Despite the ongoing pandemic, the Edison Housing Authority (EHA) safely continued its tradition of more than two decades, providing hundreds of families in public housing with gifts and food for the upcoming holidays.
“This is an event that the community looks forward to experiencing every year,” Deborah Hurley, executive director of EHA, said in a statement provided by EHA.
On Dec. 18, EHA staff and volunteers from the tenant associations donned personal protective equipment while acting as Santa’s elves, giving out beautifully wrapped gifts and nutritious boxed meals to more than 170 families, according to the statement.
“This is always a special time of year for our staff, commissioners, and families, as we enjoy banding together to ensure the children living within the EHA experience a magical holiday season,” Hurley said in the statement.
Gift-wrapped toys were provided with support from Martin Luther King Elementary School; commissioners of the EHA; and Sgt. Donald Ship, Officer Jennifer Iorio and Officer Shirley Dong of the Edison Police Department.
“We truly could not have made Christmas extra-special without the Edison Police Department,” Hurley said in the statement.
Additionally, Edison council president Joyce Ship-Freeman donated gift cards for senior citizens living within the EHA, while Northfield Bank in Westfield held a toy drive to donate more than 50 toys to the EHA community.
“We truly appreciate the goodwill received by Northfield Bank, with the efforts of Ray Cruz, branch manager, and Kelly Cunha, assistant manager, as they have consistently been generous in their support of our community,” Carlos N. Sanchez, chairman of the Board of Commissioners at EHA, said in the statement.
Through a combination of public housing, mixed income housing, and rental assistance, EHA works to improve the lives of low-income residents of Edison while offering programs and workshops geared toward assisting residents to become financially sufficient.
To learn more about EHA, email Hurley at [email protected].