The International Trends & Services Facet came to fruition for the expressed purpose of focusing on global human rights and humanitarian outreach, with a particular emphasis on countries of the African Diaspora. Since our charter in 1982, the Morris County Chapter has supported the mission of the International Trends Facet, as outlined by the national organization, and has in fact, emerged at the forefront of our esteemed organization for outreach in Africa and Haiti.
The Morris County Chapter has a proud tradition of supporting the initiatives of International Trends Facet such as the Model UN; donating money to fund Mama Kits to facilitate safe and hygienic childbirth conditions for women in third-world countries; funding water-well excavations and water purification projects in Africa; and, adopting and building schools in Africa, Haiti and Jamaica. Our Chapter sent three members to Monrovia, Liberia where they joined a special delegation of Links from around the country to attend the inauguration of Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, the first woman President of Liberia, and induct her as an honorary member of The Links, Incorporated.
Morris County Chapter has been recognized for our contributions to the people of Haiti. Due to the largesse of Morris County Chapter physicians, Drs. Judy Banks and Vina Isaacs – who have conscripted other medical professionals and enlisted their patients, respective medical institutions, as well as our own chapter member — Morris County Chapter has played a significant role in relief efforts in Haiti for well over a decade. Our collective efforts have garnered national attention and commendations for contributing tens of thousands of hours of pro bono medical services on the ground and hundreds of thousands of dollars and in-kind donations, to fund clinics, and purchase medical and personal hygiene supplies and clothing. Moreover, we are proud that the outreach from Morris County Chapter and that of our national organization, The Links, Incorporated, has been directed to support infrastructure, schools and orphanages for the struggling but extremely proud island nation.
The International Trends and Services Facet is also honored to play a vital role bolstering both Rhythms for Life (R4L), Morris County Chapter’s award-winning violin umbrella program, and the National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE) Jr. Chapter at Frelinghuysen Middle School. Partnering with the Arts Facet, International Trends has enjoyed a multi-year collaboration with Discovery Orchestra, not only offering complementary tickets to several musical performances, but also conducting supplemental video music lessons exploring Vivaldi’s Four Seasons with the R4L students. What’s more, International Trends has also partnered with both R4L and NSBE Jr, — the latter being Morris County Chapter’s Services to Youth-anchored integrated program — to field wonderfully creative submissions for The Links’ Inc. National Poster Contest.
Furthermore, Morris County Chapter has also been an enthusiastic four-year participant of Night of 1,000 Dinners, a national initiative created to inspire an evening of cultural and sisterly discovery each year in March, in honor of International Women’s Month. Morris County Links and their guests enjoy a festive evening of delicious international cuisine, laughter and enlightened conversation and sharing, as we celebrate the cultural differences and similarities that unite us all. The March 2020 celebration was on track to be the largest, most robust celebration to date. However, the onset of the COVID19 outbreak necessitated that we postpone this year’s celebration until such time that Morris Country Chapter and our many guests are able to safely enjoy our highly touted event. We look forward to rescheduling this dinner and expanding this annual celebration in the future.