About

Mission Statement

The Giving Network is an all-volunteer organization dedicated to helping those in need in Somerset County, NJ by recycling donated excess household items and then making them available to those in need in the community.

The mission of the Giving Network is to be achieved by meeting these objectives:

1. Work through our partner organizations with those in the community who have specific needs of food, household items, linens, small appliances, and baby items.

2. Solicit individuals and organizations to obtain donations of needed items.

3. Organize and distribute needed items.

History

The Giving Network began in 1999 after Hurricane Floyd flooded the homes of our neighbors in Bound Brook and Manville, New Jersey and left hundreds of families in need of basic household items. Members of the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Somerset Hills came together to collect excess household items from their homes and from their neighbors’ homes. These items were sorted, packaged per specific requests, and delivered to Somerset County residents as they returned to their homes or relocated to other apartments. During this ‘temporary’ helping period, the Giving Network came to realize how many people live in need daily in one of the most affluent counties in America. Those early Giving Network volunteers decided to continue their operations in order to make a difference in lives on an on-going basis.