Belleville American Legion Reaches Out To Homeless In Newark

BELLEVILLE, NJ — The following news release comes courtesy of Sons of the American Legion Squadron 105. Find out how to post announcements or events to your local Patch site.

Belleville’s Sons of the American Legion (SAL) Squadron 105 organized a trip on a Saturday morning to go down to Newark to help the homeless, by handing out blankets, jackets, and bags full of sandwiches, cookies, and water on what ended up being the coldest day of the year.

“We went down there with a car full of jackets and sandwiches, and came back with nothing”, noted project officer Vinnie Ferriole, who planned the event with his wife. At a meeting in December of the Squadron, he presented his idea of doing something to help the homeless during the winter in the area. He was given the go-ahead by Squadron 105 Commander Steve Sangemino … “you’re the chairman now, run with it”.

Over the next few weeks, he collected items to do just that. American Legion Crawford-Crews Post 251 in Montclair held a coat giveaway in January, with winterwear generously provided by Ocean State Job Lot to handout. They provided two cases of brand new winter jackets. Members from the Post 105 Family provided jackets and blankets as well – others donated cookies, and the Post donated bottles of water. The night before, members made PB&J’s – Lisa Bocchino noted afterward “We sat and made 22 sandwiches in an hour”.

On a day when it was three degrees out, members of the Squadron and Post got together and made the ten minute trip “Down Neck”, as Newark’s Ironbound section is called locally. Advised by Newark Police to pull up to Peter Francesco Park right behind Newark Penn Station, the two trucks of members pulled up and hopped out to hand everything out. Almost immediately, over fifty people ran up and formed a line. The contents of the two cars was emptied in under five minutes.

Unfortunately, even in the terribly frigid temperatures last week in New Jersey, so many people were living outside in the elements. In what can only be described as heartbreaking, what the Squadron provided wasn’t nearly enough to help those in line who needed it, running out of jackets and sandwiches almost immediately.

Of those in line were a mother and a little girl of probably six years old. In a moment that speaks to the true giving nature of the American Legion Family, Meloldy Ciresi, who is a member of the American Legion Auxiliary group seeking a charter at Belleville Post 105, gave the little girl the gloves off her hands. “You don’t know how blessed you are, until you go down there” she later noted.

“I’m just glad to be a part of something where we help people, and make a difference”, noted new SAL member Ron Planer, on one of the first events he participated in. Ferriole, who has also run a number of the Squadron’s cancer fundraisers in the past, said after returning to the Post how “thankful I am for everybody who helped – we learned a lot about how to do this next time … and we’re going to do this again.”

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