Caldwell Mayor Thanks Tenants of Carlyle Towers For Xmas Project

CALDWELL, NJ — Editor’s Note: The following article comes courtesy of Caldwell Mayor Ann Dassing.

Christmas 2016 was one of the best years for The Human Services Dept. of Caldwell/West Caldwell in part due to major contributors and partnerships that our Director of Human Services, Maria Burak has developed over the years. One of those more recently developed partnerships in its third year, has been with the tenants of Carlyle Towers in Caldwell. Led again this year by Joanne Zascone, along with the cooperation of building management, Ms. Zascone organized a Christmas Giving Project focused on families with children in Caldwell.

The tenants of Carlyle Tower immediately joined in the effort to give this Christmas extra special meaning for these community members. Many of Carlyle Tower's residents have participated generously in years past and did so again this year. The items, which tenants donated were new toys & gifts selected from "personal wish lists" along with new winter clothing & warm (fashionable) boots.

Holiday "food essentials boxes", provisioned by Stop n’ Shop, accompanied by generous Grocery Gift Cards were provided to each family by a prominent Carlyle tenant. All this added to the holiday cheer and gave the holiday meal an extra festive feel.

Ms. Zascone also enlisted the generosity of area merchants to enhance our adult seniors’ Christmas experience. Some seniors shared in the holiday festivities and received a beautiful Poinsettia Plant, donated by Shop Rite of West Caldwell. While others received lovely Holiday Treat Gift Bags, constructed by Ms. Zascone, using all of the delicious cookies, coffees, chocolates, crackers & supplies donated by our generous area merchants.

Everyone who participated, both tenants & merchants alike, expressed their joy in contributing to the Caldwell community.

With the support of my office office and under the direction of Human Services Director Maria Burak, Ms Zascone was able to coordinate another successful holiday season of donations.

Many, many thanks goes to Ms. Zascone and her tireless energy and caring for her community and to ALL the tenants who participated in the "in house" collection effort. And another big thank you goes out to the partner merchants without whom the end product would not have been as fabulous; Brittany Giglio, Mgr. and her staff at the West Caldwell Walgreens, Kerem Cipak, Mgr. at Roseland Walgreens, long time contributor Brian Duran, Mgr. at Jack's Food Town, Caldwell, Heather Velasquez, Regional Corp HQ for Harmon's, West Caldwell, and The Corrado Family at Corrado's Market in Fairfield.

Thank you to everyone and Happy New Year! See you next season.

Photo courtesy of Ann Dassing

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