Holiday Shop Continues In Glen Rock Woman's Memory

GLEN ROCK, NJ — The family and friends of a borough woman continued a tradition in her memory that brightened the lives of 100 of North Jersey kids recently.

Catherine McDonough and her friends created a holiday shop for 100 kids at an after school academy sponsored by Oasis in Paterson. The nonprofit serves more than 700 women and children daily, some of whom are abuse victims.

Volunteers collect donations and purchased items for the shop. Kids browsed through the items and volunteers helped them wrap what they bought.

McDonough helped put the holiday shop on for years until she died last year following a long battle with cancer.

"What a legacy Cath left behind," said Jennifer Brady, Oasis' executive director. "Cath understood that our children don't always have the means to buy presents for their loved ones, but that it was important lesson to teach — that giving is more important than receiving."

The holiday shop is a bigger part of Oasis' giving initiative throughout the holiday season. It is one of the ways the organization helps distribute more than 5,000 gifts to children and their families.

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Photos from the Cath McDonough Holiday Shop/Courtesy of Oasis