Bedminster Woman Collects 'Warm' Gifts for Lyons Veterans

It's a busy time of year, but Bedminster resident Stacia McDonough said she is giving priority to a project to collect 167 donated new hats, scarves, socks or ear muffs to deliver on Christmas Eve to veterans living in Hope For Veterans housing at the Lyons Veterans Administration.

McDonough said she has added to this year's list the residents in a new permanent housing development opened at the Lyons campus this year as the nation's first brand-new housing for formerly homeless veterans.

McDonough said this is her second annual "They Kept us Safe, Let's Keep Them Warm" collection for "wounded warriors" who may be trying to recover from such issues as post traumatic stress syndrome and brain injuries.

"My goal is to collect 167 brand new items for these brave vets and hand deliver them Christmas Eve," said McDonough, whose late husband, John McDonough, served in the Air Force in Viet Nam.

"Last year there were 107 veterans, and we exceeded the goal. Hopefully we can do it again this year — really want them to have a little something special, let them know they're thought of and appreciated at Christmas time, she said. 

She said she expects to collect the donations from collection boxes on the morning of Dec. 24, and then bring the warm clothing objects to the Lyons campus of the Veterans Administration of the New Jersey Health Care system off Valley Road in Basking Ridge.

She said donations may be dropped off at Express Yourself Salon at Routes 202 and 513 in Far Hills, since proprieter Laura Blair is hosting a collection box for a second year.

McDonough said two collection boxes are at Robbiani's Clocks & Dolls in Marlboro and at Salon Seraphim in Englishtown.

McDonough said she is willing to pick up donations of five or more items in the area

She said she will travel to anyone local in the Somerset Hills area or nearby to pick up five or more items.

She said she is being helped by some "elves" in conducting the collection, but she is volunteering her time. Last year, she said the veterans were very grateful to receive the warm gifts on Dec. 24.

She said tax deductible donations via check may also be send to directly to Community Hope, which runs programs for veterans living in the housing units in Lyons. Acknowledgements of the tax deductible gifts will be received, she said.

The mailing address is: 

Community Hope
199 Pomeroy Road
Parsippany, New Jersey 07054
ATTN: Julia Bey-Ahmet