By Maryanne Christiano-Mistretta
Jayne DiGregorio recently paid a visit to St. Hubert’s Animal Welfare Center, 575 Woodland Avenue, Madison, New Jersey. She came carrying a large box filled with goodies for the sheltered dogs. Items included: gently used towels, blankets, beds, toys, leashes, and collars. This is something she plans to do each month. The box, filled to the brim with donations, is called a Care BearBox.
The mission of Care BearBox is to inspire a collective awareness of reusable extras for animals that are stray, abandoned, and surrendered to local no kill animal shelters serving Northern New Jersey. In addition to Mt. Hubert’s and Mt. Pleasant Animal Shelter in East Hanover, Jayne plans to send Care BearBoxes to Home for Good Animal Rescue in Berkeley Heights; and Rawhide Rescue in Warren. Each month drop-off locations will be alternated between the four centers.
“It’s such a beautiful idea,” said Kim Kancylarz, development manager of St. Hubert’s. “The staff will put it to good use right away.”
Thanks so social media communities on Facebook and Instagram, Jayne was able to promote Care BearBox requests and make local destination drop offs and pick-ups.
The idea of Care BearBox came to Jayne late last year when she was sending her nieces and nephew monthly care packages as they began college. “I jokingly called them Care Bear packages, as my dog Bear would take a ride with me to UPS as I dropped them off,” she said. And on the same day, she’d also drop off a bag of items at her local animal shelter. Then the two thoughts blended together, sparking an idea.
“Our pets really become part of the family,” Jayne said. “To see the joy in the volunteers’ faces when they receive their Care BearBox makes it all worthwhile. They are so grateful, it melts my heart. And it’s beautiful how giving becomes contagious. I’ve had so many people reach out to me on Facebook. A friend of a friend heard I was collecting towels for animals ‘Where can I drop them off?’ she asked. It’s just amazing and inspiring!”
Jayne hopes that each month Care BearBox brings a little comfort and care to the shelter animals as they wait for their new home and new family.
To reach out to donate items to the Care BearBox mission, email CareBearBoxFriends@gmail.com or follow Bear, the first ambassador on Instagram: LifeisBetterAsADog.
For more information on St. Hubert’s Animal Welfare Center, visit: sthuberts.org or call 973-377-2295.
(above, l-r) Jayne DiGregorio and Kim Kancylarz with Care BearBox donation.
Photo by Maryanne Christiano-Mistretta.
(above) Bear, the inspiration for Care BearBox.
Photo by Jayne DiGregorio.
(above) Animals waiting to be adopted at St. Hubert’s.
Photo by Jayne DiGregorio.
