SPARTA - Ask a member of the Sparta Woman’s Club who “Flat Stanley” is, and they will tell you that he is just a plain paper cutout in the form of a person, who is doing a world of good in the lives of soldiers, a world away. At their Christmas Meeting and Luncheon, club members and their guests were introduced to “Flat Stanley.” What makes him so special is that participants can decorate or dress him (or her!) with colored pencils or crayons, write their own message of thanks and hope to the soldiers on the back of the cutout, and easily slip him into an envelope. Soldiers may conveniently carry these folded forms with them in their pockets, and be inspired with caring words of encouragement, support and love, wherever they go. In the past, when soldiers have received these “Flat Stanley’s,” they remarked that they would like to have the sender’s name, address or e-mail to thank them for the time they took to write. This idea originally began as a grassroots initiative ten years ago, by Dale Hubert, a third grade teacher. It has been extraordinarily successful. The Woman’s Club is working on this project in conjunction with the Letters From Home Program, an organization with tax exempt status, which is authorized to send mail and packages to servicemen and women overseas. The local club is a member of the New Jersey State Federation of Women’s Clubs of GFWC (NJSFWC), which was founded in 1894 and has been headquartered on the campus of Douglass College in New Brunswick since 1966. The Federation is a member of the General Federation of Women’s Clubs, the oldest and largest nonpartisan, nondenominational women’s volunteer service organization in the world. Opportunities are provided to women in education, leadership training and community service through participation in local clubs, enabling members to make a difference in the lives of others, one project at a time. In addition to the Letters From Home Program, many of the 300 clubs of the Federation throughout the state participate in the following Public Affairs projects: Collection and sending of food coupons to military families overseas; support of families of American service men and women who are receiving medical care at military and Veterans administration centers through the Fisher House “home away from home” programs; recognition of the dedication and patriotism of women who have served in defense of the country by extending an invitation for them to speak at club meetings and community forums; support of the National D-Day Memorial and Education Center; contact with VA hospitals to ascertain their needs; sponsorship of Women in Military Service for America (WIMSA) Memorial Foundation, Inc.; support of Operation Gratitude; and the United Service Organization (USO). For more information about the club or any of its projects, contact Edwina Kirkowski at (973) 729-5812; to learn about the NJSFWC, visit the Federation’s Web site at www.njsfwc.org or call (732) 249-5474/5485.