Hugs from Home

Hugs from Home – Holiday Edition

Leaders from Livingston Youth and Community Service (LYCS) program spearheaded a campaign to collect Holiday Gifts for Soldiers in Iraq. This drive was a follow-up of the highly successful “Hugs from Home” campaign which was coordinated by Bunnie Ratner (Chairperson for LYCS Board of Directors), and supported by the West Essex Tribune and other community leaders. A variety of gifts were collected including grooming and beauty items, food in non-crushable containers, and miscellaneous new gifts and other items. In addition, students in the Leaders program, and students from the Temple B’nai Abraham Hebrew School wrote Holiday Greetings which were enclosed with the gift packages. These packages, donated by the generosity of the Livingston community was a small token of our appreciation for those who sacrifice themselves for our freedom, and who are far from home and family during the Holidays season.

The Hugs from Home – Holiday Edition gift drive was truly a community event, with 35 parents and children helping to wrap and pack the donations at Monmouth Court Community Center. In total, 18 boxes weighing 877lbs were shipped to Soldiers serving in Iraq. With the help of the Livingston Fire Department, Assistant Chief Kevin Francione, and Firefighter Lewis helped transport the boxes to the Livingston Main Post Office where staff joined in the effort to ship the boxes so they would arrive before the Holidays. An additional box of last minute items was shipped after the holidays filled with gifts.
May we take this opportunity to thank all those who generously contributed to the “Hugs from Home – Holiday Edition” gift drive.

2008 More Photos Hugs from Home