United Way of Northern New Jersey received approximately $98,000 worth of personal protective equipment thanks to a generous donation by its longtime strategic partner FirstEnergy Corp. The company delivered thousands of face masks, gloves, hand sanitizer and disinfectant wipes to United Way’s office in Cedar Knolls on several pallets. The supplies were divided up and delivered to United Way’s partnering child care centers and family child care providers (those who operate out of their home) including:
Little Wonders Childcare and Learning Center/10 family child care providers (Warren County)
Head Start of Morris County (Greater Morristown and Greater Dover locations)
Neighborhood House (Morristown)
Children on the Green (Morristown)
El Primer Paso (Dover)
The YMCA of Greater Morristown (Blake Center, Y-Zone and Children’s Corner)
“Child care providers were already struggling to stay afloat before the pandemic, so the added costs of having to comply with COVID cleaning protocols was another financial burden to the industry,” said Michelle Roers, senior director of strategies who oversees United Way’s early childhood education initiatives. “We are so grateful to FirstEnergy Corp. for this substantial donation of necessary resources. I know each one of our providers is extremely thankful for the cost savings.”
Child care centers are still required to wipe down and sanitize all areas of their center and staff must wear masks and use hand sanitizer daily. This donation saves these small businesses from spending thousands of dollars to keep their spaces safe and healthy for staff and children.