01/16/08

TITLE: HUNTERDON COUNTY Holiday Hands brings joy this holiday season to neighbors in need - 3 cheers for the UNITED WAY OF HUNTERDON
DESCRIPTION:
Time: 07:56:45

ARTICLE

The United Way of Hunterdon County’s Holiday Hands is undertaken every year to match local companies, organizations and individuals with children, families and individuals in need during the holiday season.

This year’s project was a huge success, brightening the holiday season for many residents here in Hunterdon County. According to Dawn Alpaugh, Volunteer Center Director and coordinator of the program, “The community’s outpouring was beyond our wildest dreams”. This year the United Way of Hunterdon County worked with over 80 local businesses, organizations, schools, families and individuals who were able to serve nearly 800 individuals through 22 different agencies in the county.

Both large and small companies were represented by their generous giving. Some of the participating companies included, 3M, Merck & Co., Inc., ExxonMobil Research & Engineering, Greenman-Pedersen Inc., Hunterdon Orthopaedic Specialists, Gymboree, Flemington Car & Truck Country, Hormel Foods, Sports Physical Therapy Institute, Liberty Mutual Group, Herder-Tarricone Associates, Medisys Health Communications, Princeton Hydro, Hunterdon County Democrat, ShopRite of Hunterdon, Skylands Community Bank and the Hunterdon Healthcare System.

The United Way also had many organizations, churches and individual participants this holiday season, including the Church of the Holy Spirit, Hunterdon Central Key Club, Round Valley United Methodist Church, Clinton Presbyterian Church’s Missions Committee, Hunterdon County Polytech and the Flemington Lions Club.

Once again, the Clinton Elks Lodge helped to spread some holiday spirit by organizing a toy drive to assist the United Way with the Holiday Hands program.  Toys were also donated by the Marine Corps Reserves from the Toys for Tots program.  These toys were used to help fill in any areas with unmet needs in the Holiday Hands program.  

What really matters is the impact that United Way’s Holiday Hands program offers to so many and the lives it changes.  Hundreds of children had gifts to open this holiday season, individuals were able to be directed to community resources in our county and  receive further assistance by agencies if needed, and finally, the program allowed employees, students, and families to be engaged and learn of the importance of giving and volunteering.

United Way of Hunterdon County partners with people and organizations from across the county to focus on lending assistance to children at-risk, people with disabilities, families in crisis, the elderly, and the hungry and homeless.  In the past year alone, nearly 40% of the people that live and/or work in Hunterdon County benefited from a program supported by United Way.  For more information or to make a tax deductible donation, please call (908) 782-3414 or send to P.O. Box 2290 Flemington, NJ 08822.