Care Packages
COMMUNITY supports folks in need of a variety of care packages by providing tangible and intangible support.
Care Package Counter: 12,211
- Chemo Care Packages: We support patients undergoing rigorous chemotherapy sessions by providing them with care packages including snacks, activities, toiletries, and more.
- Hospital Care Packages: We support patients and their families by providing them with care packages including snacks, activities, toiletries, and more.
- Hygiene Kits: We provide numerous groups with hygiene kits including necessary toiletries and hygiene items, snacks, and activities.
- Infant Care Packages: We provide new mothers with key essential baby items including clothing, diapers, wipes, bottles, and more.
- Migrant Workers' Care Packages: Every summer, South Jersey hosts ~6,000 migrant workers during the blueberry harvest from mid-June through late July. About 1,600 of these workers are of Haitian descent, many of them traveling here by bus from their homes in southern Florida. About 4,400 Hispanic workers travel from Mexico, Central America, and other states within the US.Teens and adults work tirelessly in the fields, in the heat of the day, seven days a week, to help deliver fresh berries to our tables. School-aged children attend a migrant education program five days a week. There is a separate migrant education program in the evenings, for youth up through age 21. A few of the younger adults are enrolled in college and are working during the summer to help pay their tuition. To learn more, visit Migrant Worker Outreach (MWO).
Additionally, The Gloucester County Special Services School District (GCSSSD) works with the children of migrant farm workers throughout the summer months. Participating students receive daily classroom instruction, transportation, enrichment activities, nutritious meals, and extensive health and support services. After-school camp care is also offered and features daily swimming and water safety instruction, as well as boating, horseback riding, arts and crafts, and other sports and games.
2023
January: Throughout the month of January, students and families of the Cherry Hill school districted donated over 1,730 completed hygiene kits, which were distributed to several organizations in our local communities - Bridgeton Salvation Army, Ethel Lawrence, Fishers of Men Street Ministry, GCLEA, and Joseph's House of Camden.
February: 50 hospital care packages were donated to Virtua in Camden.
April: 68 hygiene kits were donated to Joseph's House of Camden and others in Camden.
May: Volunteers gathered in Mount Laurel to assemble 500 care packages for migrant workers in South Jersey. Items provided to migrant workers included: bandanas, washcloths, hygiene necessities, first aid kits, clothespins, and candies. Our efficient volunteers then went on to assemble 100 bagged lunches with bagels and cream cheese for Joseph's House of Camden.
October: Volunteers gathered in Mount Laurel to assemble 100 hospital care packages for Virtua Camden and Willingboro. The group also filled 100 goodie bags with candies and completed 42 no-sew fleece blankets for United Methodist Church in PA and Joseph's House of Camden.
2022
January: We had a very productive MLK Day of Service at CSJP. Over 80 volunteers showed up over the span of 2 hours to assemble 100 care packages for patients of Cherry Hill Free Clinic, assemble 44 no sew fleece blankets, and fill 158 adult and kids socks with goodies. Simultaneously, ZZ Dance was hard at work assembling over 350 bagged lunches for Joseph's House of Camden! They also collected snacks, water, fruit, granola bars, juice, water, nuts, trail mix, and more!
Throughout the month of January, students and families of the Cherry Hill school districted donated over 1,650 completed hygiene kits, which were distributed to several organizations in our local communities - CASA, Ethel Lawrence, Families Forward, Jewish Family and Children Services, Joseph's House of Camden, My Passion for Christ Ministries, Pathways to Housing, Ronald McDonald House, The Extended Hand Mminstry, United Methodist Church, Weisman Children's Rehab Hospital, and Youth Services, Inc.
Throughout the month of January, students and families of the Cherry Hill school districted donated over 1,650 completed hygiene kits, which were distributed to several organizations in our local communities - CASA, Ethel Lawrence, Families Forward, Jewish Family and Children Services, Joseph's House of Camden, My Passion for Christ Ministries, Pathways to Housing, Ronald McDonald House, The Extended Hand Mminstry, United Methodist Church, Weisman Children's Rehab Hospital, and Youth Services, Inc.
March - April: We continued our care package train remotely, with generous volunteers completing care packages at home for distribution to organizations locally. In March, we provided 430 hygiene kits to Fishers of Men Street Ministry and Ethel Lawrence. In April, we provided 222 hygiene kits to Fishers of Men Street Ministry and others in Camden.
