There are a lot of holiday toy drives this time of year but it’s a fair bet to say the Bloomfield Police Department’s is one of the best.

Bloomfield’s annual Toy and Clothing Drive, organized by Pat Marchese of the BPD Youth Division, has been going strong for the past 25 years.  It is a big, well-coordinated effort that combines the generosity of community members and local business owners with the hard work of volunteers, charity organizations, police officers and Santas – five of them, to be exact.

“Two of the Santas are Spanish-speaking,” noted Bloomfield PD Lieutenant Jim Behr on Friday.  “On December 22^nd, we’ll deliver to about sixty houses with the Santas.” 

One stop, said Behr, is a Daycare Center near Fairview School.  It is traditionally the first and favorite stop of Bloomfield’s oldest Santa, John Bonnet (who residents last saw at the township’s tree-lighting ceremony.) 

“A lot of those kids at the day care center are referrals through DYFS,” said Behr, adding that Bonnet and some of the police officers bring along their children and grandchildren to help out.  Though the occasion is a joyous one, the volunteers are aware that many of the families they visit are having difficulty.     

“In the past we’ve also gone to homes where the kids are handicapped or have cancer.  It’s a tough thing,” he said.  “You’re seeing people as they’re struggling.  You have to be sensitive to that.  We want them to feel comfortable when we’re there.”

As the community effort gets under way each December, rooms at the police department become storehouses for growing mountains of toys.  Then, last Friday, the municipal courtroom was reconfigured into a sorting station for the gifts.   Games, toys, stuffed animals and clothing were grouped by age and gender on the long benches.  Six or seven volunteers moved around the room, organizing the items according to the specifications of Marchese, founder of the toy drive.

“Put aside one big toy, one little one and a piece of clothing for each child,” she instructed.  “And when you have enough for every child in the family, mark the bag and close it up.”

Marchese’s helpers were mostly members of the Bloomfield community.  Some said they had heard about the drive through church organizations or word of mouth; others had been part of the volunteer effort for years. 

“My friend Marty called me and said, ‘Pat needs help to sort out toys for the kids’,” said resident Sandra Corby, folding up a tiny pair of pajamas.  “I’m a sucker for the kids.”

“In the past, I knew people who lost their jobs, who had no money and the church gave them Christmas baskets,” said Marty.  “In the basket would be a toy.  That might be the only toy they got that year.  I’ll never forget that lesson.”

Another volunteer, Antonio Soboti, was helping out as part of a court-ordered community service arrangement.   Sentenced to do 160 community service hours after a DWI motorcycle accident, Soboti said helping out at the toy drive was “something good that came out of something bad.”

The co-owner of the Gaslight Brewery in South Orange, Soboti said the experience was so rewarding he would voluntarily help out again in the future.

“I’ll probably come back every year,” he said.  “And I’ll definitely dress up as a Santa’s Helper or whatever, and go along [on the drop offs] if they want me to on Thursday.”

Behr said the police department works in tandem with local charities and the Bloomfield public schools to identify those who are most needy in the community. 

“We get referrals from the school in town.  Principals, counselors, teachers – they know who in their classes is struggling,” he said.  “Pat also works with Human Services in the township, like United Way.” 

Added Behr, “Pat’s the workhorse.  She buys all the toys for the kids [with the monetary donations.]  She buys gift cards at local food stores, like a $25 gift certificate --or more, if we can afford it.  Without Pat here it would be impossible for [police officers] to do it.  Our caseloads are too large.”

Among the local businesses and organizations that are actively affiliated with the drive are:  Brookdale ShopRite, Hot Bagels Abroad, Lummus Global, Bloomfield Total Health Center, E.C.R.B. Towing, Simeone Landscaping, the Brookside Garden Center, the A & P, The Salvation Army.  Some businesses, like ShopRite and Hot Bagels Abroad, have even posted drop-off boxes outside for people’s convenience. 

Many individuals also give generously to the drive, including employees from the Bloomfield Fire and Police Departments, their credit unions, and the parishoners of St. Anthony’s Church.

The Bloomfield Police Department Toy and Clothing Drive benefits about 100 families, or 300 local children, each year. 

“I don’t know if other townships do it to this extent,” Behr said.  “It’s snowballed through the years.  You want to help people in need . . . as times get difficult and the economy changes, you just try to keep up.  You can’t turn anyone away, right?”

“It’s a unique program,” said Marchese with a smile.  “Very unique and beautiful.”

The Bloomfield Police Department continues to accept donations for the Toy and Clothing Drive.  Drop off any new toys or clothing for children aged 0-18, or monetary donations for food gift cards, at the Bloomfield Police Department.