VOLUNTEER

There are many opportunities for you to lend your time and talents to improve the lives of abused, neglected and homeless teens in your community.

DONATE NEEDED ITEMS

Can you help abused, neglected and homeless teens, ages 13 - 21? (Please note: clothing, bedding and kitchen items must be new)

SPONSOR SOMETHING SPECIAL

• Donate tickets or money for a group outing (movie, bowling, theme park, laser tag, Broadway show, sporting event)
• Donate funds for creating special school memories (school yearbooks, class rings).

NEW CLOTHING

• Men’s and women’s slippers
• Men’s and women’s flip flops
• Sweatpants and sweatshirts
• Plain black or grey (sizes M, L, XL)
• White athletic socks (ankle length)
• White or colored t-shirts, no pockets (XL, XXL, Tall)
• Women’s underwear (sizes M, L)

PERSONAL CARE

• Bars of bath soap/Body Wash
• Hair brushes/Combs
• Deodorant
• Shampoo and conditioner (3in1)
• Toothpaste and toothbrushes

GIFT CERTIFICATES

• Bridgewater Mall
• Footlocker
• Champs
• TJ Maxx
• Marshalls
• Target
• Barnes & Noble
• Old Navy
• Hot Topic
• Pac Sun
• Best Buy
• Local Restaurants
• Hair And Nail Salons
• Walmart
• Costco’s

FOR RECREATION

• Art supplies (Gift cards from Hobby Lobby and Michael’s are welcome.)
• Batteries (AA for games)
• CD players (portable, especially with a radio)
• Headphones/ear buds
• Table games
• Computer games (educational, fun, no “R” ratings)
• Exercise equipment
• Movie theater passes
• Journals
• Sketch books
• 3D puzzles
• Yoga Mats

FOR SCHOOL

• Highlighters/ white board markers
• Notebooks
• Pens/markers
• Reference books on CD-ROM (dictionary, thesaurus, atlas, encyclopedia)
• Scientific graphing calculators (for high school math classes)

FOR THE HOUSEHOLD - NEW ITEMS ONLY PLEASE

• Bakeware (cookie sheets, cake pans, muffin tins, etc.)
• Bath towels and wash cloths
• Cooking utensils (plastic – spatulas, spoons, etc.)
• Kitchen towels
• Silverware
• Potholders
• Sponges with scrubbers
• Mops, brooms and dustpans
• Toilet paper
• Tupperware-type food storage sets
• Twin-size comforters, sheets, pillows and pillowcases
• Water (cases of bottles)
• Gift certificates (Home Depot, Lowes, Costcos, Walmart, & etc.)

GENTLY USED

• Alarm clocks
• Clothes hangers, plastic only please
• Cookbooks
• Flashlights, heavy duty
• Irons
• Laundry baskets
• Mops, brooms, buckets, dustpans
• Plastic storage tubs (especially very large size)

PLAN A FUNDRAISER

If you are interested in planning a fundraiser, please contact Adriana Gonzalez, Fund Developtment Associate at 908-526-6605 ext. 312

If you are making a donation, all donations may be dropped off at: Visions and Pathways, 49 Brahma Avenue, Bridgewater, NJ 08807

BE AN E-HELPER

No time to volunteer? Become an e-Helper! When a homeless teenager asks… Can I go to the prom? Can I join the basketball team? Can I get dress shoes for my job? Will you help us say yes? Unfortunately, our budget doesn't cover the cost of extras. So when our residents ask for special things like the ones above, we reach out to our friends to make sure they won’t be disappointed. We know you share our belief that the youth living at Visions and Pathways deserve the same opportunities as their peers who live at home. These activities help build self-esteem and a sense of community and belonging. Please consider being a special friend and help make a difference in the life of a deserving Visions and Pathways resident. How to become an e-helper: Just give us your email address, and a few times a year we’ll let you know when a resident has a special request. You can donate online or mail a check. It’s quick and easy, and you’ll know you did something special to meet a specific child’s need. d help Visions and Pathways at the same time by holding a fundraiser. The possibilities are only limited by your imagination. If you want to host a fundraiser, please contact Adriana Gonzalez, Fund Development Associate at (908)526-6605 ext. 312. All ideas are welcome! Have a favorite restaurant, hair salon or store? Ask if they’ll donate a percentage of their sales on a specific date to help homeless teens in our area. We’ll be happy to help by answering questions, providing information for publicity posters and supplying brochures.