May: Volunteers gathered in Mount Laurel to asseble 1,000 care packages for migrant workers in South Jersey. Items provided to migrant workers included: bandanas, washcloths, hygiene necessities, first aid kits, clothespins, and candies.
July: Volunteers worked together in Mount Laurel to assemble 200 care packages for hospitalized patients and those undergoing chemotherapy, as well as 240 feminine hygiene care packages. Recipients of the care packages included: Virtua in Willingboro, Virtua/Penn Medicine in Voorhees, and Anna M Sample House.
October: We continued our care package train remotely, with generous volunteers completing care packages at home for distribution to organizations locally. In October, we provided 305 hygiene kits to Families Forward and Pathways to Housing.
2021
May: Over a span of 5 hours, more than 115 volunteers participated in our Family Day of Service on Sunday, May 23. Our amazing volunteers were not sidelined by the blazing sun. With their help and dedication, we assembled and distributed 1,000 migrant worker care packages to Migrant Worker Outreach of South Jersey and 463 hygiene kits to Joseph's House of Camden!
July: 1,167 hygiene kits including toiletries, hygiene items, snacks, cards, personalized notes, and more were assembled in record time at Laurel House in Mount Laurel, NJ by close to 50 volunteers. It felt good to have an in-person event again with our amazing volunteers! Hygiene kits were distributed to Ronald McDonald House of Southern New Jersey.
August: We asked- and our volunteers jumped into action in record time. A large carload of items was dropped off at Fort Dix for the new Afghan arrivals. Countless pairs of socks and underwear for all ages, diapers, soap, deodorant, head scarves, feminine hygiene products, and other essentials were delivered to volunteers at the ministry at the base. Thank you to everyone who quickly got these contributions together!!
December: Infant care items were donated just in time for the Southwest Family Social Services Christmas gift event. We Donated: Diapers, wipes, lotions, soaps, books, blankets, bibs, towels, pacifiers, teethers, and other miscellaneous baby items.
2020
May: Due to the pandemic, CSJP was unable to invite our dedicated volunteers to assist with our annual Migrant Worker Care Packages. However, due to many generous donors, we were able to provide 1,000 care packages to migrant farm workers and their families. MWO distributed the items in early June, when the workers arrived by bus to begin the blueberry harvest.
October: 238 hygiene kits including toiletries, hygiene items, snacks, cards, personalized notes, and more were assembled in the backyard of a board member on a crisp fall morning. Hygiene kits were distributed to folks in Camden and Pathways to Housing in Philadelphia.
2019
March: With the help of over 50 volunteers, 160 care packages and 13 no-sew fleece blankets were assembled in record time! 100 hygiene kits including toiletries, hygiene items, snacks, cards, personalized notes, and more were assembled. Hygiene kits were distributed to CASA of Cumberland serving foster children in Gloucester and Salem counties, as well as to youth in need in Philadelphia through Youth Service, Inc. 60 care packages including toiletries, snacks, activity books, personalized notes, and more were assembled for cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy. The care packages, along with 40 blanket and hat sets, were donated to Penn Hematology/Oncology and Virtua's Infusion Center in Voorhees.
April: 50 care packages including toiletries, snacks, activity books, personalized notes, and more were assembled for hospitalized patients and their families at Lourdes Hospitals.
May: With the help of volunteers and donors, COMMUNITY, Comcast, and MWO assembled 515 care packages for migrant farm workers and their families. We are so grateful to Comcast for partnering with us on Comcast Cares Day to co-host this event! MWO distributed the items in early June, when the workers arrived by bus to begin the blueberry harvest.
June: 50 care packages including toiletries, snacks, activity books, personalized notes, and more were assembled for hospitalized patients and their families at Lourdes Hospitals.
July: 100 hygiene kits including toiletries, hygiene items, snacks, cards, personalized notes, and more were assembled over the span of 2 hours. Hygiene kits were distributed to Center for Family Services - Services Empowering Rights of Victims (SERV) serving victims of domestic violence, sexual violence, and sex trafficking, as well as to youth in need in Philadelphia through Youth Service, Inc. 50 infant care packages including diapers, clothing, bottles, personalized notes, and more were assembled for new mothers in need at Virtua Hospital in Voorhees, NJ and Mount Holly, NJ.
