A Message of Gratitude for a Season of Hope

The month of December brings with it a rush of visitors to the Project Self-Sufficiency campus, almost all of them bearing toys and gifts for the children of Sussex and Northern Warren Counties. We find ourselves in the unique position of watching a veritable parade of giving: Convoys of trucks filled to the brim with toys from the United States Marine Corps Toys for Tots Operation Toy Train being offloaded by scores of volunteers in the frigid night air. A racing boat stuffed with toys docking in the parking lot. School buses packed with donations from young children across the region. Employees from local businesses arriving in droves to volunteer. All of these scenes culminating in a beautifully arranged toy shop made available to more than 1,100 parents selecting toys for more than 2,100 children.

This is what the Season of Hope looks like. This is what it looks like to live in a community that cares.

Season of Hope was made possible by so many generous and caring neighbors who contributed in a multitude of ways. This letter cannot begin to list them all, but we would like to acknowledge several. First, enormous thanks are due to those who partnered with Project Self-Sufficiency on the Season of Hope Toy Drive. These include our Chairpersons, Lorraine and Tim Parker, and The Chatterbox Drive In, First Hope Bank, Gravity DesignWorks, iHeartMedia, Inc., Intercar Mercedes Benz, Pass it Along, The Printing Center, The New Jersey Herald, Selective Insurance Company of America, Service Electric Broadband Cable, Stocker Bus Company, the Sussex County Chamber of Commerce, Sussex Honda, and the United States Marine Corps Toys for Tots program.

Special commendation is due to the members of the following police departments who volunteered their time to ensure the safety of the patrons, volunteers and staff at the Season of Hope Toy Shop: Andover, Byram, Franklin, Hardyston, Newton, Sparta, Stanhope, and Vernon.

Parking facilities were made available to patrons and agency staff at the Sussex County Community College and the Newton VFW Post #5360. Refreshments for the Season of Hope Toy Shop reception were donated by George’s Wine & Spirits Gallery. We thank you.

We also applaud the 32 schools which participated in the Stuff the Stocking competition, amassing a record 5,217 toys for children in need. The contest was launched almost 30 years ago by Hilltop Country Day School which still participates today. This year, the Pope John Middle School won the coveted Stuff the Stocking trophy with 887 toys collected, followed by North Warren Regional High School with 625, and Hardyston Middle School with 476. Honorable mention goes to defending champion Green Hills School with 367 toys and Newton High School which gathered 302.

Not only did the Stocker Bus Company donate the use of their buses and volunteer their time to pick up the toys from the 32 participating schools during the culmination of the Stuff the Stocking campaign, they also donated their time and equipment to shuttle people to and from the agency campus during the toy shop itself. State Shuttle also donated a bus and staff in order to shuttle patrons and volunteers during the toy shop. We can’t thank you enough.

Thank you to all of the caring individuals, businesses, scouting troops, civic organizations, and churches which contributed new, unwrapped toys and gifts, or who donated money for the purchase of gifts, for the Season of Hope. Thank you to the many, many volunteers who donated their time and energy to make the Toy Shop run smoothly. We are also exceptionally grateful to the many singers and musicians who shared their talents to entertain our guests.

We must also shine a spotlight on the many Project Self-Sufficiency staff members who volunteered their time to operate the Season of Hope Toy Shop and whose ebullient spirit made this a joyous experience for all.

The Season of Hope invited all members of our community, from children to senior citizens, to come together in the spirit of compassion to brighten the holidays for our neighbors. In a time of so much strife in the world, it is wonderful to be reminded that endless kindness, goodness and hope exist right here in our own backyard. These efforts help us to transform lives all year round, but this tremendous tidal wave of generosity is truly inspiring. Thank you.

With Humbled and Grateful Hearts,

Deborah Berry-Toon, Executive Director,

Beverly Gordon, President, Project Self-Sufficiency Board of Directors

The Honorable Lorraine Parker, J.A.D. (retired) and Dr. Tim Parker, Season of Hope Toy Drive Co-Chairpersons

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