Gators make donation to Ginnie's House

NEWTON — Just in time for the holidays, Giant Gymnastics of Sparta’s community of families came together once again to help the children Ginnie’s House serves.

Called “Good Night Bags” by owners Jennifer and John Skorski, the idea was to help children living in Sussex County by bringing them some comfort for Christmas. Giant Gymnastics took the traditional Mitten Tree and instead of asking for mittens and such, asked for donations of books, small blankets, stuffed animals and tote bags.

“We were overwhelmed by the generosity of our Giant Gymnastics families,” said Jennifer Skorski. The families who bring their children to classes at Giant brought in enough donations to fill 38 bags, and had a box left over to donate with additional books, blankets and stuffed animals for Ginnie’s House to use in the future.

The Garden Gators, the competitive team at Giant, spent an evening assembling the bags so they would be ready for pick up by Ginnie’s House representative Maryanne Mitchell.

“What a lovely way to pay it forward and comfort a child you will never meet,” said Mitchell.

Ginnie’s House, located in Newton, is a child advocacy center that aids in the care of children who are being abused, assaulted or been the victim of a violent crime.

The center, according to its website, coordinates “child protection, law enforcement prosecution, healthcare and mental health agencies” on behalf of children in Sussex county. Founded in 1995, it is surrounded by the very agencies needed to serve these children, such as the Sussex County Prosecutor’s Office and the New Jersey Division of Child Protection and Permanency, among others. There are 15 families in treatment at Ginnie’s House, comprising 38 children.

“We are here to help children from feeling victimized all over again during the investigative process as they disclose the abuse they have suffered.”

For more information about Ginnie’s House, visit them online at www.ginnieshouse.org or call them at 973-579-0770.