Local Schools Support Children in Need during the Season of Hope

During the past few weeks, thousands of students across Sussex County came together to support needy children by participating in the Stuff the Stocking contest on behalf of the Season of Hope Toy Drive. The annual effort pits local elementary, middle and high schools against each other in a friendly competition to donate new, unwrapped toys for distribution to children in Sussex and Warren Counties. The contest ends in mid-December with the arrival of a school bus donated by Denise Current of Stocker Bus Company. Volunteer drivers pick up the toys at each school, tally the contents, and ferry the items back to the toy shop set up at Project Self-Sufficiency.

The combined efforts of 28 local schools resulted in the collection of more than 4,000 toys for the Season of Hope Toy Drive, the highest amount received since the competition began three years ago. The school which donated the most toys was once again Green Hills School, with a whopping total of 574 items. This is the third consecutive year that the school, which serves children in kindergarten through eighth grade in Green Township, has won the competition. Fredon Elementary School and Newton High School tied for second place, while Byram Intermediate School came in third. In a unique twist, there was a three-way tie for fourth place between Kittatinny Regional High School, Ogdensburg School and Reverend Brown. All items were distributed to the parents of more than 2,200 children at a toy shop held at Project Self-Sufficiency in mid-December.

“Having children involved in helping other children to enjoy the holiday season is very important to us, and the enthusiasm demonstrated by these students as they participated in this contest was truly inspiring,” noted Deborah Berry-Toon, Executive Director of Project Self-Sufficiency, in regard to the Stuff the Stocking contest. “We were very excited to have all of these schools come together in support of the low-income families in our area, and we hope to have even more schools participate next year.”

Schools involved in this year’s competition included Alpine Montessori, Andover Regional, Blairstown Elementary, Byram Intermediate, Cedar Mountain, Clifton E. Lawrence, Fields of Green, Frankford Township, Franklin Elementary, Fredon Elementary, Glen Meadows, Green Hills, Hilltop Country Day, Kittatinny Regional, Lounsberry Hollow, Marion McKeown, Merriam Avenue, Montague, Newton High, Ogdensburg, Pope John, Reverend Brown, Rolling Hills, Sandyston-Walpack, Sparta High, Valley Road, Vernon High, and Walnut Ridge.

“Green Hills is so proud to have been able to help families during this Season of Hope. The Green community is supportive, giving, and caring, which is why it doesn't surprise me that we have collected the most toys three years in a row,” commented John Nittolo, Superintendent of the Green Hills School. “We hope Green Hills has played a part in making this season a less stressful for families, and we hope we have helped to put smiles on the faces of children throughout Sussex County. It is an honor to participate each year.”

Project Self-Sufficiency spearheads the Season of Hope Toy Drive with the assistance of local social service agencies, other organizations and businesses. The group includes the Chatterbox Drive-In, First Hope Bank, iHeartMedia, Intercar Mercedes Benz, Pass it Along, Selective Insurance Company of America, Service Electric Broadband Cable, Sussex County Chamber of Commerce, Sussex Honda, The New Jersey Herald, The Printing Center, and Toys for Tots.

For information about the services offered by Project Self-Sufficiency, or to make a monetary donation to the Season of Hope Toy Drive, visit www.projectselfsufficiency.org.