Middlesex County, New Jersey, We Are Impacting Communities Organization (“WAICO”) and Impactful Women Association (“IWA”), a premiere women's networking association, team up with Jersey Cares to participate in its First Night Kit Program which assist local service agencies with toiletries. This joint effort is part of WAICO and IWA’s community initiatives to increase awareness regarding resources available within our communities. “IWA’s members are dedicated to supporting its communities and charities which is one of our core foundation principles,” stated Marisa Patawaran Tonnesen, IWA President.

Shirl David-Wynn, WAICO Founder, stated, “We are making a difference in our communities and have instituted the First Night Kit program as part of our ongoing outreach campaign to help make someone’s first night stay “a little easier.” Programs such as this are truly making a positive impact in our communities.”

The Jersey Cares First Night Kit Program consists of donated items assembled into packages and distributed to partnered service agencies such as domestic violence shelters, runaway safe havens, foster homes, transitional housing facilities, and other agencies in need of hygiene items for a resident’s “first night” stay. These kits include unopened toiletries, unworn and tagged pajamas and t-shirts, books, small toys, etc.

“When someone arrives on the doorstep of a local shelter, their lives have reached a point at which they often have none of the essentials that most of us take for granted. Women seeking refuge from abusive situations, victims of the economy whose search for income has been fruitless, children whose parents are in desperate circumstances and others in similar situations usually lack basic items such as toothpaste, moisturizer and hairbrushes. Generous volunteers like those of the We Are Impacting Organization help Jersey Cares to ease the pain of this difficult life transition and provide comfort to our neighbors who have never needed more to know that someone cares.” - Brian Dean, Executive Director, Jersey Cares.

About Jersey Cares
Jersey Cares works to meet compelling community needs by encouraging civic engagement. With local service agencies, corporations and civic-minded individuals as our partners, we link volunteers with meaningful service projects to improve and enhance our communities. Jersey Cares is an affiliate of the Hands on Network, an innovative alliance of volunteer catalysts throughout the world. For more information, please see www.jerseycares.org.

About We Are Impacting Communities Organization
We Are Impacting Communities Organization is an online community awareness initiative dedicated to supporting the members of our communities by providing resources for cancer patients and victims of domestic violence one "click at a time." For more information visit www.WeAreImpacting.Org or email Hope@WeAreImpacting.Org.

####