Zone 16
No. 14 Vol. 2
New View Media Group • 1-800-691-7549
January 30, 2018
Pompton Plains Woman Organizes Toy Drive For Children Of Puerto Rico
A
By Dawn M Chiossi toy drive recently held brought smiles to the faces of children of Hurricane-battered Puerto Rico this holiday season to celebrate the Feast of the 3 Kings held earlier this month. Pompton Plains resident and Red Cross volunteer in training, Teresa Kulesa, in conjunction with San Juan Calvary Church of The Nazarene in San Juan Puerto Rico, organized the toy drive. Going a step further, Kulesa traveled to Puerto Rico personally to participate in it, because she was concerned with the area’s widespread destruction from Hurricane Maria and “she wanted to do something for the children.” Kulesa, the church, and countless volunteers distributed more than 600 toys to children of all ages and raised $3,270. The Feast of the 3 Kings is also called Epiphany and is celebrated 12 days after Christmas on Jan. 6. It is the time when Christians remember the Wise Men, also sometimes called the 3 Kings, when they brought gifts to the Baby Jesus. In Puerto Rico, the Feast of the 3 Kings is one of the most important days on their calendar, an intricate part of Puerto Rican Folklore. Many celebrate the holiday with an enthusiasm comparable to Christmas. Commonly referred to as Dia de Los Tres
Everything I List Turns To Kinnelon/Butler Regional Office 1450 Route 23 N, Butler 973.838.9300
Hi. I’m
Laura R. Bellini Sales Associate / Realtor
Consistent Top Producer Cell: 973.650.2357 LauraBelliniRealtor@gmail.com ©2017 Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage. All Rights Reserved. Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage fully supports the principle of the Fair Housing Act and the Equal Opportunity Act. Operated by a subsidiary of NRT LLC. Coldwell Banker® and the Coldwell Banker logo are registered service marks owned by Coldwell Banker Real Estate LLC.
Reyes Magos, the Feast of the 3 Kings is considered a spiritual holiday representing the birth of Christ. It is a time of celebration. Despite Puerto Rico’s recent challenges, the spirit of the holiday shone brightly. “The toy drive was a great success!” Kulesa enthuses. Stating that she became involved with San Juan Calvary Church of the Nazarene through the Red Cross, Kulesa collected money from various organizations, individuals, and businesses, “anyone and everyone I could think of,” she says. People gave generously, such as the Rotary club of Pequannock which gave approximately $550.
“So many people contributed that it was too much to count,” she says gratefully, “So many generous people that made it all possible.” Using her frequent flyer miles, Kulesa traveled to Puerto Rico and was immediately welcomed by the people there, including Rev Mariel Lopez who graciously put her up even though Lopez and her family still did not have electricity or water. Kulesa describes that she, the church, and the rest of the volunteers, traveled through the mountains for three separate days to several towns to give out toys. Unfortunately, some locations were not feasible to travel to as bridges were still decontinued on page 2