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Legacy Of Civic-Minded Resident Lives On To Help Others
By Keith Hagarty
 | | Claudia Thomas |
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Heavily involved with her community and church, Claudia Thomas is remembered by all who knew her as a woman with an ever-present smile, unwavering faith in the goodness of man and the grace and beauty of a higher power.
In 2003, Thomas witnessed a traffic accident on Route 9 and rushed to the scene to help the injured motorist. Always the Good Samaritan, Thomas never knew how the incident would change her life.
But it did.
Another vehicle struck her, leaving her in the hospital for over a year, paralyzed with severe injuries and confined to a wheelchair. However, despite her life-threatening tragedy and numerous challenges in life, which included periods of homelessness and having two physically disabled children afflicted with ataxia, Thomas never gave up, always persevering with immense integrity in prayer and passion.
Her death, last year at the age of 56, gave birth to the Claudia Lives On Memorial Fund (a subsidiary of Charity Smith: National Society of Memorial Funds). The fund was designed to financially support non-profit initiatives with a focus on promoting health and wellness of mind, body and spirit for youth and families.
 | | --Photo Submitted By Kathy Callan The performance troupe "African Culture and Praise Dancers" from the Deliverance Temple Youth Ministry, of Asbury Park, will soon have new outfits thanks to the legacy of recently deceased community-icon Claudia Thomas and the Claudia Lives On Memorial Fund. |
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As a longtime friend of Thomas, one of the non-profit fund administrators, Kathy Callan, was excited by the outpouring of generosity and support displayed by the customers and employees of Stewarts Root Beer, who held the organization's first ever fundraiser last Friday.
"It went wonderfully," said Callan, who is a co-fund administrator with Michelle Platzer. "It was just awesome, like something straight out of a movie."
Before her death last year, Thomas was in the process of developing a youth mentoring program, designed to awaken and nurture self-value and responsible citizenship through identifying and accomplishing positive, personal goals. It is to honor and encourage the core essence behind this mission that this fund was established, according to Callan.
With a donation jar displayed prominently at the cash register of Stewart's, with signs announcing the Claudia Lives On Memorial Fund, the foundation raised $285, with all proceeds going to the dance troup of the Deliverance Temple Youth Ministry of Asbury Park. The small church has a youth ministry known as African Culture and Praise Dancers complete with an African drum assembly which is in financial need.
"This is the first fundraiser that we had, and we picked an organization that we felt Claudia would've certainly put her stamp of approval on, and said, 'wow, what an awesome group to help out,'" said Callan.
Hearing about the ministry's need for uniforms for the group, Callan jumped at the chance to help.
"They were really in need of outfits, so we thought this would be a wonderful first attempt for the fundraiser to support their cause," she said.
Taking a break in the sunshine last Friday during the fundraiser, Callan sat on a bench outside Stewart's Root Beer and was overjoyed, seeing members and administrators from the ministry pull up to join in the festivities.
"All the children even bought an ice cream cone to support the fundraiser," said Callan. "It was really awesome for me to see them there having fun."
Platzer brought Thomas's wheelchairbound son, Billy, to the fundraiser to enjoy the day and his mother's memory.
"He was so happy to see the whole spirit of the place," said Callan. "It just made for such a great day."
Thomas had held positions in the U.S. Military and in the community based nonprofit establishments of the Association for Retarded Citizens (ARC), Family and Children Social Services and LOVE, Inc. Even after her accident, Thomas also volunteered her tireless energies to faith-based organizations, including Set Free Ministries and Shore Christian Center, establishing food pantries, soup kitchens and street outreach ministries for those without homes and those without hope.
"Her whole life was about helping others," said Callan. "She was a tremendous resource person. She could link people with a need to resource, that was one of her huge talents, so to carry on her spirit of that, we wanted to be able to link funding to those in need."
As owners of the Stewart's Root Beer on Route 9 in Howell for the past 35 years, husband and wife Robert and Helen Paneque are proud to do what they can to pay thanks to Thomas' memory.
While he didn't personally know Thomas, Robert Paneque said the stories he heard throughout the day from customers who knew and admired Thomas were rich with endless praise for her community-minded spirit and eternal optimism and positive outlook on life, no matter the obstacles and adversity she faced on a daily basis.
"She seemed like a real crusader for people," said Paneque. "She did a lot of charity work."
"Everything's been positive. I've never heard a negative thing about her," said Paneque. "Everything I've heard is that she was just a tremendous example of humanitarianism- she gave back all her life, even after her accident, she was doing such great deeds straight from her wheelchair."
It's important to honor those citizens like Thomas who give of themselves without any thought of personal gain, all the while striving towards the selfless goal of making someone else's life better, said Paneque.
"We like to recognize people who have done outstanding citizenship throughout the community," he said. "We're always big on that- to support people who have given back to the community."
For more information about the Claudia Lives On Memorial Fund or to find out how you can make a donation, please visit www. charitysmith.org, and click on Claudia's name under the "Endeavors" category.
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