Spreading the Holiday Cheer this year

Amidst the shopping and celebrating and gifts and family fun, sometimes it's easy to forget that not everyone is expecting a Merry Christmas this year.

But there are some easy ways you can help bring a little holiday cheer to someone else,  and we like to support the local community as much as possible.  So this year, we have several local people that we are working with, and we are collecting different items during the season.

• Best Friend Dog and Animal Adoption are having a Blanket and Quilt Drive, and will be here on Saturday, Dec. 7 to provide Gift Wrapping during our Pictures with Santa event!   If you have an old blanket, please drop it in the collection bin here at Liberty, anytime between now and Saturday, or just bring it with you on Saturday when you come to get your picture taken!

• Rahway Food for Friends Food Pantry are always in need of non-perishable food items.  We have a bin here for them as well, and will be delivering any food collected for the holidays.  Why not drop a food item in the bin? You can find more information about what they need at http://www.rahwayfoodforfriendsnj.org/donate.
• Outside in the parking lot, you'll find a clothing collection bin, to support the Erika Lynn Foundation.   They collect gently used clothing and shoes, and distribute it to local thrift shops.  From their website:
  
  "When our little girl was 2 1/2 years old she was diagnosed with Autism and our lives have never been the same. The Erika Dixon Foundation was formed by me and my family to help the Children and the families of these kids that suffer from this life time disorder." If you have any gently used clothing, please consider dropping it into the big blue box in our parking lot!
• On Saturday, Dec. 14, Liberty will be hosting our last Blood Drive of the year.  In 2013 alone, the Liberty extended family collected over 150 pints of blood, and we want to finish the year strong.  As they say, "Saving the world is hard, but saving a life is easy."  You can pre-register for the blood drive at www.bloodnj.org, or just stop by between 12 and 5pm - walk-ins are always welcome.

Remember, only a few weeks ago Liberty HOG, with the help of the extended Liberty Family, donated over 3,000 toys to the Bristol Myers-Squibb Childrens' Hospital - enough to keep them in toys for the whole year!

I know with the help of the Liberty Extended Family, we can bring a little more joy to the lives of people who need it most, in our own little way.