Touching
Lives of South Jersey (TLSJ) was delighted to host their 4th Annual
Children Christmas Party registering 194 children in need. The party was held on Saturday, December 15th
2012 at the Edward W. Dorn Community Center.
Children of the South Jersey area were treated to a day of fun, food, presents
and loads of surprises. The fun began
with lunch followed by Divine Destiny, a local youth dance group, who performed
a holiday dance routine. The day
continued when ReCee the Magic Elf showed up, performed magic tricks, gave out treats,
got the children up and dancing, and engaged them in a sing along.
The stars of the show were Santa and Mrs. Claus who arrived from the North Poles to cheers and many happy faces. In addition, the children were entertained by a giant moon bounce, a face painter and a balloon artist.
Each
child received an age appropriate wrapped gift, a stocking stuffed with toys
and goodies, and Phillies merchandise from the Philadelphia Phillies
Organization. The children were also given
a raffle ticket for a chance to win additional toys from our gift table. Adults in attendance were also given a raffle
ticket for a chance to win a complete holiday dinner gift baskets filled with a
turkey, chicken and all the trimming for a great holiday feast. Three gift baskets were given away for the
lucky raffle winners. New coats were
also given to a local family in need.
An
event of this size and magnitude could not happen without the support of our
many sponsors and a host of volunteers.
We were successful to receive support from many
local businesses, organizations and individuals. Some of this year’s supporters were: Philadelphia Phillies, Wawa, Herr's, Salem
County NAACP, Lighthouse Ministries, DiPaolo’s Italian Ristorante, Calvary
Community Development Corporation, WATCH (We Aspire to Capture Hope),
Gloucester County Minority Coalition, New Horizon’s Men’s Club, Lapps Dutch
Market, Boston Associates Rehabilitation, Ebony Rainbow Quilters Guild, Euro
Communications, Pat’s Pizzeria, Peaceful Stitchers Quilters, and many
individual donators. Without these
supporters, our outreach would not be possible.
TLSJ also partnered with WATCH and ROPE for the Back to School Giveaway Breakfast, held in August, 2012.
Upcoming events for 2013 include plans to offer skill training in basics computer operations, using Microsoft Office Standard Suite and computer repair classes. We plan to continue to partner with other organizations to support the community and as well as host our 5th Annual Christmas Party. Look for us in 2013 as we continue to grow, gain support and become a supportive presence in our community. Board members are Robert Gibson, Valerie Gibson, Tommy White, Jr. Michelle White and Michelle Cleveland and Deirdre Germany. Visit our website at www.touchinglivessj.com.