Letter: Why I Love Living in New Jersey

To the Editor:

The purpose of this letter is to introduce you to the citizens of Morristown, NJ. I moved into the area just about a year and a half ago and I am continually surprised on a daily basis by the kindness that I experience within the community. As a result of my husband’s employment we move fairly regularly (every two years). This type of lifestyle has allowed me to meet diverse groups of people through my travels as well as enabled me to put together charitable projects for the individuals that I meet along the way. We lived in Brazil for two years back in 2003-04. It was there that I first identified my ability to bring supplies from the U.S. to the children of Brazil living in extreme poverty. I have two children myself and this has naturally put me in a position to network with other moms that have children.

It started when we first arrived here in NJ; I would reach out to many of these women in NJ and they would use me as their "donation site"–Then before I knew it my email had been circulated through out the community and I would often come home and find bags and boxes full of gently used baby clothing, linens, toys, shoes, etc. I had never met many of these individuals and sometimes I hadn’t even spoke with them via phone.

In addition to the community donating items, I started searching Craigslist for either free or reasonably priced items and would go all over Northern Jersey to retrieve these items. I started to see a pattern emerge. Each person that I would speak with would either reduce the price of the items, include additional items at no charge or more often than not ask me to come back for additional donations after they had a chance to talk with friends and family. I would return and there generally would be multiple bags of clothing waiting for me to collect.

I am originally from the West Coast (Seattle) and the perception that many people have of the East Coast is not favorable. I kept wondering when was I going to encounter that “rude person” that wasn’t going to give me the time of day? But much to my surprise, I felt that the majority of people were overly pleasant and kind hearted here on the East Coast. Since I’ve been in NJ, I have had the privilege to be involved in a number of different community projects, based on the success I discovered when I asked for the community's help for the children in Brazil. As an example it inspired me to try and do something to help after the tornadoes destroyed many of their towns.

I could continue to provide many more examples of why I think the citizens in New Jersey are the best, but I think you probably have a pretty good idea. I have lived in many different regions and visited many more and the consistency of the people here in New Jersey has remained unchanged. When presented with an opportunity to help others–whether it is in Brazil or right here in our own country–they take on the task whole-heartedly. I want other communities in the future to have the same opportunity that we have been given to show how kind hearted and giving the people of NJ really are.

When I was in the beginning stages of sending items down to Tuscaloosa, it started out as an opportunity for a small group of moms to help some other moms in need. Then it turned into a community effort and now I see it as not only a good representation of Morristown but the entire state of New Jersey.

–Berit Ollestad, Morristown