Opportunities From: Volunteer Opportunities at United Way of Northern New Jersey

January is a very cold time to be homeless in New Jersey.  Those who are homeless are in need of warm coats, winter apparel (hats, gloves, socks), blankets and personal care items.  We need YOUR help to provide these needed items to our neighbors in need.

In recognition of Martin Luther King Day (or just because you want to!) - we are asking people to collect new or gently used coats, warm hats, gloves and new socks, as well as personal care items such as toothbrushes, toothpaste, soap, hand sanitizer, shampoo, conditioner, deodorant, etc.   You can run a drive for these items within your school, company, neighborhood or general community and help make this time of year a little more comfortable for people who have very little.

The items are needed by Friday, January 23rd and will be distributed to people who are homeless or severely in need in our community on Wednesday, January 28th as part of Project Homeless Connect.

United Way invites you to join us to care for local seniors and adults with special needs by donating items for care packages through our February Heart Warming initiative. If you are a corporation or group that would like to join forces with your employees or members and create a bundle of care packages, or if you would like to support on an individual level, we are collecting items for cold weather care packages throughout the month of February and will be delivering them to our community.  

Here are some ideas to get you started that can be included:

Non-perishable foods

Sweets/snacks (cookies, crackers, hard candy, chocolate, etc.) Cans of Soup

Toiletries

Lip Balm Comb/Brush Toothbrush & Toothpaste Shampoo & Conditioner Hand/Body lotion Deodorant

Fun things to do:

Puzzles  Games Books (word search, sudoku, crosswords etc.) Deck of Cards Stationery & stamps  Pens & Pencils

Warm and cozy:

Warm Blanket Heating pads  Adult socks (men and women)

Safety:

hand sanitizer

You may drop off one or some of the items on our wish list at our offices in either Somerville or Cedar Knolls separately or already assembled as a care package – your choice! 

We are grateful for your continued active response to our community through United Way's Heart-Warming initiative, one care package at a time.

Donations of all types of non-perishable, shelf-stable food items are needed to replenish needed supplies at local food pantries.  Particular need is for all types of high protein items such as canned tuna, canned stews and meats, as well as canned vegetables. In additional, personal care items (soap, shampoo, deodorant) and baby care items such as diapers, wipes and baby formula are also needed. Donations of gift cards are also being accepted, so that the food pantries can purchase needed items at wholesale and in bulk or they can share them with client families in need.

Kindergarten is the start of a formal school environment for many children.  United Way, as part of our United In Care program, encourages school-readiness and early literacy.  Through this effort, we would like each child at one of our many partner preschools to get a card or letter of encouragement that creates excitement about entering kindergarten.

Volunteering for this project is easy and can be done by ANYONE!  Simply make a card or write a short note of support and encouragement for a new kindergartener.  You can include a favorite memory about your own kindergarten experience or perhaps the titles of your favorite children's books.  Please send your card/letter to United Way of Northern New Jersey at P.O. Box 6835, Bridgewater, NJ  08807 - Attn. Cards for Kindergarten. 

This project can be done by a family, an individual, a Girl Scout or Boy Scout troop, service club or any other type of group.  Sign up TODAY and start making a nice card to encourage continued learning for children entering kindergarten.

VVF is looking for volunteers to participate in virtual “visits” with a nursing home resident for as little as 10 minutes. Click the link below to access our signup sheet. After you sign up, you will receive a welcome email with further instructions.

 

To register, click here:  Virtual Visit Friends

This link will take you to the registration page for this opportunity.

United Way of Northern New Jersey works to build a love of reading and early literacy among children from ALICE (Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed) families and those struggling financially.  One way we do this is providing Reading Bags to children who do not have access to books and other learning materials in their homes. 

You can help by becoming a Book Buddy and providing one or more Reading Bags for a local child.  Simply sign up, then feel free to either run a drive to collect the items needed for the bags or build your own Reading Kit(s) to donate.

Reading Bags can include: 

The Basics:  1-3 new children's books (for ages 2 1/2 to 6 years), a pack of crayons, an activity or coloring book, a bookmark, and a small inspirational card or note (no last names)

Enhancements (one or more of the following):  a small new stuffed animal or pillow, a small snack pack, flash cards with letters, etc.

Items can be shared in reusable bags, decorated canvas bags or drawstring bags.  New books in multiple languages are also welcomed.

Thank you for helping to promote early literacy and the love of reading with young readers!

2026 Foodstock

Even before any disaster or crisis hits, food security can be a significant issue for ALICE®  (Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed) families and those in poverty. ALICE was already navigating life without a safety net and was one crisis away from financial despair. The government shutdown and suspension of SNAP (food assistance) benefits is that crisis, creating a significant increase in food insecurity while pantries are already at capacity and experiencing shortages.

In response to this impact of the SNAP emergency, United Way is taking action and encouraging people and groups to collect needed items for local food banks/pantries. While Foodstock is a year-round project, we are strongly promoting its expansion during this critical timeframe, given the critical need right now.  This will help ensure ALICE and poverty-level households have enough food while the SNAP program is on hold. 

How to Help

Please sign up to support local food banks/pantries by running a collection drive or contributing food to YOUR local pantry. 

To sign up, respond as an individual or as a team using the buttons to your right. Submit your name and email address—all other requested information is optional—and that’s it!

Once you’ve registered, please check out food pantry information and the types of foods most needed right now in the following counties:

Somerset County: Somerset County Emergency Food Box Needs     (Food Assistance | Somerset County)

Morris County:  Donate Food - Interfaith Food Pantry Network

Sussex County:    food-pantry-update.pdf

Warren County:  Food Bank

Essex County:  Essex-County-Food-Pantries-pdf.pdf

You can also check out the Foodstock flyer, which contains all you need to get started such as a list of participating pantries in our five-county region, needed pantry items, and ideas for getting others involved in this effort.

Please make sure to connect directly with the local food pantry you plan to deliver your food donations to in advance of going there.  Also, please consider making a financial donation to your local pantry to support their efforts to help your neighbors in need.

Thank you for making a difference in the lives of struggling families, children, seniors and those with disabilities in need of food throughout northern New Jersey! 

Once you’ve registered, please check out the Foodstock flyer, which contains all you need to get started such as a list of participating pantries in our five-county region, needed pantry items, and ideas for getting others involved in this effort.

Please make sure to connect directly with the local food pantry you plan to deliver your food donations to in advance of going there.  Many have implemented safety protocols that you will need to understand before going there.

Thank you for making a difference in the lives of struggling northern New Jersey residents!