September: With the help of over 50 volunteers, 110 care packages were assembled! The packages included toiletries, snacks, activity books, personalized notes, and more. 60 were distributed to cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy at Penn Hematology/Oncology and Virtua's Infusion Center in Voorhees and 50 were distributed to hospitalized patients and their families at Virtua hospitals.
October: With the help of over 25 volunteers, 50 infant care packages including diapers, wipes, baby essentials, personalized notes, and more were assembled for new mothers in need at Virtua Hospital in Voorhees, NJ and Mount Holly, NJ. A special shout out to the eager kids who wanted to help in any way they could!
2018
February: 50 care packages including toiletries, snacks, activity books, personalized notes, and more were assembled and will be distributed to hospitalized patients and their families at Lourdes Hospitals.
March: 50 care packages including toiletries, snacks, activity books, personalized notes, and more were distributed to hospitalized patients and their families at Lourdes Hospitals.
May: With the help of volunteers and donors, COMMUNITY SJP and MWO assembled 300 care packages for migrant farm workers and their families. We are so grateful for our donors and volunteers--many of whom were fasting--for spending their Saturday afternoon assembling first aid kits, scooping laundry detergent, assembling snack packs, and so much more! MWO distributed the items in early June, when the workers arrived by bus to begin the blueberry harvest.
September: 63 care packages including toiletries, snacks, activity books, personalized notes, and more were assembled for cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy. 50 infant care packages including diapers, clothing, bottles, personalized notes, and more were assembled for new mothers in need. Both sets of care packages will be distributed at Virtua Hospital in Voorhees, NJ.
October: 50 care packages including toiletries, snacks, activity books, personalized notes, and more were assembled for hospitalized patients and their families at Lourdes Hospitals by the residents of Artis Senior Living of Evesham.
December: 100 hygiene kits including toiletries, hygiene items, snacks, cards, personalized notes, and more were assembled over the span of 2 hours. Hygiene kits were distributed to CASA of Cumberland serving foster children in Gloucester and Salem counties, as well as to families in need in Camden through Joseph's House of Camden and Cherry Hill through JFCS of Southern New Jersey.
December: 100 hygiene kits including toiletries, hygiene items, snacks, cards, personalized notes, and more were assembled over the span of 2 hours. Hygiene kits were distributed to CASA of Cumberland serving foster children in Gloucester and Salem counties, as well as to families in need in Camden through Joseph's House of Camden and Cherry Hill through JFCS of Southern New Jersey.
2017
May: With the help of volunteers and donors, COMMUNITY and MWO assembled 300 care packages and collected several dozen new bandanas and socks for migrant farm workers and their families. Care packages consisted of detergents, mini-first aid packs, toiletries, and much more! MWO distributed the items in early June, when the workers arrived by bus to begin the blueberry harvest.
August: 50 care packages including toiletries, snacks, activity books, personalized notes, and more were assembled and distributed to hospitalized patients and their families at LourdesCare in Cherry Hill. A huge thank you to LourdesCare for allowing us use of their conference room for this event!
November was a busy month for the volunteers of COMMUNITY SJP!
We kicked off the month by distributing 50 care packages to hospitalized patients and their families. 30 care packages were distributed to patients of 5 nursing units at Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital in Camden, NJ on 11/6/17, and 20 care packages were distributed to patients of 4 nursing units at Lourdes Medical Center of Burlington County in Willingboro, NJ on 11/13/17.
The volunteers put a smile on the faces of 50 patients, when a knock on their door surprised them with warm-smiled volunteers who offered a bag of treats and supplies. These care packages aimed to provide comfort and ease during their time of illness and hospitalization. A big thank you to the fantastic nursing staff of all 9 units for their help in successfully delivering all 50 care packages. The distributions would not have been possible without everyone’s dedication and willingness to help.
The contents of the packages were supplied by the Lourdes Marketing Department and by generous COMMUNITY SJP! donors. The packages were assembled by COMMUNITY SJP volunteers earlier this year. Contents included: toiletries, snacks, activity books, personalized notes, and more.
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48 care packages including baby toiletries, spoons, breast feeding kits, diapers, clothing, and more were simultaneously assembled for new mothers in need. These care packages were distributed to mothers with new babies at Virtua Women's Center.
A huge thank you to LourdesCare for allowing us use of their conference room for this event!
2016
November: About 15 volunteers assembled and distributed welcome bags for 21 local refugee families. Each bag included a welcome letter, a gift card to a grocery store, a variety of household cleaning supplies, toiletries, and nonperishable food items, as well as toys for children.