Mercy House spreads holiday cheer to families with record Christmas toy giveaway
The Archdiocese of Newark’s Mercy House made spirits bright this holiday season by distributing over 3,000 gifts to more than 800 families in need during its largest-ever Christmas Toy Giveaway on Dec. 17 in Newark, Dec. 18 in Elizabeth, and Dec. 23 in Jersey City.
Festively dressed staff and volunteers gave out new dolls, games, balls, and more fun items to over 250 families at each Mercy House location. Parents received two toys per child, plus a small gift to put in their children’s stockings. Many even took home wrapping paper, ensuring their little ones could experience the joy of ripping open packages from “Santa” on Christmas morning.
“The Mercy House’s Christmas Toy Giveaway gets bigger every year, and that’s a blessing to us as a Catholic service organization,” said Cheryl A. Riley, director of The Mercy House. “Many of the families we serve are struggling financially, so we’re thrilled we could give them 1,000 more toys than we did in 2023. That’s 1,000 more smiles on the faces of children who probably would not have received a gift on Christmas morning otherwise.”
This year’s Christmas Toy Giveaway was made possible by donations from numerous parishes, schools, organizations, and individual donors. That includes hundreds of contributions from Christ the Teacher Academy in Fort Lee, the North Arlington Women’s Club, and St. Stephen’s Church in Kearny, which provided 240 bags of cookies. St. Joseph Regional High School in Montvale also offered a significant amount of support. In addition to supplying toys, several students of the archdiocesan Catholic school sorted and distributed gifts at the Newark giveaway.
Founded in 2018, The Mercy House provides nonperishable food, clothing, baby supplies, furniture, and help to find work and housing for anyone in need. Its three locations in Newark, Jersey City, and Elizabeth serve roughly 300 people weekly. If you would like to volunteer or donate, contact Cheryl A. Riley at cheryl.riley@rcan.org. For more information, visit www.rcan.org/mercy-house/.
Featured image: Student volunteers from St. Joseph Regional High School in Montvale distributed gifts at The Mercy House’s annual Christmas Toy Giveaway in Newark on December 17, 2024. (Photo by Archdiocese of Newark/Sean Quinn)
