POINT PLEASANT BEACH — The Kiwanis Club of Point Pleasant is holding two drives to ring in the new year this January to benefit several pillars of the community.
Kristen Fischer, secretary of the Kiwanis Club of Point Pleasant, explained the origins of both the Teachers’ Supply Closet and Valentines for Veterans collection drives, tying it to the broader mission of Kiwanis.
“A couple of our members said, ‘You know, kids really need supplies during the middle of the year;’ there’s a need there, and that’s not really filled as much because most school drives happen in August,” said Fischer.
“Kiwanis is supposed to help children specifically, so we had the idea for a drive in the middle of the (school) year,” she said. “This year, we’re doing drives on the same dates as Valentines for Veterans, and we’re stuffing supplies the same day as Valentine’s for Veterans; these will be given to schools in Point Borough and Beach.”
As for Valentines for Veterans, a donation drive which collects things like toiletries, clothing and sanitary items, 2025 is the fifth year Kiwanis Club of Point Pleasant has hosted the event.
“Every year we pick one or a few veterans’ organizations to give back to; even though our primary focus is children, a lot of our members — like anybody else — want to do what they can to help veterans and make sure we’re spreading that wealth and giving them what they need,” said Fischer.
“Sometimes,” she said, “it’s not just about what the organization should do. It’s about looking at the specific community needs, and we know that our veterans need and deserve as much support as possible.”
Fischer said that one significant goal of these sorts of donation drives, aside from the collection items themselves, is to make community service more widely accessible to everyone from kids to adults. On Feb. 15, community members who have registered will be able to swing by the Woman’s Club of Point Pleasant and prepare the donated items for distribution.
“We have paying members in our club and everything, but part of what we feel we should be doing for the community is giving them opportunities to volunteer, to make it accessible and easy, so you can just drive up with your family and say, ‘Hey, we’re going to pack some bags for an hour,’” she said.
For the Teachers’ Supply Closet, acceptable items for donation are: pencils, pens, crayons, markers, highlighters, index cards, paper, notebooks, folders, binders, dry-erase markers, disinfecting wipes, paper towels, tissues, hand sanitizer, reward toys and sports balls.
For the Teachers’ Supply Closet, dropoff points are Point Pleasant Beach Police Department, 416 New Jersey Ave.; She Shed Eatery, 606 Arnold Ave.; Wish Upon a Jar, 3128 Bridge Ave., Point Pleasant; and Divi Tree Coffee, 2615 Bridge Ave., Point Pleasant.
For Valentines for Veterans, acceptable items for donation are: mouthwash, toothpaste, toothbrushes, floss, cotton swabs, trimmers/clippers, razors, shaving gel/cream, deodorant, soap/body wash, lotion, feminine hygiene items, face soap/moisturizer, shampoo/conditioner, lip balm, laundry bags/sacks, gallon-size zipper bags, toiletry cases, hand sanitizer, wet wipes, combs/brushes, socks, T-shirts, underwear, hats, gloves, reusable water bottles and snack bars.
For Valentines for Veterans, dropoff points are Point Pleasant Beach Police Department, 416 New Jersey Ave.; Baron’s Bagels, 3003 Route 88, Point Pleasant; Paul Prendergast Karate, 950 Cedar Bridge Ave., Brick Township; Little Rascals Early Learning Academy, 567 Mantoloking Road, Suite E, Brick Township; Starbucks, 2150 Route 35, Sea Girt; Starbucks, 1919 Route 35, Wall Township; The Salty Whale, 390 E Main St., Manasquan; and Epic Gymnastics, 2351 Route 34, Manasquan.
Items for both drives can be dropped off at the locations between Saturday, Jan. 4 and Friday, Jan. 31.
Those interested can also volunteer preparing donations at the Woman’s Club of Point Pleasant, located at 513 St. Louis Ave., on Saturday, Feb. 15. Volunteers can register by Feb. 7 at pointpleasantkiwanis.org/closet.
To learn more about Kiwanis Club of Point Pleasant, donate or purchase the club’s local coupon book, visit pointpleasantkiwanis.org.
 6x10 4c.jpg)
