Giving Back

Doing Good- Reaching Out Montclair

Reaching Out Montclair

Reaching Out Montclair is a nonprofit organization that is affiliated with the Montclair Police Federation Foundation Corporation 501(c)3

For those of you who have been following me a while, you know that I've lived in Montclair, NJ for over 35 years. My husband Steven and I moved here the day after we got married and we've never left. Montclair is a vibrant, diverse community full of incredible businesses, cultural institutions and most of all, amazing people. We raised our sons here; cultivated life long friendships and we've launched all of our businesses from Montclair. Jones Road's headquarters are based in Montclair and our flagship Jones Road store opened in our town in November 2021.

Whenever I get the opportunity to do something good for our town, I take it because I believe that if you want to help, the best place to start is within your own community. That's why Steven and I have dedicated our time and support to Reaching Out Montclair, a local organization founded by Police Officer Garth Guthrie and his wife Maddie, whose mission is to help the underserved and most needy families that live right here in my beloved hometown.

Steven and I met Garth and Maddie one beautiful summer evening when we were outside eating dinner on Church Street in Montclair with our friend, NJ Senator Cory Booker who, at the time, was the Mayor of Newark, NJ. We were chatting away when we saw a parade of 20+ kids walking down Church Street, led by a very tall, handsome police officer. I got up and asked what this group was up to ... and that's how I met Garth and Maddie. With an infectious smile and warm heart, Garth told me how every week, he'd gather a group of local kids -- many of whom didn't speak English, and some who didn't have homes or consistent parental support -- and he'd show them the different neighborhoods in Montclair.

I brought the whole posse over to our table, and introduced them to Steven and Mayor Booker. Cory was so generous and took pictures with the kids and Steven invited the kids to all sit down and have some juice and dessert with us. When we asked Garth why he started this weekly ritual, he told us that as a kid, he was homeless and if it weren't for people in his neighborhood that showed an interest in him and gave him the support he needed, he never would have been able to become a police officer. This was his way of paying it forward in his own community.

Before Garth, Maddie and the kids left, we exchanged contact info with them, and vowed to help. That's how Reaching Out Montclair was born. Today, we have a small board of a few friends and community leaders. We've set them up as an official non-profit and we've reached into our community to help them fundraise. Reaching Out Montclair now does several programs including a Backpack Drive in August; a Thanksgiving meal drive; a Christmas tree fundraisers; a major holiday gifting effort where hundreds of kids get gift cards and presents straight off of their gift lists and a community wide coat drive that provides 100+ local kids with the new cold weather gear they need. And these are just the big programs. Every day, Garth and Maddie make sure that if a family needs food, furniture or diapers, they get it.

Helping support my local community is important to me and Steven. That's why I'm donating my earnings on Substack to Reaching Out Montclair. I believe in their mission and I've seen first hand how giving back has changed the lives of so many of the families who are my neighbors here in my hometown.