Seasonal Projects
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CUMAC runs seasonal projects throughout the year to aid and support Paterson's most needy community members. Discover how you might get involved with current initiatives — or even start your own!
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CUMAC's seasonal projects include our school supply drive, meal-packaging events, special food collections for Thanksgiving, and a Holiday Wish List program to provide gifts to children in need. Businesses, schools, community organizations and faith-based groups also host projects to benefit CUMAC throughout the year, including concerts, food drives, competitions and events. Every project and event provides vital support to our programs. To learn how you can start a CUMAC project of your own contact us or visit our Hold an Event page. To see our upcoming events visit our What's Happening page.
A Touching Story from Holiday Wishlist
The gifts donors give to the children in CUMAC’s Wish List program are typically the only presents these kids get during the holidays. Each year after Wish List we ask the shelters and programs whose children receive gifts for stories and photos. Among the most moving stories was one about a teenage girl who had lost both parents to drug addiction. She became a surrogate mother and father to a brood of younger siblings. At 16 years old, an age where most girls' most pressing concerns are finding the proper shade of lip gloss and memorizing the lyrics to their favorite boy band tunes, this young woman became responsible for the health, safety and care of 4 children. Through no fault of her own, carefree youth was swallowed up by grief for the loss of her parents and the worry and stress of becoming a de facto guardian. Her holiday wish was a flat iron for her hair. She didn’t think she would receive one as it was a pricey request, but when she opened her gift on Christmas morning; there it was. Something that showed her someone cared. The program director looked at her wide eyed smile and saw, in that moment, something she had never seen in that girl before; a happy child. Even if that moment was fleeting, it’s the best gift one can hope to give this holiday season.
Please contact us if you or your group has an idea to start a new initiative to benefit CUMAC.
A Touching Story from Holiday Wishlist
The gifts donors give to the children in CUMAC’s Wish List program are typically the only presents these kids get during the holidays. Each year after Wish List we ask the shelters and programs whose children receive gifts for stories and photos. Among the most moving stories was one about a teenage girl who had lost both parents to drug addiction. She became a surrogate mother and father to a brood of younger siblings. At 16 years old, an age where most girls' most pressing concerns are finding the proper shade of lip gloss and memorizing the lyrics to their favorite boy band tunes, this young woman became responsible for the health, safety and care of 4 children. Through no fault of her own, carefree youth was swallowed up by grief for the loss of her parents and the worry and stress of becoming a de facto guardian. Her holiday wish was a flat iron for her hair. She didn’t think she would receive one as it was a pricey request, but when she opened her gift on Christmas morning; there it was. Something that showed her someone cared. The program director looked at her wide eyed smile and saw, in that moment, something she had never seen in that girl before; a happy child. Even if that moment was fleeting, it’s the best gift one can hope to give this holiday season.
Please contact us if you or your group has an idea to start a new initiative to benefit CUMAC.