Volunteering Is The Perfect Feeling

Have you ever felt so proud to be a part of something so extraordinary? Proud is just one of the many feelings I am experiencing after helping organize the Easter Basket Drive for A Need We Feed. I started volunteering around Thanksgiving last year, helping pick up donations at local businesses. I then started making weekly trips to deliver meals to families in our area in need of help. After helping with picking up Christmas donations, I was asked if I would like to be a bigger part of the Easter Basket Drive. I was tasked to get a team of volunteers together and make Easter boxes for the donations to be displayed at local businesses. Me, the girl who in elementary school, high school (and yes even college), would walk into class with big pink poster board and glitter, LOTS and LOTS of glitter for school projects? I was all over this!

When we sent out the word that we were looking for volunteers to help decorate the boxes, the response was amazing! The beautiful boxes the volunteers created were just as amazing. They dropped their festive boxes off at the business they were assigned and picked them back up about 3 weeks later. I had to pick up a donation from Quinn Hopping Funeral Home in Toms River early because they were running out of room. And they still had more to be picked up by the end of the drive! I also picked up the donations from Kearney Bank in Toms River, and their display inside was out of this world! By the time everything was dropped off to the warehouse at Farro’s Tees, it was like an Easter egg exploded! The amount of donations received was overwhelming, it took 5 of us to organize it all. A group of us met one night to assemble the baskets. After just 3 hours, the 78 baskets needed were put together beautifully! We had so much candy left over, we were able to donate the rest to Hugh J. Boyd Jr. Elementary School in Seaside Heights.

April 3rd is when the final phase of the Easter Basket Drive took place. About 400 delicious meals from Ryan’s Catering in Toms River and the Easter baskets will be picked up by volunteers and dropped off to each family. It makes my heart so happy to know that they can celebrate a joyful Easter with their loved ones.

The amount of work and time the volunteers put in is unbelievable. So, a round of applause for these kind, phenomenal people: Maryann Conniff-Perez, Patti Clark Trustan, Amy McKeon, Barbara Eyde Marzarella, Elizabeth Starr-Norman, Evelyn Bisignano, Debra DeBenedetto, Eveline Principe, Diane Andruszko, Amanda Brunas, Maryann Gingrich, Nancy Cagno and Dana CaseyYotka.

A major shoutout goes to the local businesses who helped make this happen beyond our expectations: • Ryan’s Catering at Post 129 - Toms River • Angelic Health – Toms River • Quinn-Hopping Funeral Home – Toms River • Beth White Chiropractic – Brick • Diane Turton, Realtors – Brick • Yellow Brick Road Ice Cream Shop – Toms River • Central Printing – Toms River • All County Exteriors – Lakewood • Farro’s Tees – Toms River • The Parrot Club – Brick • Investors Bank – Brick • Kearney Bank – Brick • Garden State Distillery – Toms River • Kumon – Brick

• Central Ocean Rotary Club - Toms River.

I love being a part of this team and their accomplishments, and I PROUDLY look forward to the next adventure with A Need We Feed. Also, my apologies to Farro’s Tees, who will probably be finding Easter grass around the warehouse until next Easter!

SPORTS BEAT

Gymnastics

Congratulations Southern Regional High School #MultiSportAthlete Maria Mezzo on receiving a certificate from the Southern Regional Athletic program for being the Rams’ 2020-2021 DAANJ Frank Baldachino Essay Scholarship representative.

Maria participates in Gymnastics, Indoor Track and Spring Track & Field. Thank you Maria for all you do for Southern. Gymnastics Head Coach Jacki Hemenway presented the award to Maria before the Southern vs Manchester meet on Friday, March 26, 2021. Southern defeated Manchester 106-99.

Boys Soccer

Congratulations Southern Regional Boys Soccer player Nico Leonard on his commitment to continue his education and soccer careers at Drew University. Nico is surrounded by his family, Coach Luke Kretschmer and Head Coach Guy Lockwood. Best of Luck! #RamPride

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