Friday, November 21st, 2008

December 2008 -Shorrock Gardens Care Center has enlisted with the Marine Corps…enlisted, that is, to assist in their annual Toys for Tots holiday toy drive.

In the spirit of the holidays, Shorrock has signed on to become the newest drop-off point for the program, which collects and distributes toys for needy children. Anyone is welcome to bring new, unwrapped toys to the main lobby of Shorrock Gardens Care Center at 75 Old Toms River Road in Brick. The lobby is open daily from 8:00 am until 8:00 pm. TOYS MUST BE DROPPED OFF BY DECEMBER 15TH FOR HOLIDAY DISTRIBUTION. Once collected, toys are sorted for boys and girls and for various age groups, then distributed through the Marine Corps program. 

The Toys for Tots program began in 1947, when retired Marine Corps Major Bill Hendricks and a group of Marine Reservists in Los Angeles collected and distributed 5,000 toys to needy children. The idea came from Bill’s wife, Diane. That first year a total of 5,000 toys were collected and distributed. The program has grown consistently to the point where millions of toys are collected each year for the benefit of needy children. 

Wini Caprio, Assistant Administrator, initiated Shorrock’s participation in the program. In her initial correspondence, she included the following passage:

“…a child’s smile is priceless. A senior citizen’s smile is priceless also. Although my residents may be older, they are still valuable members of our community. Assisting in a community action program such as Toys for Tots would provide them with a sense of purposefulness and help reaffirm their value.” 

Wendy Metzger, Administrator at Shorrock Gardens Care Center, echoed those sentiments as she commented, “We’re really looking forward to helping out with the Marine Toys for Tots program. I’m sure it will bring joy to everyone-residents and staff alike-to see toys piling up for the holidays. And knowing that they’re going to needy children makes it even more special. We encourage everyone in the community to stop down with a new, unwrapped toy. Even if you don’t know anyone here, it’s a great time to spend a few minutes talking to one of the residents.” 

Shorrock Gardens Care Center is a unique, multi-purpose residence providing varying levels of skilled long-term, sub-acute and nursing care. Located on the same safe and secure campus environment as The Haven assisted living residence, Shorrock features four different areas, which have been carefully planned for those with a range of needs:

The Brighton is a 60-bed long-term care unit offering professional nursing care.

The Evergreen is a 30-bed, sub-acute care unit specializing in rehabilitation, offering physical, occupational and speech therapies seven days a week.

The Applewood Memory unit is a 60-bed care unit offering Alzheimer’s and Dementia care to residents in the early stages of this disease process.

The Meadows is a 30-bed, long-term care unit for those in the advanced stages of Alzheimer’s disease. 

The realization of years of study and planning with leading experts, Shorrock Gardens Care Center is one of the most advanced facilities of its kind. More than 200 professionals with specific and continuing training in Alzheimer’s and the care of the elderly are employed. For more information, call Shorrock at 732-451-1000, visit in person at 75 Old Toms River Rd. Brick.