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(Ridgewood, NJ) June 20, 2005 – When it came time for 17-year-old Seth Zuckerman to choose a leadership service project to fulfill the requirements for earning his Eagle Scout rank, he immediately thought of helping babies in need. When he was an infant, Seth was in a similar situation; he was adopted when he was 10 weeks old through Children's Aid and Family Services, Inc., by the Zuckermans, a couple from Bayonne. “I really wanted to give something back, both to the community and the agency that brought me to my family,” Seth says.
Seth started requesting donations this past May. His promotional efforts included inserting a flier in the bulletin of St. Henry's Roman Catholic Church and circulating it throughout Temple Beth Am, both located in Bayonne , as well as placing a collection box at the local Provident Savings bank. Additionally, teachers in the Bayonne school district, where Seth's mother Nancy is a learning disability teaching consultant, responded enthusiastically to the drive. “Our house is overflowing with baby items, including cases of diapers, wipes, bottles, bibs, cloths, two baby swings, and a car seat,” Seth says. “The response has been overwhelming, and it's been fun to lead this project and know I'm helping a lot of people.”
It will take several vans to transport all the items to Family Counseling Service of Ridgewood, a division of Children's Aid and Family Services. The donations will immediately be used to benefit babies born to mothers unable to care for them who are placed with foster families until they're adopted, or can be reunited with their birth families; the Turrell Child Care and Early Learning Center, the area's top-notch daycare facility that serves infants from eight weeks of age until kindergarten; and the Baby Basics program, which provides formula and diapers to low-income, working families in need. Children's Aid and Family Services recently assumed managing the Baby Basics program from the Bergen-Hudson chapter of the American Red Cross.
“I'm thrilled Seth chose the agency to be the recipient of his leadership service project,” says Bob Jones, president & CEO of Children's Aid and Family Services. “The donation is needed and timely, particularly now that the Baby Basics program is part of our service offerings. On a personal note, I find it extremely heartening when someone the agency serves comes back to us with an offer of help. Of course, Seth's earning his Eagle Scout rank is a tremendous achievement, and I congratulate him and his family.”
In addition to his involvement with Scouts, Seth is an honorable mention soccer player at his high school, County Prep and plays ice hockey for Bayonne High School . He is a member of Temple Beth Am. His mother Nancy says, “Only 1 – 2 percent of all scouts earn the Eagle badge, and we're so proud of our son.”
Children's Aid and Family Services, Inc. is one of the largest regional, nonprofit human services organizations serving northern New Jersey . The agency is fully accredited and has more than 100 years of experience in building futures for children, families, and communities. Its mission is to help children, families, and communities to heal, to learn, and to grow.
For information on organizing a collection drive, please contact Cyndy Mitchell, volunteer coordinator, at 201-634-3664.
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