In the run-up to the holidays, staff from Tilcon New Jersey collected clothing, toys and other gifts to assist the Central Jersey Navy League’s Christmas ANGEL Program.  The ANGEL program ensures that families of Coast Guard enlisted personnel will have an enjoyable holiday season.  In the last two years the program has donated more than 900 gifts per year to local families. Children usually ask for toys, but in the last couple of years some have started to request a new winter coat or gloves instead.

The ANGEL collection has been an annual holiday fundraiser event for Tilcon for years. Mount Hope’s Chris Aaron, Order Entry and Janet Ciro, Human Resources spearhead the campaign.  Janet opens her office as a collection/drop-off center to coordinate and distribute the collection of gifts that have been donated.

2011 donations were given to families at the Coast Guard Station & Aides to Navigation in Bayonne NJ, Coast Guard Station Sandy Hook, NJ and Sector NY Coast Guard Stations. Sandy Hook and New York are in NY harbor. The NY Sector stations work on the Hudson River and are involved in ice-breaking and search and rescue missions. Our own Tilcon barges carrying stone bound for the New York City area pass by some of these stations everyday while making their deliveries.

Chris is a long-standing member of the Central Jersey Navy League Council, part of the Navy League of the United States. The organization, which was established by Teddy Roosevelt, is founded on the idea of non-military families helping military families.  The Central Jersey council includes two World War 11 veterans who served at D-Day and the Pacific and Korean and Vietnam veterans also. But mostly like Chris, they have a grandfather, father, uncle or brother served and just want to help….especially since military families give so much for us at home.

In addition to the ANGEL program the Council raises funds for holiday baskets with turkeys and children’s parties. Over the years, Tilcon has donated towards these items for families who did not have holiday dinners and parties available to them.

In addition to the work she does for the Central Jersey Navy League, Chris Aaron has a special request for us all. Please, she says, if you see a person in uniform, thank them for their service. It means so much.

To find out more visit the Central Jersey Navy League website at www.cjnlus.com.