RAINE Kicks Off Annual Toy Drive

How did everyone fare with Black Friday this year?  And just like Black Friday that really started on Thanksgiving Thursday, Cyber Monday kicked off on Sunday. 

We all feel rushed and stressed trying to get the best deal for toys and electronics and to find the perfect gift.  Of course, the oversized gorilla in the room is the economy and it is on everybody's minds again this year. 

Despite early estimations of the best Black Friday in four years, people are still struggling and asking for extra help.

Just as they did for Thanksgiving, RAINE (Reaching All In Need Everyday) and its volunteers and partners are kicking into high gear to reach out to those families who need some helping hands. 

Their annual Toy Drive starts with donation "stations" set up at all the public schools in Hazlet, schools in Holmdel and at St. Benedict's Church in Holmdel.  People can send unwrapped toys, books, video games, etc and all will be gathered to be sorted and wrapped by volunteers at Beers St Elementary School in Hazlet the week prior to Christmas. 

The great thing with an organization like RAINE is that it allows those of us who are lucky enough to provide what we can for our own families to teach our children, family and friends that giving to others can be very rewarding. 

Not only can you donate but you can provide the act of volunteering during the week RAINE sorts and wraps all the wonderful donations.

Our family makes the RAINE collection a challenge of sorts. Our friends and family know that while out shopping each Holiday Season, they should grab a pair of extra pajamas of any size.  We have a bin on our front steps for people to drop their PJ donation and we then send them over to RAINE along with some rolls of wrapping paper, tape and scissors! 

This year, we've added something extra to our donation bin.  We received a mailbox from Santa Claus himself to accept letters from the local children in our community.  And while it isn't necessary, we are asking that anyone who leaves a letter in the mailbox also donates a pair of pj's or a book in our RAINE bin. And of course, as we all know, Santa replies to those letters and fills the requests to the best of his abilities. 

The two trees at St. Benedict's in Holmdel are adorned with "ornaments" that indicate needs for families that will benefit from RAINE this year.  Any parishioners or visitors of that church can grab an ornament from the tree and leave their donations at the church and at the schools in Holmdel. Another drop-off will be Park East on Holmdel Rd & Route 35 in Hazlet.

Another way to help with the Toy Drive is to attend the 10th Annual Cocktail Party on Thursday, December 8th.  This is always a great night out with friends and spouses with fantastic prizes and always a little surprise here and there for the guests.  The tickets are $50 person which includes an open bar, hors d'oeuvres and entertainment donated by DJ Cash.  If you bring in a gift certificate of $10 or more from the big box stores for the older children within the RAINE families, you will receive a sheet of auction tickets. 

Get an eye out in future blogs for a sampling of some of the awesome gifts that are up for grabs on December 8th. 

If you are interested in helping, purchasing tickets or have questions about RAINE, please visit their website www.rainefoundation.com. 

You can follow them with daily updates on Twitter @RAINEHazlet or on Facebook in Groups as RAINE. 

If you are looking to write Santa a letter and have a pair of new pj's or books you'd like to donate, please email me for our address at lindsaywalsh@comast.net