Hillsborough woman honored for making magic in the communityBy LAURIE LEVOY • STAFF WRITER • August 22, 2008
HILLSBOROUGH —Tina Allyson Rear had to be cajoled by Beth Baldwin to listen to the radio yesterday morning. And it had to be at a particular time and tuned to a particular station — Magic 98.3 FM. Rear noted this particular day was not a convenient time to be turning on the radio. She and her husband, Dave, were sitting in their car on the site of their new home under construction, waiting to do a walk through with one of the contractors.
"We told our daughter, who was watching our 4-year-old son at home, to keep listening, in case we had to leave the car," Rear said.
But Tina Rear got to hear the news herself. At 9:15 a.m. her name was announced as one of the two winners this week of the station's "Women Who Make Magic" program.
The summer promotion, which concluded yesterday, selected two women each week to be recognized for their community outreach.
Rear is the founder of the Care to Share Support Network Inc. in Bridgewater. The nonprofit, started soon after her son was diagnosed with autism and formerly incorporated in January 2008, coordinates support services for children with special needs and their families.
"The biggest winner is not me," Rear said, adding "it's a warm feeling to know the organization is being recognized for the work we do."
When her son was diagnosed, Rear put her expertise as an event and meeting planner for the pharmaceutical industry to work for establish Care to Share Support Network.
And while the Rear and Baldwin families each have children with autism or related disorders, Rear wants to use her Women Who Make Magic fame to get the word out to other families, educators and therapists: the Care to Share Support Network "supports the community supporting kids with all kinds of special needs."
Rear explained her organization acts as the liaison with families to secure appropriate services. "Right now, we are working to provide grants for families who cannot afford therapy and I am working to create a respite program to provide in-home child care so parents might have a night out," Rear said.
Sometimes life's slings and arrows forge strong friendships, and more. Baldwin and Rear's friendship is an example. Each is raising one or more children with autism or its associated disorders. Baldwin met Rear about three years ago through the New Jersey Organization for Autism Research. Both were attending the group's local meetings, which often included Hillsborough Mayor Anthony Ferrera, the fundraising chairman of NJ OAR.
In Baldwin's letter of nomination to the Women Who Make Magic program at "Jersey's Continuous Soft Rock' radio station, it notes Rear "has worked tirelessly within the community to empower families by providing information, resources and a communication network."
Cindy Loniewski, regional events coordinator for Magic 98.3 in the Somerset section of Franklin Township, wrote in an e-mail that the station received hundreds of nominations for the program, now in its fifth year.
"Some of the winners are nurses, teachers and founders of non-profit organization, but then we have winners who are your next door neighbor that went above and beyond to do something extraordinary," Loniewski reported.
Tina Rear and her nominator, Beth Baldwin, will attend the awards banquet Sept. 23 at the Imperia in Somerset.
"I am fortunate to know a lot of great women, like Tina, who are amazing and supportive," Baldwin said.
For more information
Name: Care to Share Support Network Inc.
Provides: Support to the community supporting children with special needs.
How: Monthly support groups at ARC of Somerset County, 141 S. Main St. Call 908-450-5691 or go to http://www.caretosharenj.org/ for dates and times, and information on other services.
