Donations made to this button will be contributed to the American Red Cross International Response Fund, which is funding the relief for the Haiti Earthquake
On Thursday, January 14 2010 FIOS 1 News came to the Tri-County Red Cross to see how the chapter was responding to the overwhelming response of volunteers and donors after the Haitian earthquake. Many volunteers and staff are shown, as well as people who just stopped in to donate. Check the report out.
Every year the Tri-County Red Cross gives out more than a thousand toys to local children for the holidays, signing up more than 200 families who need just a little leg up to make the winter holidays just a little better. Today we are doing the final preparations, and tomorrow we will pass out the presents.
It sounds like a small thing to just pass out toys, but it's amazing how many people are behind the effort to make it happen. Here are just some pictures of people who made this happen in 2009, and more will be coming.
One of our biggest benefactors is Borders in Watchung, and their customers. Last year Dot Smith called us up out of the blue and offered to make us the beneficiary of their holiday toy drive. We were overwhelmed by what we received, and this year there is even more! So far we have received more than 20 boxes of stuffed animals, toys and books. Here's a picture of Elsa Mejia, Denise Neto and disaster volunteer Terri Esposito organizing just a few of the books for kids that Borders' customers bought.
Every time you hear about how kids these days just don't care like they used to, check out these kids who stood up to help those who are a little less fortunate. Kids from the Bayberry Elementary School collected toys for the annual Tri-County Red Cross Toy Drive 2009. Pictured is Ms. Mary Nunn, principal of the school.
We can't leave out the kids at Wardlaw Hartridge, either, who were so enthusiastic that they had to create an old-fashioned bucket brigade to get all the toys from the school to our disaster response van. Check out their enthusiasm -- partly for the good feelings, and partly because it was really, really cold!
The officers of the Navy Recruiting Station in Plainfield also collected food and clothing for the effort. Here's a pic of all the stuff they gave!
This is only a small sampling of the people and organizations who have supported the holiday toy drive and the disaster relief services of the American Red Cross' Tri-County Chapter. We cannot support our community without these donors, volunteers, organizations and businesses being there every time they are needed.
So thank you, from all of us at the Tri-County Red Cross. You are truly appreciated.
Here's another school that really came through for us, the Allied Health in Elizabeth. It's a four minute video, but tells a lot obout the kids and the school. It's worth a look!
All
presenting blood donors will receive a picture of their name in lights
on the Giants Stadium scoreboard, a limited edition NY Giants calendar
and a coupon for a free pound of coffee compliments of Dunkin' Donuts.
Plus
six lucky donors will be randomly selected to win an autographed
football, and one donor will win a pair of tickets to a NY Giants Home
game this coming season.
The Tri-County Red Cross serves 22 communities in three New Jersey counties: Union County, NJ:
Clark, Cranford, Elizabeth, Fanwood, Garwood, Hillside, Kenilworth,
Linden, Plainfield, Rahway, Roselle, Roselle Park, Scotch Plains,
Union, Winfield Middlesex County, NJ: Dunellen, Edison (NW), South Plainfield Somerset County, NJ: Green Brook, North Plainfield, Warren, Watchung
