Thanks to the generosity of Livingston Philanthropies, Inc. (LPI) donors, the charity’s new van is on the road and officially “lettered” for the road. However, due to concerns about the novel Coronavirus, which may be transmitted through surface contact, LPI is temporarily suspending its collections of coats, clothing, and toiletries, etc., as of this Friday, March 13.
“Our new van will make one last pick-up at the Tribune for now,” said LPI founder and director, Jeff Friedman. “It was a tough call and not one we wanted to make. But, in consultation with our partner, the West Essex Tribune, to ensure the safety of everyone involved – our volunteers, our donors, and our recipients – we feel the best thing to do is to put a halt to the collection of all items for the time being. Hopefully, the virus will run its course and we can go back to collecting clothing and toiletries for the homeless and profoundly poor.”
Friedman added, “At least we made it through the coldest weather, and have delivered almost 2,000 coats at this point.”
Grateful for New Van
In the meantime, Friedman said, “We will keep our new van ready to ‘hit the road’ as soon as we can. This long-needed and vital resource was funded by family funds, individuals, friends, Haven Savings Bank, Henke Insurance Agency, Livingston Kiwanis, the Livingston Rotary, the Livingston Elks’ Lodge #1855, the West Essex Tribune, and Grace Lutheran Church’s Ladies’ Guild and Lutheran Women’s Mission. Major kudos go to generous businesses for offering big discounts and no-charge services in support of what we do at LPI.”
He continued, “Hats off to Bridget Beyer, dealer/principal at Beyer Ford in Morristown, who not only provided a bottom-line price, but also waived destination fees. Matt Lobello, owner/manager at FastSigns in East Hanover, stepped up with discounted pricing and skillful craftsmanship for the lettering. Finally, graphic design services were donated by LPI volunteer Patrick Corcoran, who is a talented and seasoned graphic designer.”
Monetary contributions to Livingston Philanthropies are accepted at paypal.me/lpinj and P.O. Box 247, Livingston, NJ 07039. All donations are tax deductible.
Photo: LPI volunteer Karen “Weenie” Friedman, who created the original LPI heart and hands logo design, is shown here behind the wheel. The van will make one last pick-up of donations at the Tribune before the Livingston-based charity suspends collections temporarily because of the coronavirus, which may be transmitted through surface contact.
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