Monmouth Co. Spas Donate 3K+ Massages To Front Line Workers

MANALAPAN, NJ - With help from thousands of Hand & Stone Spa members from Bayonne to Toms River, thousands of healthcare workers and first responders may be able to unwind for one hour after a grueling nine months on the front lines of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Throughout the coronavirus crisis, Toms River-based Hand & Stone Massage and Facial Spas have donated thousands of vouchers for spa services, with locations in Toms River and Manalapan donating nearly 2,000 and 1,400 gift certificates respectively.

Alongside spa co-owners Nicholas Marco and Tara Bogota, Mike Masco, a regional developer of Hand & Stone Spas in New Jersey, has been the driving force behind the donation totaling over 3,000 1-hour facials and massages to frontline workers. The Allenhurst native recalls that the good-deed initiative stemmed from an urge to help healthcare heroes, many of whom are also spa members:

“At the beginning of the pandemic, I think we all felt the same way. We all felt helpless at the time,” Masco said. “I can confidently say that we have well over 100 members that are nurses at various hospitals such as community in Toms River or Monmouth Medical or Jersey Shore Hospital. These are our members, and they’re fighting on the front lines. So we just felt super helpless.”

Masco recalls several spa members calling locations in March, asking to donate unused services to area healthcare workers to thank them for their service during the pandemic. Others began asking the company how they can support the New Jersey chain.

“We started to get members saying ‘I have a few packages left over on my account, can I donate them to an urgent care facility or a hospital,” Masco said. “It just was one of those a-ha moments, like, ‘okay this is a great idea. Let’s take care of this for our members.’”

Beginning in May, for every member that chose to keep their monthly membership to the service, the company has donated a 1-hour massage or facial gift card. To date, the company has delivered 1,349 gift cards to CentraState Healthcare System in Freehold, 144 gift cards to Jersey City Medical Center-RWJ Barnabas Health and 1,902 gift cards to Community Medical Center in Toms River. The certificates are valued at approximately $373,280 collectively.

“RWJ Barnabas came up with a great system to donate the gift cards, they basically donated all the gift cards. The demand was overwhelming, people are so, so excited to use them," Masco added, calling the donation a "fantastic" success - one that is far from over, according to the regional developer.

There are currently 2,489 gift cards from members in Howell and Old Bridge members slated to be donated as well, with 100 gift cards set aside for workers at smaller urgent cares and emergency departments in and around Howell.

"It's really a win-win situation," Masco concluded, noting the physical and psychological benefits of Hand & Stone services. "It’s not just a luxury thing, it’s therapeutic for the mind, the body. People suffer all sorts of things, whether it’s mental or physical, they need us and it’s not a luxury type of concept. These are people that are hard workers that need us - these are also healthcare workers."

There are eight Hand & Stone locations in Monmouth County, including Aberdeen, Holmdel, Middletown, Manalapan, Howell, Ocean, Spring Lake Heights and West Long Branch. For more information about Hand & Stone Massage and Facial Spas, click here.