Holiday Drive To Benefit Mendham And Chester Food Pantry

MENDHAM, NJ — To help bring the holiday spirit to those in need, the Mendham and Chester Police Departments will be collecting toys and other supplies for the local food pantry this holiday season.

The collection drive will run until Dec. 10 and all donations can be dropped off at both the new Mendham police headquarters in Brookside next to town hall or at the Chester Police headquarters.

The police departments will be collecting gifts for children and young adults aged one to twenty-one.

Some examples of gifts would be:

• Building Blocks
• Lego Sets
• Science Sets
• Craft Sets
• Other toys
• Portable Speakers
• Jewelry or Watches
• Skin Care Products for Teenagers
• Water Bottles

Monarch Housing Associates, a non-profit based in Cranford, recently released its 2022 Point-In-Time Count of the Homeless report which includes data collected by county staff, government officials and local nonprofit organizations who surveyed people staying outdoors in late January.

On the night of Jan. 25, 2022, a total of 6,631 households, including 8,754 people, were experiencing homelessness in the State of New Jersey, according to the 2022 Point-In-Time Count.

The report shows that Morris County had a total of 351 homeless people as of January, which represents four percent of the state's unhoused population.

"We are in need of supplemental gifts to distribute to the many families we help in our community… We appreciate the time and effort you give to this and remember that for some, this may be part of the only gifts they receive," officials said.