COUNTY OF ESSEX

Office of Public Information

Hall of Records, Room 408

465 Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Blvd.

Newark, New Jersey 07102

973.621.2542 ~ 973.621.6136 (fax)

www.essexcountynj.org

Joseph N. DiVincenzo, Jr.

Essex County Executive

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Anthony Puglisi

May 14, 2014 973-621-2452

Lauren Shears

973-621-1590

ESSEX COUNTY EXECUTIVE DIVINCENZO

AND THE DIVISION OF SENIOR SERVICES CELEBRATE

ESSEX COUNTY’S 8th ANNUAL OLDER AMERICAN HERITAGE MONTH

Essex County Legend Awards are Presented to

South Orange resident Jeannie Ginsberg, Newark resident EddieMae Livingston

and Orange resident Sarah Edwards Shaw

Newark, NJ – Essex County Executive Joseph N. DiVincenzo, Jr. and the Essex County Division of Senior Services hosted the Eighth Annual Essex County Older Americans Heritage Month Celebration Wednesday, May 14th in the Essex County LeRoy F. Smith, Jr. Public Safety Building in Newark. May is recognized as National Older Americans Month.

During the ceremony, DiVincenzo presented Essex County Legends Awards to the following Essex County senior citizens:

·  South Orange resident Jeannie Ginsberg (age 94) was the longtime director of the Playhouse cooperative preschool. She has a gift for helping troubled youth and continues to gravitate to educate young children.

·  Newark resident EddieMae Livingston (age 94) was a longtime employee with the City of Newark, where she was involved with community health and wellness programs. She devotes much of her time to the Tenants Council at 1 Court Street where she lives and became a notary to fill the needs of the complex’s tenants.

·  Orange resident Sara Edwards Shaw (age 101) worked in a hotel and was as a custodial assistant for Hunter College in New York. She currently resides in senior housing in the City of Orange.

In addition, proclamations to congratulate the following seniors on their long lives were presented to East Orange resident Audrey Crowder, Age 100; Newark resident Maria Hernandez, Age 103, and West Caldwell resident Yetta Kratenstein, Age 101.

“Older Americans Month is an opportunity for us to recognize the tremendous contributions our senior citizens have made to shape and mold today’s community, and bring attention to the contributions they continue to make on a daily basis to improve our quality of life. Active in all aspects of life, our senior population is proving that you don’t slow down after you reach a certain age,” DiVincenzo said. “Our honorees have exhibited a tremendous amount of responsibility by advocating for and providing assistance that is helping their fellow seniors to remain active and continue living in our community,” he added.

“Older Americans Month is a great opportunity to honor those who set the foundation and thank you, our senior citizens, for what you have done,” NJ State Senator and Essex County Deputy Chief of Staff Teresa Ruiz said.

“It’s wonderful that we can take the time today and recognize you all for being trailblazers in the community,” Essex County Deputy Chief William Payne said.

The award winners were nominated by social service agencies and community organizations that work closely with the Essex Division of Senior Services and were chosen because they are positive role models for the younger generation, have worked tirelessly to assist fellow seniors and made tremendous contributions to improve the quality of life. The honorees are as follows:

South Orange resident Jeannie Ginsberg, age 94, found her life’s calling when she became the director of the Playhouse cooperative preschool in 1951. As director, she instilled her personal philosophy of the ABCs – acceptance, brotherhood and compassion – in the children she taught. She created an atmosphere of hands-on play, where they were encouraged to try new things, learn from nature and respect each other. The cooperative model also encouraged participation of parents, which led to enduring friendships among the participating families. The popularity of Playhouse resulted in it outgrowing its original South Orange location and moving to West Orange. From its new location, Playhouse began serving children from throughout Essex County, offered its registration materials in Spanish and charged tuition on a sliding scale. Her career in early childhood education has spanned more than five decades. “I have spent my entire life doing what I love and helping little ones to do the same,” Ginsberg said. “I have met some terrific people along the way and enjoy staying involved and keeping my fingers in the pie,” she added.

Newark resident EddieMae Livingston, age 94, is a longtime member with the NAACP and enjoyed a 45-year career with the City of Newark, where she worked for a variety of wellness and community health programs. She began her career with the City’s Bureau of Child Hygiene in 1942 and moved to the Bureau of Chest Diseases and Division of Public Welfare. She concluded her career in public service as secretary to Councilman George Branch when she retired in 1992. In addition, she volunteered as a counselor to unwed mothers at the Jones Street YMCA. Ms. Livingston has received numerous accolades from the NAACP, including holding two life memberships and two Golden Heritage memberships and being honored with a Branch Service Award and granted the prestigious title of “Board Member Emeritus.” She currently devotes her time at her housing complex, where she has served as Treasurer of the Tenants’ Council and became a notary to serve the tenants.

Orange resident Sarah Edwards Shaw, age 101, was born in North Carolina and is one of eight children. At the age of 15, she married James Edwards and they lived in a rural area of North Carolina until he passed away three years later. Ms. Edwards Shaw moved to Brooklyn to reside with her sister and got a job in a hotel. She met her second husband, Willie Shaw, and they were married for 45 years. When her second husband passed away, Ms. Edwards Shaw moved to Orange to be closer to family members. She worked as a custodial assistant for Hunter College in New York until her retirement in 1975. Ms. Edwards Shaw presently resides in a senior building in Orange where she participates in activities, trips and events. “I really appreciate all this and it’s such a great day,” Shaw said.

“Our older Americans helped shape our Country, State and County, and they have so much more to give. Americans are living longer, healthier lives and continue to make positive contributions in all aspects of life. We can all learn from them,” Essex County Director of Citizen Services Lucia Guarini said. “Today’s celebration is our opportunity to thank Older Americans for all they have done and to encourage them to stay involved in our communities,” he added.

“A growing percentage of Essex County’s population is over 65, and our challenge is providing the appropriate level of care for our aging grandparents, parents and loved ones,” said Essex County Division of Senior Services Director Jaklyn DeVore. “All of our Older American honorees are active in their communities and have taken responsibility for assisting other seniors. They serve as role models for our youth,” she added.

The Essex County Older Americans Heritage Month Celebration is part of a yearlong series of programs initiated by County Executive DiVincenzo to recognize and celebrate the diversity of Essex County. Other cultural celebrations celebrate African American Heritage, Irish Heritage, Italian Heritage, Jewish Heritage, Latino Heritage, Portuguese Heritage and Women’s History.

The Essex County Division of Senior Services offers a wide range of services to eligible Essex County senior citizens. The Division offers adult protective services, provides basic transportation services, administers adult day care centers, offers counseling services, provides home delivered meals and offers visiting nurse services. For more information, please call the Division of Senior Services at 973-395-8375.

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ESSEX COUNTY IS AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER