Photo Courtesy of Elizabeth Roldan The Cheer Me Up Foundation put together more than 600 Thanksgiving baskets as part of their Turkey Basket Brigade.
Thanks to The Cheer Me Up Foundation, more than 600 families in New Jersey had a happier Thanksgiving.
The Cheer Me Up Foundation is a nonprofit organization that financially aids sick and underprivileged children up to the age of 18. Each Thanksgiving, their Turkey Basket Brigade reaches hundreds of needy families—and the number keeps growing each year.
Executive Director, Elizabeth Roldan came onboard with The Cheer Me Up Foundation 15 years ago. At the time, they gave out 300 Thanksgiving baskets, and now that number has doubled. This year 630 baskets were distributed to 50 different organizations.
“There’s a lot that goes into those baskets,” said Roldan. She explained that 50 high school students from Nutley and Belleville, along with adult volunteers work together to assemble the baskets.
The baskets contain items such as a cookie tin, mixed nuts, sparkling apple cider, cheese and crackers, pepperoni, instant mashed potatoes, pumpkin pie, cranberry sauce, a frozen turkey and a pan so they can have something to cook the turkey in.
Volunteers start out a few days before Thanksgiving. Food is ordered from Brookdale Shop Rite. They pull up and unload the food. The volunteers put it all together and they are done in two hours.
“Everything fits perfectly,” said Roldan.
The baskets are distributed each year to organizations including special needs schools, religious organizations, and veteran’s organizations. There’s also a teacher who comes every year for six families. “As a teacher in the school, he sees families in a dire situation,” said Roldan.
Though the government recently reopened, the shutdown was a big concern for families, producing economic uncertainty, Roldan said.
“This is such a critical year,” she said.
The Cheer Me Up Foundation was founded by Joe Maurillo who serves as the president.
Roldan said that there was a time when Maurillo’s daughter was sick and so he spent a lot of time in the hospital.
She was there during the Holiday Season at one point and he found it heartbreaking to see so many children that had no visitors, and virtually no holiday joy to speak of. Back at work, he and a colleague spoke to friends and co- workers, and were determined to make a special holiday for those children.
That year, in 1994, Cheer Me Up was born. They bought gifts, donned Santa and elf suits, and visited the pediatric ward of Children’s Hospital in Newark.
“Seeing all the children in the ward, he was inspired to bring Christmas to them,” said Roldan.
Working for The Cheer Me Up Foundation is very rewarding for Roldan. She started out as Maurillo’s personal assistant and then naturally began taking on more responsibilities.
In addition to the Turkey Basket Brigade, The Cheer Me Up foundation has other events throughout the year, including a Christmas party which hosts more than 250 children and their families every year. The festivities include a full holiday meal, a present for each child, a personal Santa visit, face painting, music, dancing, and special guests like Batman, Spiderman, Mickey and Minnie Mouse, and Sponge Bob.
The Cheer Me Up Foundation serves primarily Essex, Passaic, Morris, and Bergen counties.
To learn more about The Cheer Me Up Foundation, visit: https://cheermeupfoundation.org/
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