Food drive to Benefit Open Door of Freehold

[jmania]

Once again we are hosting a Toy Train Display to raise money and food donations for the Freehold Open Door Food Bank. Please stop by if you can. More info can be found here: www.jlmtrains.com/opendoor.htm

[admin]

Jmania,

Good luck with this! I posted it on the calendar feature as a reminder to readers. When we get into February, a reminder will also be found in the info center at the bottom of the main page.

[jmania]

Thank you. We need all the exposure we can get.

[BrianSullivan]

Very nice rwrite up on Freehold in New Jersey.....

freehold.injersey.com/2010/02/12/helpers-with-a-hobby-toy-train-show-a-fundraiser-for-open-door/

[admin]

www.app.com/article/20100219/NEWS/2190340/1285/LOCAL09/Toy-train-show-to-benefit-food-pantry

Toy train show to benefit food pantry
By COLLEEN CURRY • STAFF WRITER • February 19, 2010


FREEHOLD — For three years, Joe Mania has been able to use his longtime-hobby and now-profession — toy trains — to help raise money for some of Freehold's neediest.




On Sunday, Mania, his wife, JoAnn, and a group of organizers will present the Toy Train Show for Open Door Food Pantry, an interactive show of about 10 operating train setups featuring model trains dating back to the 1880s and 1890s, as well as stations, tunnels, mountains and more.

For Mania, a 45-year-old Freehold native, the fundraiser is a natural way of using his interests to help his community. When his wife was dropping off a food donation at Open Door one morning three years ago, she called him in tears after seeing an elderly man waiting in line for a loaf of bread. Mania didn't take long to think of a way to help.

"I called her back at the end of the day. What I have to offer is my toy trains, so I thought we could ask people to bring food while I show them off and teach them," Mania said.

JoAnn Mania helped arrange the fundraiser with Open Door and rent out a space. From there, it was just a matter of doing what Joe Mania loves to do. After 35 years of repairing trains in his spare time, Mania devoted himself to restoring and making reproductions of trains for a living after retiring from the Post Office a few years ago.

"People come and like to either reminisce about trains they remember from when they were young or, if they are young, learn about and see the toy trains in action," he said. "It's nice to show them off and talk to people who are interested."

Within the first hour of that first train show held at Knob Hill Country Club in Manalapan, the Manias and their group of volunteers had received more donations of food and money for Open Door than any other single fundraising event, according to Open Door director Jeanne Yaecker.

This year, the group has moved its event inside the borough to encourage more people to drop by. From 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Sunday at the Knights of Columbus hall at 70 E. Main St., families can stop in with food or monetary donations and take a look at vintage and modern-day trains. Guests should bring a monetary donation or nonperishable food.

For more information and photos, check out Mania's Web site at www.jlmtrains.com/opendoor.htm.

[BrianSullivan]

Justa bump and reminder, this event is today.

[BrianSullivan]

I dropped by the train display and it was packed! People wee streaming in and out. definitely another successful event at the K of C. I will keep an ear out to see how much was raised for the Open Door. I bet it was an impressive amount.

[jmania]

Thank you everyone for all the support. What a great community we have. The most recent tally is a little of over $3000 in cash donations and appox 2000lbs of food. Its a wonderful thing!

[BrianSullivan]

Feb 22, 2010 19:21:02 GMT -5 jmania said:

Thank you everyone for all the support. What a great community we have. The most recent tally is a little of over $3000 in cash donations and appox 2000lbs of food. Its a wonderful thing!

jmania, that is very impressive! Than YOU for doing something like this and the follow through.