What started as a Cub Scout project 14 years ago has become an annual goodwill mission for two families in Haddonfield. With their sons now in college and high school, the Novak family and the Bhaya family still maintain an annual holiday blanket drive for those less fortunate.
“There’s no reason to stop,” co-organizer Tina Novak said.
With both Novak and Gail Bhaya serving as den leaders back in 1999, Bhaya and her son proposed the holiday project at a den meeting with the Cub Scouts and carried out the project as a group effort. However, after their sons moved up to Boy Scouts of America, the new Cub Scouts decided to change the holiday project.
“When our kids graduated, the people who continued the drive did coats instead,” Novak said. “We felt there were still people in Camden who depended on us.”
With Bhaya’s two sons in college and Novak’s one son in college, Novak’s youngest son is currently a high school student and still actively helps in the drive.
Yet, with all sons active in the drive at some point over the years, both Novak and Bhaya agreed that the drive has become a tradition for the two families.
“Since then, over the years, we continued to do it and have collected 1,527 blankets over the years,” Bhaya said.
Beginning in November, the two families start collecting blankets, comforters, sleeping bags and baby blankets for those in need. They use their homes as drop-off locations for donations. The Haddonfield Information Center in Kings Court also serves as a drop-off location for anyone who wishes to donate.
In addition, the two families also volunteer to pick up any donations within town.
“The cool thing is people now save their blankets, knowing they’re going to get used,” Bhaya said.
However, Bhaya added that the families have seen a fluctuation of donations throughout the years.
Novak added that both she and Bhaya take turns driving to the Information Center to pick up any items that have been donated until everything is gathered. From there, all items are packaged and labeled to make it easier for distribution.
After scheduling an appointment with the shelter, the two pack one or more cars before driving to Camden, where the clients of New Visions Homeless Day Shelter help them unload.
In addition, the two also tally the number of donations they receive each year.
While all donations are appreciated by the families, Novak said that over the years they have found that more donations tend to be throw blankets and they are constantly looking for full-sized blankets or comforters to bring to the shelter.
While the two families have given their donations to New Visions Homeless Day Shelter in Camden, Novak added that the families have also delivered to the Center for Family Services’ Mother/Child Residential in Woodbury.
“They are so thankful,” Novak said. “That’s what keeps us going.”
Donations will be collected until Jan. 1 and can be dropped off at the Novak household, located at 120 W. Redman Ave., or the Bhaya household at 415 Euclid Ave. Donations can also be dropped off from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. from Wednesday to Saturday at the Haddonfield Information Center.
To schedule an at-home pickup, residents can call either Novak at 428–0294 or Bhaya at 616–0794.
