GLEN RIDGE, NJ — The Glen Ridge Women’s Club was forced to go virtual in 2020 because of the COVID-19 pandemic, just like every other club and organization across the country, but the members didn’t let that stop them from keeping things running. A new board took the helm of the club last May, and, according to President Sandra Lefkovits, it’s the most diverse leadership the club has ever had.
“It’s a more diverse group,” she said in a phone interview with The Glen Ridge Paper on July 5. “We have some younger people, then there are some in their 40s and 50s and older.”
Lefkovits is the first woman of color to be elected president of the Glen Ridge Women’s Club, and she and the other members of the club have made an effort to diversify the organization. A lot of their outreach has been done by word of mouth, and when she became president last year, others realized that the demographics were shifting.
“The women’s club had been predominantly white, and a lot of people were put off by it,” Lefkovits said. “We really have tried to get people involved. The whole idea is that the club is for everyone. It’s not for one group of people; it’s for every woman in our town.”
Lefkovits moved to Glen Ridge in 1988. For a while, she was one of only two women of color in the club. There was a period of time when she was the only one. But Lefkovits pointed out that the club’s membership hasn’t always reflected the overall population of the borough.
“I never understood why, in a town that was changing,” there wasn’t more diversity in the club, she said. “Some of it was an image problem. They thought it was for old ladies, but that’s not it at all. As women in Glen Ridge, we should dispel the notion that it’s not for everyone. It’s for you and me, and the surrounding areas. It’s our club. It’s for everyone.”
The women’s club hosts social gatherings, educational programs, lectures and cultural activities in its building on Ridgewood Avenue right in the center of Glen Ridge. Split into nine different committees, members take turns planning drama productions on the building’s newly refurbished stage, community service events, musical performances and literature events, including author talks. Families can be involved, too.
“Spouses can be associate members,” Lefkovits said. “We were thinking, how can they be involved? They’re not voting members on the board, but they can get more engaged. They seem to have embraced it.”
The club hosted its annual senior luncheon in June for the older members, its first in-person event since the pandemic began. Many of the senior members didn’t always participate in virtual events but still kept in touch with other club members during the lockdown.
“We’ve gotten some lovely notes from senior members,” Lefkovits said. “At that event, it was almost like kids going back to school. They were so happy to see old friends and make new ones.”
Membership hasn’t been the only thing to change in the club. Traditionally, meetings were held on Tuesday mornings, but many members can’t make weekday morning meetings; now there are evening meetings and programming.
“I was still really active, but I couldn’t be as active and make those meetings,” Lefkovits, who worked in finance, said. “Now we have day and evening programs. Women work and do other things, so we cater to that diversity and the changing times.”
The club also works with the Glen Ridge School District, holding student art shows each year, and other organizations in the borough. Glen Ridge High School’s French Honor Society’s induction is held at the club, and the building is also a polling station on election days. The members partner with the Glen Ridge Public Library and other organizations in town on charity projects.
“It’s a way of being good neighbors,” Lefkovits said. “It’s not all taking — it’s giving back, too.”
More information about the Glen Ridge Women’s Club, including how to join, can be found at www.womensclubglenridge.com or www.facebook.com/WomensClubGlenRidge.
“We’re open to everyone,” Lefkovits said. “They should come and be a part of a vibrant, diverse group. They can be part of a community.”
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