The American Red Cross has a long history of providing comfort and support to members of the U.S. Armed Forces, veterans, and their families. For several years, members of the American Red Cross of Northern New Jersey Board of Directors have been sending care packages filled with holiday cheer to the men and women who serve our country to let them know their service is appreciated.
The members coordinated a collection of items for the troops through the region’s Service to Armed Forces Adopt-A-Unit Campaign. They also invited family members and co-workers to get involved. The collection of items included personal care items, playing cards and puzzles, and an array of comfort foods like granola bars, pretzels, cocoa and candies.
On Saturday, December 7, Board members, their co-workers and families gathered at the UPS Innovation Center in Parsippany. More than 135 people were on hand and volunteered to help sort donated items and pack up Comforts of Home care packages to be sent to military members serving overseas this holiday. Many participants, especially children, also made cards and wrote notes of thanks and encouragement to be added to the care packages. These special notes, along with some of the donated personal care items, will be shared with veterans in New Jersey during visits by our Service to the Armed Forces team of volunteers.
Everyone’s collaborative efforts had 165 care packages ready to ship out to military members serving overseas. In addition, seven pallets of donated items were delivered to the Red Cross location at Joint Base McGuire–Dix–Lakehurst and are available to military families this holiday.
The Red Cross New Jersey Region salutes Board members Man Lee with Nisivoccia LLP and Jay Beasley with Verizon for leading the effort and all of the Board members, along with their co-workers, friends, family members and all of the V Teamers with Verizon, who helped make the campaign successful. This includes Ed Susco with Audio Visual Associates and our Board Chair Charlie Wortmann for his collections taken at Sussex County Community College and Lake Mohawk Country Club.
Special kudos to our volunteers and those from Quest Diagnostics, Team RWB-CNJ and Englewood Academy who helped bring the collections together, sort and help pack up at UPS Innovation Center.
Huge thanks go out to Board member Judeann Strauss of UPS – who hosted the pack-up event and helped with shipping and delivery of the pallets. Thanks to amazing event coordination assistance by UPS employee Alfredo Pujadas too.
Thank you all for helping make the holidays brighter for the men and women who serve our country!
Learn more about how we help military families through Red Cross Service to the Armed Forces.
