Some people call Barbara Hojnowski “Santa’s Little Helper” because for nine years she has been part of a group of cancer survivors who insist on making sure that needy kids in various parts of the state get toys and other items they need for Christmas.
Working out of an office of the 27th Street branch of Bayonne Community Bank, Hojnowski has honed the operations to get the right toys to the right group of kids.
With the help of BCB staff and other volunteers, Hojnowski has set up a circle of tables, each posted with an age group and whether a gift is for a boy or a girl.
The group tries to provide an age-appropriate gift to each child they visit.
While preparations for the collecting of gifts start in the early fall, planning goes on year round, and deliveries start early in December, often responding to specific requests made by staff at the hospitals the group serves.
“We started with one or two hospitals, and now we’re up to seven.” – Barbara Hojnowski
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The Community Cancer Support Group collects things to distribute to kids who are battling cancer and is always looking for volunteers to donate goods or good cheer, and to let families know that others care for them and that they are not alone in their struggle.
Currently, the group delivers gifts to kids at Beth Israel Medical Center, Hackensack University Hospital, Robert-Wood Johnson University Hospital, Morristown Memorial Hospital, Overlook Hospital, and St. Joseph’s Hospital, as well as the pediatric ward, the Emergency Room, the family clinic, and the Busy Bee program for autistic kids at Bayonne Medical Center.
Because the demand is so great at Hackensack, they deliver gifts there on St. Patrick’s Day.
“Many people want to do something to preserve the memory of a loved one,” she said.
Started in 2001
Hojnowski didn’t start the annual tradition. A man named George Strydio – who was instrumental in bringing together a number of cancer support groups about 10 years ago – did.
The original idea behind the Community Cancer Support Group, she said, was to bring together diverse groups that would provide more support for those struck by cancer and its aftermath.
“After a while, he thought we ought to do something as a group,” Hojnowski said.
So early in September 2001, the group got together to plan the collection and distribution of gifts for kids, starting out with Bayonne Medical Center, where they continue to deliver goods to various programs, including the Busy Bee program. But now they also go to a number of other hospitals seeking to spread good cheer.
“We started out small, but it’s really taken off,” Hojnowski said as she gathered some dolls for delivery to her first stop of the season, Beth Israel Hospital in Newark, selecting items kids might need or want.
She said St. Joseph’s Medical Center in Paterson is another hospital that serves a very needy population.
The group expects that with the recent purchase of the former Hoboken University Medical Center by a group from Bayonne Medical Center, they will also be delivering there next year.
“Some people think that all of Hoboken is rich,” Hojnowski said. “But there are plenty of kids there who are in need.”
Donations come from many places
Donations of gifts come from a variety of sources, thoughout most of them come from placing boxes in the lobbies of banking institutions through the city, local bars, Bayonne City Hall, the Bayonne Medical Center, the Bayonne Public Library, ATA Karate School, and some of the public schools.
Some of the items the group seeks are arts and crafts items, hand-held video games, clothing (such as sweaters, scarves, hats and gloves, pajamas, and socks), sporting goods, board games, and gift cards.
She said that most of the donations are for 5 to 10 year olds, so that the group often has to purchase gift cards to handle the other ages.
One of the more remarkable donations came from an elderly couple from White House Station, N.J. The wife died earlier this year, but the daughter completed the Christmas gift donation items left undone, and the husband brought them to Bayonne in memory of his wife.
“It was the first time he left his house since his wife died,” Hojnowski said. “He felt he needed to do something.”
Santa’s other little helpers
Although she has dozens of people who help her, she called Rocco Palino and Tom Murphy her “elves.”
Palino does a lot of the legwork and scheduling, while Murphy does nearly everything, from packing the gifts to running out to the store for ribbons.
She works with two Santas who help hand out the gifts. Some hospitals send in requests and distribute the gifts themselves to the kids. Unfortunately, she said, some kids don’t make it to Christmas.
“It is very sad,” she said.
The city helps a lot, especially TJ Johnson, who helps coordinate things.
“You can’t do anything without TJ,” she said with a laugh.
Donald Mindiak, president of BCB, and Tom Goughlin, COO of BCB, agreed to continue the tradition after BCB merged with Pamrapo Bank last year. Others like Ed Ratkowsky, Linda Klimowski, and Damion Anderson are among the scores that offer their free time.
She said it is never too late to donate, and anyone interested in donating or getting involved with the support group should call (201) 823-9980.