For 25 years, a former Monroe woman has been doing her part to help hundreds of families during the Christmas season by dropping off gifts at the doorsteps of families who, for many different reasons, cannot afford to buy presents for their loved ones.
"I found people to help," Marie Alfano said about the first organization she founded while still living in Staten Island, N.Y. Alfano, who moved to Monroe before recently relocating to Ocean County, originally created Children at Heart, a nonprofit organization aimed at helping families during the holiday season by offering them gifts donated by residents and businesses in the Middlesex County area, where she concentrates her efforts.
"I help terminally ill kids and families in crisis," Alfano said. "The crisis could be that the family’s health insurance ran out because of the illness or there was a recent death in the family."
"Right now," Alfano continued, "I’m helping a Toms River [Ocean County] woman who is terminally ill. I’m helping the kids with the Christmas gifts. The family’s health insurance is tapped out."
Alfano merged her charitable organization with a similar type of group a few years after moving to Monroe.
"In the 1980s, I took over Joining Hands," Alfano said. "I decided to keep the name. I took it over from a woman who was struggling to keep it together. It’s hard to do fund raising and keep a full-time job at the same time," said Alfano, who is currently the director of nursing at Somerville Assisted Living in Manahawkin, Ocean County.
"I have contacts in hospitals and hospices," Alfano said. "I talk to doctors and other nurses. Through these people, I’m given the names of families and persons who need assistance."
Alfano attributes much of her ability to help to a handful of men and women who have spread the word about Joining Hands.
"[State] Sen. Jack Sinagra (R-18), former [U.S.] Sen. Bill Bradley, Mayor Richard Pucci of Monroe, and Mayor Barry Zagnit of Spotswood are some of the members on the Board of Trustees of Joining Hands," Alfano said. "They lend support and lend credence to who I am as a person."
Alfano also receives assistance from Monroe Village residents. She worked as a registered nurse for the continuing care community when she first moved to New Jersey and continues to receive toy donations from both its residents and staff members.
"Right now, my toy box is full and it’s only been up for four days," Alfano said Monday about Monroe Village, which is one of her many drop-off points for donated toys. While Alfano gets assistance from Village Facilitator Dawn Hanvey, who helps Alfano by wrapping donated gifts, Alfano does most of the toy deliveries herself.
Last week, Alfano began to deliver gifts to families as well as to various hospices, homeless shelters and anywhere else she feels there are those in need.
While Alfano has already started to deliver gifts, she said she tries to seek help from friends, local churches and colleagues as Christmas approaches.
"Usually, it’s me and whomever else I can find to help me deliver the toys," Alfano said. "What I do is sometimes on a wing and a prayer. I don’t ask anyone to keep my schedule because some of the things I do are in the wee hours of the night. That’s why I don’t try to solicit volunteers," Alfano said.
For more information, call (732) 257-2219 or write to P.O. Box 6636, East Brunswick, 08816.

