Published The Sentinel of Gloucester County Weekly Newspaper Print Edition Week of 12/20/2018
Youth from Archway Programs, a local nonprofit, filled the service bay at Honda of Turnersville on Wednesday, December 12th, as the South Jersey dealership hosted its sixth annual holiday party for children and teens from Archway’s HOPE and DISCOVER programs. Each year, Honda of Turnersville staff and families volunteer to host the highly anticipated event, which gives children the opportunity to take a break from the daily challenges they face and just be kids. In addition to coordinating vendors, caterers, balloons, photo booth, games, and music, generous volunteers from Honda of Turnersville made sure each child received presents this year. Prior to the event, children wrote down three wish list items on gift tags. Staff and families from Honda of Turnersville each took several tags and generously purchased each child all three presents for the kids to open at the party. General Manager Min Chin had a few tricks up his sleeve this year, too.
As the kids anxiously stood in the Honda dealership looking out the windows for Santa to arrive, the dealership announced that Santa needed a little help. That’s when the Phillie Phanatic came running into the dealership to surprise the kids. The expressions on the kids’ faces were priceless, and they could hardly believe that they got to meet the Phillie Phanatic himself. With help from the Phillie Phanatic, Santa arrived on a decked out firetruck escorted by volunteers from the Whitman Square Fire Company of Washington Township. “This event was all about the kids – letting go of their everyday stressors and hardships, even if it was just for one night. Seeing smiles on their faces may have been the best gift of all,” said Min Chin, General Manager of Honda of Turnersville. Honda of Turnersville had one more surprise. General Manager Min Chin presented Archway Programs with a check in the amount of $1,000.00 for the children in the HOPE and DISCOVER programs. “Archway Programs couldn’t be more appreciative for the compassion and generosity that Honda of Turnersville has shown to the youth in our HOPE and DISCOVER programs throughout the years. These kids are working to overcome some major barriers in life, and this partnership has impacted the lives of hundreds of children. Each year, it’s incredible to see the number of volunteers from Honda who want to give back and help those in need,” said George Richards, Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer.
Children in the HOPE (Help, Optimism, Preparation, Empowerment) and DISCOVER (Direction, Improvement, Structure, Creativity, Oversight, Vision, Encouragement, Reward) programs are between the ages of five and eighteen with behavior and/or emotional concerns that interfere with their daily living. Kids in both programs live at or below poverty line and often their families or caretakers have limited resources for necessities such as shelter, food, clothing and transportation. These programs have been in place since 1980 and serve children and teens in Gloucester and Camden counties. These programs use a successful model to provide children with a safe, consistent, structured and caring environment as Archway Programs staff discovers their individual strengths and the children overcome their deficits through coping and social skills. The holiday party originated when Ron Reid, Archway Programs’ former HOPE Supervisor, reconnected with an old friend, previous Honda of Turnersville salesman, back in 2012. Honda of Turnersville first donated and brought volunteers to help serve food at the HOPE program’s annual Thanksgiving celebration. After finding out that not all of the kids in the program would be receiving Christmas gifts, Min Chin, Honda of Turnersville, General Manager, came up with the idea to have a holiday pizza party. Honda of Turnersville has grown this into a memorable event that kids in Archway Programs’ Partial Care Services HOPE and DISCOVER programs look forward to. To show Archway’s appreciation, Reid started his own tradition of preparing lunch for the Honda of Turnersville employees after each event in addition to the kids who write “Thank You” cards for a holiday celebration they will never forget.
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