A 'Cornucopia of Thanks' at Camden Street School

Hundreds of Newark families got into the holiday spirit early with a "Cornucopia of Thanks" pre-Thanksgiving dinner last Friday at Camden Street School.

The dinner, sponsored by Parsippany-based multichannel marketing firm Marketsmith Inc., capped with 150 families in need leaving with two bags of groceries and supplies. Clothing and other provisions were donated by Carol Post.

Marketsmith Chief Executive Officer Monica C. Smith, and her partner Amy Allan Smith, who adopted their four foster children from Newark, said the dinner was a way to give back to the city after Super Storm Sandy.

"We’d already had the pre-Thanksgiving dinner planned to raise awareness for the Camden Street School," said Smith in a statement. "When I learned about the devastation Hurricane Sandy caused in Newark, already bereft with poverty, I was so relieved that the event was on schedule to provide what was needed to families.

"It was heartwarming to see the response of our employees and business partners to this initiative."