr, Nancy Bosch, Sally Clark, Pat Hanft, Barbara Hyslop, Maribeth Lane, Jan Lee Lescroart, Robyn O'Hagan, Lynn McBeth, Cathy Newman, Dru Pierce, Erilyn Riley, Kerry Schmitt, Carol Smith, Deborah Turner, Kathryn Wansong, and Jean Wilkie. The proceeds of this event will help us provide critical services to the very young children we serve."
Children's Aid and Family Services is one of the largest regional, nonprofit human services organizations serving northern New Jersey. The agency is fully accredited and has served the community for more than 100 years. Its mission is to preserve, protect and, when needed, provide families. Motivated by compassion for vulnerable children, young adults, frail elderly and their families, it provides high-quality and innovative services that meet their social, educational and emotional needs. For more information, call 201.261.2800 or visit www.cafsnj.org.
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