Throughout the months of November and December, The Arc of Essex County gathered items for members of our Home Assistance Program (HAP), including 55 coat and pajama donations, toys and gifts, and hundreds of grocery items for our families. These contributions support the 15 families in our HAP program, benefitting 55 children and adults in our Arc community.

Day Programs, Stepping Stones School, and The Arc main office were drop-off sites for the food drive, which resulted in more than 600 items collected, which filled 3 to 4 bags of groceries per family. The Adult Day Programs competed to see who could gather the most food items for the drive, and based on the size of the program, Bridges was victorious and will celebrate with a pizza party.

Two cash grants, including $1,000 from ShopRite and $500 from Todd Polyniak, were used to purchase toys and Walmart gift cards. In addition to a very generous check, ShopRite in Livingston also donated a frozen turkey for each of our 15 families.

The Arc thanks everyone who contributed to the drives and helped make the holiday season brighter and cozier for our neediest families.

The HAP program provides services in the areas of transportation, community resources, housing, navigating school systems, recreation, and skill trainings to low-income families whose child and/or parent has an intellectual or developmental disability. The goal is to maintain the family unit, attain independence, and assist parents and families in becoming more self-sufficient both economically and personally.

If you or a loved one is interested in joining the HAP program, please contact Laurie Best, Senior Director of Children & Adult Day Services, to see if you qualify.  Laurie can be reached at (973) 535-1181 ext. 1264 or [email protected].