Parsippany Hotel Employee Helps Local Teacher

PARSIPPANY, NJ—On Aug. 26, Julie Chrobak was packing kits for her ceramics students to take home, since the Clifton School District is remote-only until October. But the kits were missing one key item: something to smooth clay.

An art teacher in Clifton for 14 years, Chrobak knew hotel-style plastic key cards made excellent tools for the job, but was having no luck finding any. As the start of school loomed, she had called multiple hotels asking for help. Then, she hit the jackpot.

"I called Hyatt House on Smith Rd and they had some to give me," the Parsippany resident said on Facebook, "such a relief to have one more thing to check off the list."

Hyatt House Assistant General Manager Jenna Boyle gathered boxes of the cards for Chrobak's students to use, then arranged for the contact-less transfer. There was even a note of support for the hard-working teacher included in one of the boxes.

"We hope you have a great school year," the note read, "thank you for staying so positive for our children. Good luck!"

The gesture may have been small, but meant a lot to Chrobak and her students. She added that, in the time of social unrest and pandemics, more of the neighborly kindness shown here is needed:

"We definitely need more positivity in the news!"