Windmill Alliance honors three for servicewritten by Sarah Rahman of the Jersey Journal.

The Windmill Alliance of Bayonne, designed to care for developmentally disabled adults, quite possibly could not have been what it is today without the dedication of three women, the first and origional employee's since the organization's conception.

Bali Macchio, Kathy DeMaria and Alice Kulik, all Bayonne-bred women, celebrated their 25 years at the Windmill Alliance, located at 141 Broadway , on March 10 with a surprise luncheon thrown by fellow staffers.

The event was a way to say "thanks" for their years of service. "They are as loyal as you can get, and very dedicated to the men and women they work with," said Rev. Gregory Perez, the priest in charge of Trinity Parish.

Macchio said she first fot the idea of helping the developmentally disabled through a community center while she was teaching arts and crafts to disabled grade schoolers at Henry Harris School.

"After working with them, through the years, when it came time to graduate, I realized there was no place for them", said Macchio.

"Everyone has a right to have a place to go on, to go forward. We were the first of our kind in Bayonne to offter these kinds of services to those people," she said.

At the center, the 37 participants work on arts and crafts, cook their meals together and even recieve a small share of profits for anything sold to cover the cost of their necessities, according to Kulik.

"It is a source of dignity for them, so they would feel prductive," she said.

After forming in 1985, Macchio brought on her friends DeMaria and Kulik, both active members in their respective churches.

All three have been loyal employees of the Windmill Alliance for the past 25 years and are proud of their work.

"It is a privilege to work with these people. Really, it's a labor of love here," said Macchio.

The Windmill Alliance's next endeavor is to complete its expansion and renovation project,"Miracle on 5th Street."

When completed, the Trinity Church's H.I.G.H.W.A.Y.S. program (consisting of the thrift shop, training, couseling and food pantry), the adult day care center, the rectory and the administrative offices of the Windmill Alliance would all be on one site.

For more information on the center of how to help, call (201) 858 - 4460, Ext. 20.

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