MANVILLE, N.J. (PIX11) - A Christmas tree looks beautiful when it's fully decked out. But this is a giving tree where each ornament represents a Christmas wish from a child in need. For that reason, a giving tree would love to be empty. But inside the Manville Public Library, the town's Mustang Giving Tree is still full just days before Christmas.
"It's been very successful in the past," said Stephanie Cornelson of the Manville Municipal Alliance. "This year, unfortunately for some reason, we still have a lot of tags left."
This year, organizers fear the tree was somehow overlooked.
"Maybe there's just more families this year than there has been in the past," said Cornelson. "People were hit hard by COVID in the past. The floods affect our town, I know some people don't even have their homes back. That's all I can think of because we have a great town, people are very generous and very willing to donate their money and time toward those in need in this town."
The Alliance is hoping for a Christmas miracle: for the community to come in and make sure every tag on the tree is gone by Monday.
"That would be a Christmas present for our town," said Cornelson. "I actually just got chills thinking that might happen."
In the small Somerset County borough, Alliance members say there are families going through tough times.
"They work hard and sometimes it's hard to make ends meet," said Mario Abbruzzese, a member of the Alliance and a volunteer firefighter. "I think the community should just come together and we should take care of this. It only takes a little bit, 25 bucks, 35 bucks, and you could take care of a kid for Christmas."
If you live in town and are willing and able to help, you can take a tag and bring the tag's item or gift card to the library's front desk by noon on Monday. If you live out of town but still want to help, you may get in touch with Stephanie Cornelson or call Borough Hall at (908) 725-9478.
