About the Twigs
Overlook Auxiliary Twigs Overview, July 2023
The Overlook Auxiliary Twigs were first formed in the 1940s and created a legacy of like-minded people giving back to Overlook Medical Center. Currently, the Auxiliary has twelve active Twigs which bring innovative ideas for fundraising and service projects. Our Junior Twig program was started in 2018 to instill volunteerism and community service in the next generation.
Short Hills Twig 27 – 1977
Fundraise through coat and Mother’s Day vendor sales for OMC employees at Bouras Auditorium and annually fund the Elsa B. Russell Memorial Nursing Scholarship
Summit Twig 11 – 1980
Fundraised by hosting Kentucky Derby parties and selling luminaries and volunteered with the bedside companion program. Today they continue to meet socially and donate to Overlook Medical Center.
Summit Twig 3 – 2001
Founded to put together a cookbook “Great Gatherings” as a fundraiser for the Overlook Auxiliary. Received the Overlook Auxiliary Community Award in 2023 for planning the Overlook Auxiliary Spring Luncheon and Annual Meeting from 2005-2022.
Short Hills Twig 18 – 2004
Decorate Overlook Medical Center for Chanukah every December
Summit Twig 5 – 2007
Known as the “Friends of Hospice” Twig, they host “Lights of Love,” a fundraiser where community members purchase symbolic candles in memory of loved ones for holiday trees at three locations within AHS. Funds raised benefit Atlantic Visiting Nurse Hospice patients by providing complementary therapy such as massage, art and music. They also support Camp Clover, a one week bereavement summer camp for children and teens who have lost loved ones.
New Providence Twig 10 – 2015
The Auxiliary’s largest Twig with almost 50 members, they support many initiatives including the HealthStart Clinic through their Thanksgiving Baskets and Mother’s Day Gift Bags. They host small social fundraisers and an annual blood drive. They launched the Hope and Gratitude rainbow sign fundraiser in the Spring of 2020 and raised $198,000 which provided much-needed pieces of equipment, PPE, and provided patient support programs during Covid.
Summit Twig 25 – 2020
Founded during Covid, this “sewing and knitting” service twig created countless surgical masks, scrub caps, and button headbands for staff. They also knit baby booties, baby hats for Mother/Baby and lapghans and fidget aprons for Elder Care. The activity aprons are in high demand as they feature buttons, zippers, velcro, and strings to help with dexterity issues as well as occupy anxious patients while waiting for blood draws Their newest initiative is making reusable shopping bags from recycled sterile blue wrap which accounts for approximately 19% of operating room waste. In the last year, they donated 430 button headbands, 100 fidget aprons, 185 pairs of baby booties, 42 lap sized lapghans, 13 angle cradles for bereaved mothers, 80 newborn baby hats and 195 blue bags.
Oak Knoll School Jr. Twig – 2021
Donated children’s grief books to Child Life and wrote cards of gratitude to patients and employees of OMC. Contributed tiles for Art for Gratitude fundraiser.
Summit High School Jr. Twig – 2021
Created Mother’s Day flower fundraiser and donated Echo Dot system to Mother/Baby to provide music in the triage area and delivery rooms.
Friends of Kent Place Jr. Twig – 2022
Created Hugs from Home college care package fundraiser and gave $1600 to support oncology patients. Delivered 135 boxes Krispy Kreme doughnuts for their Cupid Undercover fundraiser and raised over $2,100 to provide wish list items to Child Life and $1,000 to the medication fund at the HealthStart Clinic.
Friends of Chatham Jr. Twig 2023
Collected donations and created approximately 60 Mother’s Day Gift Bags for moms in the NICU which included an assortment of items including Panera gift cards, lotions, fuzzy socks, and snacks.
Pingry School Jr. Twig 2023
Newly formed Twig.
Twigs Then & Now
