It’s the most wonderful time of the year, and as we continue through this holiday season, we wanted to reflect on some matters that are regularly brought up around this time.
It is well worth a reminder to drive safely this holiday season. As a deterrent to dissuade drunk driving, police departments statewide are expected to once again add extra enforcement on the roads through New Year’s Day as part of the annual Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over campaign. This holiday season, make smart choices, and make sure those around you are doing the same. Sometimes we have to make others’ choices for them, which may cause some friction, but is well worth it in the end.
While we applaud the state and our local police officers for their efforts, they are not the only ones responsible for keeping our roads and families out of harm’s way. We are all responsible for our own actions. So, please, plan a safe, sober ride home before heading out this December and every day after. We have much to celebrate in town, but anyone who chooses to drink should remember to do so responsibly. Drinking or not, everyone should be extra careful on the roadways and practice defensive driving, because you never know with whom you will share the street.
We are always thrilled to see our already magnanimous community give even more come the holiday season, but as we approach the New Year, let us not lose that generous spirit. Inflation has hit many people hard, both in Livingston and in Essex County. So, in the cold winter months ahead, do not forget that your donations will continue to be needed, as contributions to charitable groups and organizations tend to fall off dramatically after the holidays end. So if you are able, try to give a little more in the coming months. If you want to give locally, consider Livingston Philanthropies, Inc. (LPI) or Livingston Neighbors Helping Neighbors (LNHN), to name just a few of the town’s great organizations.
LPI is a charity founded by long-time Livingston resident (and occasional Tribune contributor) Jeff Friedman. Jeff grew up in Livingston and has lived here all his life. He worked for many years as a television producer. In his retirement, he established a winter coat drive, collecting gently used coats from Livingston residents for distribution to the poor of Essex County, of whom there are many. The Tribune helped publicize his efforts, and eventually became a drop-off point for coats to make donating easier.
In the dozen or so years since then, Friedman’s coat drive grew exponentially. Thanks to the generosity of the Livingston community, he began collecting other items, including toiletries, clothing, and school supplies, which are distributed through partner agencies in Newark and the Oranges. His operation grew to the point that he named it Livingston Philanthropies, and incorporated it as a 501(c)(3) non-profit corporation, under the umbrella of Livingston’s Healthy Community/Healthy Youth (HC/HY) initiative.
Although the pandemic put an end to much of the collection of physical items – including drop-offs at the Tribune office – LPI continues to collect items that have been to the cleaners, and funds to buy new items. The current economy makes LPI a vital lifeline to those living below the poverty line just miles from our comfy hometown. Those who would like to support this charity may email Jeff at [email protected] or make a tax-deductible contribution directly at paypal.me/njhomeless.
LNHN, which serves as a support for Livingston residents who are struggling with unexpected financial hardships, has helped Livingston families with fresh produce, grocery gift cards, emergency assistance, non-perishables, and paper goods through the LNHN pantry, which is located in town hall. LNHN is currently serving over 40 families, and additional families are served through St. Philomena’s pantry, with which LNHN shares food; LNHN also shares excess food with Newark-based soup kitchens and pantries.
LNHN’s families are screened by the township’s welfare and human services department to confirm need and identify existing resources that may be of assistance. For more information on LNHN, contact acting human services coordinator Cori Chiarolanzio at 973535-7961, extension 7102, or email LNHN directly at [email protected].
This is our final editorial of the year (don’t worry, you’re still getting a paper the next two weeks), so we wanted to take the opportunity to wish our readers well. Thank you so much for your support through the years; it means the world to us here at the Tribune. It will be especially important to us as we continue on our transition to a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit newspaper, which enables us to accept tax-deductible donations to support the paper. Please consider making a contribution, which may be done at newsweneed. org/a-new-era-livingston or by mailing a check to the Corporation for New Jersey Local Media (CNJLM) with “West Essex Tribune” in the memo line to P.O. Box 2031, Morristown, NJ 07962.
Have a safe and happy rest of the holiday season, and we will see you in 2025, ready, as always, to get to work covering the town we love.
