A Holiday Reminder
We all have people who live near our homes or places of business that need our help in these tough times. During this week of Thanksgiving we should keep them in our hearts and prayers. But we should also do what we can to help. If you don’t know where to give, look local. Give thanks surely, but give. Thanks are not enough.
Here is a reminder from Paul Pomeroy, for those of us who live and work in West Newark.
For the last several years I’ve had the opportunity to visit Downes Elementary (located in District One) as Principal for a Day. I look forward to it as it’s a great opportunity for me to see all that Principal Schwartz and her incredible team of dedicated teachers and staff and doing to improve the lives of the children in our community.
During my visit this past month I was met not only by smiling children and educational success stories, but also with the harsh reality that many families in the Downes community are struggling like never before. We all know how the economy has hit each of our own lives, but there are others in our local community who are hurting even more.
Also during my visit, Principal Schwartz told me about their “Mitten Tree”. On a tree in the hallway are cutout paper mittens with a list of items that needy Downes families are desperate for during the holiday season. What struck me was the fact that the list of items contained no gifts or luxuries, but instead only the staples–shoes, gloves, underwear and socks. Local members of the Downes family pick off a mitten, purchase the item and return it back to the school. During a follow-up trip last week I was heartened to see that already so many of the mittens had been plucked from the tree. Ours truly is a generous and caring community.
I asked Principal Schwartz how I could help. She told me that not only are the families in need of the staples mentioned above, but they are also working hard to keep food on the table. In past years, some members of the community have generously donated gift cards from stores such as Acme that Downes adds to the package of c