FUND A SCHOLARSHIP

Help at-risk youth with scholarships Help at-risk youth with scholarships! The Scholarship Fund provides educational scholarships to youth who attend a post-secondary educational institution and have been through Visions and Pathways Programming (residential and non-residential). The endowment fund was created in 2005, and the first year, five $500 scholarships were awarded to residents graduating from high school or finishing a year of college. The number has grown ever since, letting students know we will be there to support them in their journey to becoming successful adults. Youth aging out of the child welfare system don’t have a support system to help them through the process of choosing a college, applying for financial aid, finding housing – the kind of support that most of us take for granted. If you would like to be part of that support system for deserving students at Visions and Pathways, consider contributing to the scholarship fund. If you want to help a at-risk youth with scholarship, please contact David Walker, Executive Director at (908)526-6605 ext. 304.

RUN AND WALK FOR OUR YOUTH’S FUTURE

THANK YOU to all of the AMAZING sponsors, donors, participants, volunteers, and staff for making Visions and Pathways' 22nd Annual Virtual 'Run And Walk For Our Youth’s Future' a success. Because of your support, the 2020 virtual event was great. We look forward to seeing your pictures for the 23rd Annual Virtual Run and Walk!

23rd Annual and 2nd Virtual Run and Walk for our Youth’s Future:
Walk, Run or Relax anywhere at any time between now and Saturday, April 17th to help homeless and abused youth in New Jersey have a brighter future!
Registration Cost: $25 per person, each registrant will receive a t-shirt and a neck gaiter. Also available Raffles and our famous Virtual Silent Auction.

Click for More Information

Results Images

BUY A BRICK

Here's your chance to be immortalized! Here's your chance to be immortalized! With a gift of $250 or more, you can request a personalized brick in our Walk of Wishes, a garden walkway at Visions and Pathways, as a permanent symbol of your generous support. The inscription can celebrate an occasion, offer words of encouragement, or pay tribute to family, friends or organizations. For the hundreds of kids who pass through our doors each year, the walkway represents the support they receive from people like you – members of a caring community. Click here to make your donation now – or you can mail a check. We’ll be in touch about the message you would like inscribed on your brick. If you have any questions, please contact Adriana Gonzalez, Fund Development Associate at (908)526-6605 ext. 312.

MAKE A LEGACY GIFT

The generosity of our donors is an essential ingredient in allowing us to help homeless teens, both now and in the years ahead.

Thoughtful strategic planning of charitable gifts combines two objectives. One is to remain committed to your desire to make a difference for children who need help. The other is to augment your overall financial picture.

Some of the investments you can use include

Retirement plans: Designate Visions and Pathways to receive part or all what remains of your retirement plan after your death. Such transfers can be a tax-efficient way of making a gift. For example, heirs may receive as little as 30% of a retirement plan from a large estate after estate tax and income tax, while Visions and Pathways would receive 100% of it tax free.

Insurance policies: Designate Visions and Pathways Home Endowment Fund to receive all or part of the proceeds of a life insurance policy. Ask your insurance company for a beneficiary designation form.

Charitable bequests: Instruct your attorney to add a charitable bequest for Visions and Pathways to your estate plan for a specific amount, a specific property, or for a percentage of the estate.

Charitable remainder trusts: Talk to your attorney or financial planner about the tax and income benefits available to you and your family through a charitable remainder trust.

To learn more, please contact David Walker, Visions and Pathways Executive Director, at 908-526-6605. Ext. 304

DONATE YOUR CAR

Donating your old car, truck, camper, motorcycle or boat is a great way to contribute. In addition to the tax benefit, you can avoid expensive repairs on an older vehicle, a low trade-in offer from a dealer and the inconvenience of selling it privately. You’ll even free up space in your driveway or garage!

Visions and Pathways has partnered with Charitable Auto Rides and Services, Inc. (CARS), which provides all the information you need, answers to your questions and a simple process from start to finish. That was the experience of Visions and Pathways’ first car donor. “I gave CARS the vehicle information and put the title in the car,” she said. “I didn’t even have to be there when a towing company picked it up. A few weeks later, I was notified of the amount of money Visions and Pathways received. It was as simple as that.”

Because CARS is a national program, people anywhere in the country can donate. Please fill out the secure donation form. A representative will contact you shortly to guide you through the donation process. If you prefer to contact CARS by phone, please call 877-537-5277 and a representative will help you with your donation.

RECOMMEND A SAFE PLACE

Visions and Pathways is partnering with the National Safe Place Network to make more locations Safe Places for our youth. Safe Place is a national youth outreach and prevention program for young people in need of immediate help and safety. Safe Place businesses agree to display the Safe Place sign and materials which let youth know they can go there to get help. Locations include; libraries, fire stations, public buses, local businesses, faith-based organizations and civic groups. The businesses’ employees are screened and trained by Visions and Pathways staff. When a youth comes to the location, they will state that they are there for Safe Place. At that point, the business’ employee calls the Street Smart program who will respond to the location within two hours. For more information about Safe Place, please contact Jennifer Amaya, Director of Outreach and Prevention at 973-644-4666.