Warm Hearted Mt. Laurel Mom

No doubt it takes a village to make progress. It also requires leadership, vision and passion to mobilize the villagers. I discovered this in a most unlikely place. I met Trisha Baum on a community Facebook page. She was collecting clothing for the homeless in Philadelphia. After a few messages back and forth, I learned that for the past six years, she has been volunteering her time to help those on the streets of the Kensington section of Philadelphia. These people are addicts, mentally ill and homeless. Many have been long shunned by their families. Trisha and others work to provide food, clothing and a shoulder to lean on. They let these people know that there is still hope and if they want it, there is help. Back in February, my daughter and her friends expressed their compassion by assembling Blessing Bags, plastic bags filled with a beverage, snacks and words of encouragement. It was a great learning lesson for them.

Meanwhile, Trisha was constantly being taunted by her NJ friends. They (including me) wanted her talents shared on this side of the river in her new home state. As such, earlier this year, she established Hand n Heart, a nonprofit 501c3 organization based in Mt. Laurel. The purpose of the organization is to provide support to those suffering from addiction and mental illness. Additionally, support is also available for the children of these individuals. While we are all thankful that the opioid epidemic is finally getting some attention, it has surely left its mark on our children. Many are orphans, in foster care or living with other family members. Sadly, they need our help too.

Over the past several months, Tricia has recruited her Core Team, along with many volunteers. The calendar is now packed with activities. Many organizations and individuals are inquiring about how they can get involved. In September, we held a very successful Luggage of Love backpack drive. The community came together at the Mt. Laurel Library to assemble backpacks filled with school supplies for foster children. We also held a donation drive at Charming Charlie. Donation bins are now being placed at many local businesses to collect for Socktober, Warm Winter Wear and of course, We-Want-Your-Halloween-Candy. It is not too late to get involved. We undoubtedly going to need more help once we announce our big holiday idea.

Trisha is a hardworking, selfless and humble person. While I have not known her long enough to celebrate our first Facebook Anniversary, I knew enough to nominate her for a You Go Fox News Philly Award. One week after I nominated her, she received an award on live television. Once the word was out, a local NJ newspaper called her for an interview. In November, she is being honored as an Emerging Leader by the Burlington County Chamber of Commerce. If you ask her though, Trisha will tell you that it is everyone else that deserves the credit. It is the village. It is the little girl in Moorestown who knits the scarves, the little boy in Mt. Laurel who donated his birthday gifts, the Girl Scout troop who makes the Blessing Bags, the anonymous person who orders something from our Amazon Wish List, the lady who wraps and decorates our donation boxes, the graphic designer who donates her time, my kids who ride around with me as I pick up donations - each of these people lent a hand from their heart sparked by the inspiration of a warm hearted Mt. Laurel Mom.