Highland Lakes resident receives 2006 Liberty Bell Award

Highland Lakes - Martha Lewin, a resident of Highland Lakes, was awarded the 2006 Liberty Bell Award at a Superior Court Law Day ceremony held in Jersey City on May 1. The award was presented to Lewin by Hudson County Superior Court Judge Lourdes Santiago. The award is presented annually to an organization or individual who has promoted better understanding of the rule of law, encouraged greater respect for the law and the courts, stimulated a sense of civic responsibility, or contributed to good government in the community. Lewin has spent more than 30 years as a professional in the non-profit sector, first with the local Girl Scout Council and later with WomenRising, Inc. As executive director of WomenRising, Inc., from 1974 through 2005, she was instrumental in shaping the role of the organization to match the changing needs of area residents. WomenRising, Inc., provides a wide range of social service, economic development and housing-related programs primarily aimed at enabling families, especially women-headed families, to stay together and to attain independence and self-sufficiency. She has served on many state and local voluntary boards and task forces, including the N.J. Adult Diagnostic and Treatment Center, the Center for Non Profit Corporations, N.J. Community Capital, the Housing and Community Development Network of N.J., the Hudson County Human Services Advisory Council and the Hudson County League of Women Voters. She is currently a member of the board of the Hudson County Child Abuse Prevention Center.