Santa Claus Shop Preps for the Holiday

The Santa Claus Shop, which relies solely on donations and volunteers, will soon open its doors to provide its 55th consecutive year of complimentary holiday shopping.

Families will be offered shopping hours by invitation only during the first week of December at Summit’s St. John’s Lutheran Church.

Last year, organizers had to rethink the event due to the pandemic, and the same format will be followed this year. Gift cards and gifts will be distributed, and holiday baskets will be delivered to local seniors.

This year’s Santa Claus Shop is chaired by Summit residents Elaine Chong, Nev DePetrillo, Celia O’Rourke and Teal Rodriguez, and co-chaired by Sarah Fitzsimmons, Kristen Goldman, Kiera Mathey and Katie Mucci.

The chairwomen are asking members of the community to consider donations to help them keep the holiday spirit alive for local residents in need. Checks payable to SHIP with “Santa Claus Shop” noted on the memo line may be mailed to Santa Claus Shop, PO Box 119, Summit 07902-0119. Online contributions can be completed on the group’s website, summitsantaclausshop.com.

PREPPING FOR SANTA’S ARRIVAL -- Chairing this year’s Santa Claus Shop are Nev DiPetrillo, Teal Rodriguez, Elaine Chong and Celia O’Rourke.

MEALS ON WHEELS PROGRAM DELIVERS MORE THAN JUST A MEAL

SAGE Eldercare’s Meals on Wheels volunteer Lorelei Burns describes herself as “lousy at relaxing.”

A resident of Summit for 33 years, Ms. Burns has volunteered since 2015. What inspires this high energy woman to deliver meals two days each week, year after year? Simple, she said, it’s the meaningful relationships she has with her clients and the SAGE staff.

A former ATT executive who said she appreciates competence and structure, Ms. Burns said she feels at home with the Meals on Wheels team. “I like organizations that are successful, well-managed and get things done,” she commented.

She praised SAGE for its timely response to the pandemic, and noted, “They didn’t close their doors. They didn’t stop doing business. The rules and procedures they put in place to keep the operation running were impressive.”

The most challenging parts of being a volunteer, she said, are the losses, whether it is saying farewell to an elderly client who has died or delivering food to a client who has lost a spouse. A widow herself, Ms. Burns can empathize with their feelings of loss. Yet even with sadness, she said, the visits are positive and so necessary, as many of the meal recipients have no other daily visitors other than their volunteer. While the food is vital, “it is the visit that counts,” she explained.

The passion Ms. Burns has for giving and helping extends beyond Meals on Wheels. She is active at the Newark Museum and North Star Academy, and has a shop at Covenant House, which provides clothes to homeless children.

Referring to SAGE, she said with modesty, “I am nothing more than a volunteer -- I have no desire to be retired.” For her, she said, SAGE represents “friends, food and home.” The relationship she has with the non-profit is mutually beneficial. She said, “This is my home.”

For information about Meals on Wheels, call 908-273-5554.

Lorelei Burns