Jersey City’s Mercy House distributed over 3,000 toys at their annual Christmas giveaway this year, which also took place at their locations in Elizabeth and Newark.
By John Heinis/Hudson County View
“The Mercy House’s Christmas Toy Giveaway gets bigger every year, and that’s a blessing to us as a Catholic service organization,” Mercy House Director Cheryl A. Riley said in a statement.
“Many of the families we serve are struggling financially, so we’re thrilled we could give them 1,000 more toys than we did in 2023. That’s 1,000 more smiles on the faces of children who probably would not have received a gift on Christmas morning otherwise.”
Festively dressed staff and volunteers gave out new dolls, games, balls, among other gifts, to over 250 families at each Mercy House location. Parents received two toys per child, plus a small gift to put in their children’s stockings.
Many even took home wrapping paper, ensuring their little ones could experience the joy of ripping open packages from “Santa” on Christmas morning.
This year’s Christmas Toy Giveaway was made possible by donations from numerous parishes, schools, organizations, and individual donors.
That includes hundreds of contributions from Christ the Teacher Academy in Fort Lee, the North Arlington Women’s Club, and St. Stephen’s Church in Kearny, which provided 240 bags of cookies. St. Joseph Regional High School in Montvale also offered a significant amount of support.
In addition to supplying toys, several students of the archdiocesan Catholic school sorted and distributed gifts at the Newark giveaway.
Founded in 2018, The Mercy House provides nonperishable food, clothing, baby supplies, furniture, and help to find work and housing for anyone in need. Its three locations in Newark, Jersey City, and Elizabeth serve roughly 300 people weekly.
If you would like to volunteer or donate, contact Riley at cheryl.riley@rcan.org. For more information, click here.
