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For over 80 years, the Greater Newark Holiday Fund (GNHF) has provided services of care, hope and kindness to Northern New Jersey. Even the most impoverished and marginalized in the community find hope all year long thanks to a network of ten social service agencies in northern New Jersey who are best-in-class and pre-screened. Every donation is accounted for and filtered through their caring stewardship.

Over the years, The Holiday Fund has contributed nearly $12 million toward the betterment of thousands of families in the community. Annual donations have exceeded $300,000 a year; a tribute to the civic generosity of the people of New Jersey.

Santa Visits Again

During the 2019 holiday season, The Holiday Fund partnered with McCarter & English, LLP to brighten the holidays for nine students in need.

The McCarter & English Dear Santa Elves have been making children’s wishes come true in the city of Newark for 20 years, serving hundreds of youth in need by partnering with a local school district and providing holiday gifts for students who may not receive any during the holiday season.

This year, Santa asked GNHF to help the Wilson Avenue School (K-8) in the Ironbound Section of Newark that has an abundance of students that faced the potential of a holiday season without any gifts. GNHF and the team at McCarter & English worked with the same Chief Elf/Case Worker, Sonia Echevarria, who previously made wishes come true at Fourteenth Avenue School.

Santa signed an Affidavit confirming the children were on the Nice List (notarized, of course). Chief Elf Echevarria and the Elf Teachers assisted children in creating cards with their wish selections: an item of clothing and a toy for each student. Cards were then selected by the elves for shopping, wrapping, and labeling. Then came the careful job of loading the presents onto Santa’s sleigh for distribution at Wilson Avenue School.

There were many humbling and amazing moments, but nothing compared to the excitement and joy on the faces of the students who were holding in their hands the gifts that, previously, were just a wish on a card.

As planned, Santa (with his joyful helpers at the Greater Newark Holiday Fund and McCarter & English) managed to do it once again, and the holiday season was made brighter for nine New Jersey students.

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Our Partner Organizations Serve All Year Long

Don’t forget — GNHF’s impact doesn’t just happen during the holiday season. The partnerships with affiliate organizations like Catholic Charities of Newark, Children’s Aid and Family Services, Urban League of Essex County and more, are strong and active all year long.

Your help is needed, not just during the holidays, but every day. Contribute to the important work of the GNHF Partner Organizations by giving online today.