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Each year, for the last several years, Tilcon has organized a holiday donation drive to help out those in need during the festive season. December 2012 was no exception. This time, however, in the wake of hurricane Sandy, the local need was greater than ever, with many more people in our area in need of extra help during the holidays. Our 2012 holiday donations benefitted three local organizations – Morris County Interfaith Food Pantry, the Central Jersey Navy League and the Jersey Shore Animal Center.
Morris Interfaith Food Pantry Food Drive
More than 5,000 families in Morris County, NJ rely on the Interfaith Food Pantry for supplemental groceries year round. Last year the organization distributed nearly 800,000 pounds of food to low-income working families and senior citizens living on fixed incomes. It also delivers to housebound seniors and the disabled and is currently distributing more than seven tons of food per week.
We donated over 550 pounds of non-perishable canned food items during our holiday food drive in 2011 and in 2012 the amount was close to 700 pounds. All Tilcon employees were proactive in the month-long fundraising effort, donating at drop-off points at various facilities in New York and New Jersey.
In addition to our holiday activities, we also make donations to the Pantry whenever our Open House events are held, asking visitors to bring non-perishable food items to donate. We have also delivered carloads of personal care items such as toiletries, cosmetics, pillows and coffee pots to the Battered Women's Shelter during a previous Tilcon employee fundraiser.
Central Jersey Navy League Toy Drive
Tilcon has worked with Central Jersey Navy League for a number of years. The Navy League is a civilian organization dedicated to supporting our sea service personnel and their families. In the holiday season, the League organizes an Angel Program to donate toys to children of Coast Guard and Navy families in New Jersey.
The donations of toys and clothing collected in December were especially welcome in 2012 as hurricane Sandy took a terrible toll on local Coast Guard Stations and the families who work at them. US Coast Guard Stations at Sandy Hook, NJ and Bayonne, NJ sustained severe damage during the storm. Sandy Hook was totally destroyed, as was much of its housing. Many Coast Guard families working at these facilities also live at the Shore and were forced to move in with families, or to hotels or alterative housing, following the storm. Earle Naval Base also sustained damage.
In total Tilcon, together with local organizations including Verizon and Amerada Hess and local church groups, donated over 700 gifts to the Angel program. A holiday party was held at Earle Naval Base before the holidays, with Santa riding a fire truck to distribute toys. Tilcon was contacted by several military families who expressed thanks for our help. Tilcon donated a further 3 car loads of gifts to a hurricane Sandy drop-off point, destined for hurricane victims and their families on the Jersey Shore.
Jersey Shore Animal Shelter Food Drive
Many Tilcon employees are pet lovers at heart and when we heard about the devastation along the Jersey Shore and that many pets were affected, we knew we had to help. We chose the Jersey Shore Animal Shelter to be one of the organizations we supported in December because it is a no kill Shelter and has been fostering pets of homeowners affected by Sandy, many of whom had lost everything.
We collected a lot of food and treats as well as bowls, blankets, kitty litter and toys. Tilcon employee Debbie Gee dropped off our donations at the Shelter. They were thrilled.