In the Vicinity

In the Vicinity By Sean Carlson & Brendan Conway he effort and commitment of someone who has spent her life helping others has been recognized recently. Donna Hoehn's tireless, heartfelt work as a PTA at Matheny Medical and Educational Center, has made her the 2009 winner of the ADVANCE PT Practitioner of the Year Award. Hoehn is known not only for her will to help others, but also for her ingenuity at the Peapack institution. "I have always been known to be a little more daring in suggesting new activities," says Hoehn, "and the great PTs I work with have supported me." One of the greatest signs of Hoehn's dedication to helping others lies in her work outside of Matheny, as a mother. Five years ago, she worked with a young boy suffering from a traumatic brain injury, and she fell in love with him. Shortly thereafter, she applied to become his foster mother; in time, she legally adopted him. Now, she continues to raise him and help him overcome his challenges. "My son really captures what I try to bring to everything I do," says Hoehn. "Never underestimate the power of caring, patience, and love." For five years, ADVANCE for Physical erapists & PT Assistants, a physical therapy news-magazine, has given a PT Practitioner of the Year award to the best and the brightest in the physical therapy profession. Last year's winner was Gary Welch, PT, of Patchogue, NY. anks to her dedication and spirit, Hoehn now joins this growing hall of fame. For more about Matheny Medical and Educational Center, call 908-2340011 or visit www.matheny.org. T With Great Help Comes a Great Heart wo Short Hills moms are making it easier than ever to make even lunch for students eco-friendly. anks to their efforts, "going green" can start in the cafeteria with their reusable, Waste Free Lunch Kit. "Our vision is to bring form and function to 'reusable'," says Justine Segal, who designed the Waste Free Lunch Kit with her friend and fellow mom, Nancy Poletti. e kit itself contains a dishwasher-safe container, with compartments for sandwiches and snacks, a "spork" (one utensil with a fork on one side, spoon on the other) and a chic messenger bag to put it all in. e hip lunch kit helps the environment—and kids' awareness of it. " e average school kid creates sixty-seven pounds of lunchroom waste a year," says Poletti. "We want to provide reusable solutions to everyday products." e Waste Free Lunch Kit is available from the company, everydayJun, which focuses on using local vendors and eco-friendly products. In the event that they search overseas for their products, Poletti and Segal make sure that the country stresses environmentally friendly and labor-friendly fairness. For more information on everydayJun or the Waste Free Lunch Kit, visit www.everydayJun.com or email info@everydayJun.com. T Local Moms Go Green At BIRDSALL Bath, GREEN Is Far More than a Color here's something special about a company that so clearly practices what it preaches. Such is the case with Birdsall Bath Design and its new soon-to-be LEED-certified showroom. LEED, which stands for the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, is the nationally accepted benchmark for the design, construction and operation of high performance green buildings. "Ours will be the first LEED certified showroom in the country," says Patti Whelan, director of showrooms. at's no small feat, considering that this showroom is 5,500 square feet in size, and includes more than 70 functional displays. Birdsall earned the LEED certification by using many different green construction practices in the showroom's creation, from recycling over 80 percent of the original building when it was gutted, to using soy-based insulation. e new showroom even features a public restroom with many of the same green products that Birdsall offers, allowing customers to see them at work. Beyond the high-quality advice and products Birdsall offers, one thing is clear: Birdsall Bath Design deserves recognition for putting action to its words. Birdsall Bath Design paves the way into the future with an impressive business model with a powerful commitment to the environment. Birdsall Bath Design, located at 993 Route 22 West in North Plainfield, is a full service bath and kitchen showroom; it also sells decorative plumbing and much more. For information, call 908-7538181, visit www.birdsallbath.com, or email info@birdsallbath.com. 8 Vicinity MAGAZinE March 2010 T High ener

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