Youngsters dedicate time to helping those less fortunate
By: Lacey Korevec
To help the less fortunate, Cranbury Boy Scouts will scour the town on Nov. 11, collecting all kinds of things from people’s doorsteps.
In addition to collecting items for the First Presbyterian Church of Cranbury’s annual food drive, the Scouts will also pick up donated clothing and hygiene products to go to the Trenton Area Soup Kitchen, where they will be distributed to those in need.
Needed hygiene items include unused toothpaste, deodorant, shaving cream, shampoo, soap and razors, along with almost anything that can be found in a health and beauty isle of a shopping store, except medications, Scoutmaster John Kirkenir said.
The clothing and hygiene drive was started as an Eagle Scout project about five years ago and Mr. Kirkenir said the Scouts have continued doing it ever since. And since the items are collected at the same time the Scouts are already going door to door picking up food drive items, Mr. Kirkenir said it’s a convenient way to make a big difference.
"It’s no real big hardship to pick up the clothing and the hygiene items at the same time," he said.
The Scouts start early in the morning and separate into groups, which head out to different areas of the township. Mr. Kirkenir said a lot of Scouts come out for the project, so it doesn’t take as long as one would think.
"Generally, we get a pretty good turnout," he said. "And the town gets broken up to 10 or 12 different sections. We’re done easily by 1 p.m."
Mr. Kirkenir said there is a great need for clothing, and especially hygiene products, which many people don’t think to donate.
"The people at TASK, they get a lot of food donations from different groups and so forth, but they have a big need down there for winter clothing, boots, shoes and clothes and also for hygiene items," he said. "If they can get those items donated, it just helps people that need some help to have those hygiene items."
The Cub Scouts also have a big hand in the drive. They will be going door to door Saturday, dropping bags and fliers on every resident’s doorstep, asking them to fill the bags with donated items and leave them out before 9 a.m. Nov. 11 so that the Scouts can pick them up.
Cub Scoutmaster Jerry Yochelson said the Cub Scouts are happy to do the leg work.
"They’re very proud to do it and they’re very happy to do it," he said. "I try to get an opportunity to show as many of them as possible the collected contributions and the result of the drive that they start, they sort of get the ball rolling. I like to make sure they get a chance to see what has happened as a result of their going out the week before."
He said there is always a strong need out there for clothing, especially with the weather changing.
"Winter is coming, so people have need for things like coats and gloves and hats and so forth that they didn’t have need for over the last half a year or so," he said. "I think that’s one reason why this is a particularly appropriate part of the clothing drive."
The hygiene items collected are sorted at TASK and made into hygiene bags that are then given out to people there, Mr. Yochelson said.
"That’s just something that is always in need," he said. "And since we’re out there collecting other kind of contributions, it makes it convenient to collect the other things as well."

