Thank You!!

From Peaches - please thank Nicole of Cinnaminson for the brand new baby bedding which will be given immediately to a young woman whose baby is due in August.

From Pat - Thank you, Jennifer Becktel of Rockaway, NJ. She mails us handmade booties and hats for infants.

Another Thank You

Thank you Dale of Millville for the small propane range, counter top and sink, mini refrigerator and mini microwave. The items were offered unexpectedly while discussing the work we do. They were a pleasant surprise and will be put to good use where they are needed.

A Bunch of Thank You's From Us

We want to thank Ginny and family of Tabernacle who not only filled our little pick-up full of larger baby items but also loaded the truck with such skills that nothing shifted. That may sound like an easy enough feat if not for the fact the pile was higher then the cab of the truck. All items that were placement ready were placed within hours of leaving them. They also donated a sofa set and have alerted others to our cause, which has resulted in additional donations and are reflected in the next thank you.

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Thanks to Ginny the following three family members learned about us...

Thank you to .....

Roseanne of Southampton for the smaller household items which will be shared with a man who is starting over with nothing and a single mom who has no way to purchase these items. Roseanne also possesses the skill to load a truck from having children that went to college. She kindly, safely loaded everything onto the pick up.

Her daughter, Trisha of Southampton, gave us bags full of very nice clean baby girl clothes. She also gave us other baby items, including a baby swing and bouncy seat which were placed with a single teen mom who is pregnant with a baby boy.

Her other daughter, Jackie of Westampton, shared with us bags of new looking baby clothes which included a complete crib bedding set and bumpers for a baby girl. She also gave us a box of baby toys and a baby play mat which were placed almost immediately.

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We also thank Kathie of Burlington and her family for a child size dresser and book shelf along with a few other household items. Even though this dresser and shelf were hers as a child it remains in such great shape it can now be passed to a little boy being raised by a single mom. The other items will be split among a few starting over or barely getting by households.

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Of course our repeat donors Annmarie of Williamstown, Angelina of Brigantine and Linda of Pennsauken continue to help with donations whenever they find something we could use.

Thank you to each and every one of you for keeping the circle of giving spinning and spinning as it should be. We appreciate so much the help as do those who receive these much needed items.

In Honor of Our Mothers

Of all the Reys of Hope volunteers, Peaches and Pat are the only ones whose Mom is still alive. The rest of us are missing the love and guidance not to mention support - our mothers gave us. So we thought we'd publish a piece about Sara Yacono - and how she taught her children (she has 5) about helping others.

It started decades ago when they were little kids - even though they were raised with very few material things and money was short, they were taught to help in any way they could. She taught them how collecting pennies added up to a meal for someone; the difference a pack of crackers can make to a hungry person; how to be frugal and get more from less and to share it. At Christmas time she still goes with Peaches to hand out gifts for those in need. One recent Christmas, she gave the gloves off her hands to a woman who was cold and had none. She accompanies Peaches on most drop offs and some pick ups and helps sort items donated to us. She always brings her tarp and her flashlight - she's always prepared : ~ )

She taught them to care for their fellow man and continues still. We want to thank her for her wisdom and kindness. The rest of us whose Moms are gone are probably sitting here welling up with tears - I know I am.

Another Thank You From US!

We need to thank Ena and family of Southern NJ for their donation of baby girl clothing. Since they have been involved in the foster care system with Bethany Christian Services http://www.bethany.org/ for the past 25 years they truly understand the importance of a helping hand. They had extra items which she was more then happy to share with us. Since baby items are always a much needed we need to thank them twice as much. Thank you!! Thank you!!

A Thank for Us

From Peaches:

Here is a thank you from a single mom of 3 from Ocean County:

"Wow thank you for everything, we just went thru all and was very excited. We were able to get a lot of clothes that were needed. I do have somethings that we will return to you so they can be recycled".

More Thank You's From US!!

Thanks to Janice of Bordentown: thank you for the bag of little boy clothes, many of which were promptly added into a box that will be dropped literally down the street from where they came from. The turn around time in this circle of giving will be less then 36 hours after we received them. Can't do much better than that...thanks.

We also want to add a continued thanks to Deborah of Mount Laurel for not only donating many additional items ( most that were boxed up for people in need within 8 hours of receiving them) but also for helping to load the truck when I got there to pick up the items. That was very much appreciated.

A Thank You to Troy

We'd like to thank Troy of Collingswood for his donation of a bed set which was given to a single man that is starting fresh; a table set that will be going to a single mom who is finally able to rent her own place after living with friends for reasons of safety. Also for some clothing which will be shared with the Mexican men that are in need of clothing; two stools that will be given to a family in need and a wooden cabinet that will be used as a place to store cat supplies for both the inside and feral cats. Troy, we thank you very much for helping us to make a difference one person/ one situation at a time. Without donations from people such as yourself, we would never be able to improve the lives of others everyday. Thank you for being part of the solution ~