By Maddy Vitale
In just one year, the Ocean City Juneteenth Organization, run by three Ocean City High School graduates, doubled its donations to give to area shelters.
The organization, made up of Brittany Battle, 31, of Highland Park, Takiya Wilson, 39, of Egg Harbor Township, and Josh Baker, 42, of Elmwood Park, hosted the Second Annual Ocean City Juneteenth Holiday Drive and Day of Service on Saturday at the 7th Street Recreation Center in Ocean City.
The significance of Juneteenth, according to the organization’s website, is on June 19, 1865, enslaved Africans in Texas learned of their freedom, more than two years after the Emancipation Proclamation.
Within the first hour of opening the doors to the recreation center on Saturday, Battle said three residents came in with very generous deliveries.
The organization was asking for all sorts of toiletries, socks, coats, hats, gloves, scarves, cleaning supplies, canned goods, diapers, paper products and travel-size soaps, shampoos, conditioners and toothpastes.
They received hundreds of items, including bags of clothing for children and adults.
Battle, Wilson and Baker sorted through the clothing, while other volunteers poured shampoos and lotions into trial-size containers.
The three childhood friends laughed and chatted as they neatly folded the donated clothes and put them in stacks on the tables. The items will be delivered to C.A.R.A. (Coalition Against Rape and Abuse), located in Cape May Court House, and Turning Point Day Care Center in Atlantic City.
The success of the holiday drive is only possible because of the generosity of others, they said.
“We couldn’t do it without the support of the community,” said Battle, who grew up on 7th Street and Bay Avenue.
Both Wilson and Baker grew up in Ocean City’s Pecks Beach Village housing complex.
Wilson called the donations of toiletries that lined the tables a blessing.
She said she was very pleased by the outpouring of support from the community for the second year of the holiday drive.
Baker said the Juneteenth Organization has plans for other events to help the community.
“For us, it was part of the way we grew up,” Baker said of working to help others. “This community has given us a lot, so it is only fair that we give back.”
Kay Jacobs, of Ocean City, is one of the people whose generosity helps make drives, such as this one, a success.
On Saturday morning, she dropped off hundreds of items.
Jacobs and her wife, Maureen McCormac, have lived in Ocean City full time for four years, but have had a vacation home here for 25 years.
The two businesswomen, who work in the financial world, do all they can to give back to a community they love, Jacobs said.
When they learned of the Juneteenth Holiday Drive, Jacobs immediately called Battle.
“I asked Brittany ahead of time what she needed,” Jacobs said. “I went online and ordered in bulk.”
Jacobs showed up at the recreation center with diapers, socks, travel-size toiletries, baby wipes, children’s games, puzzles and books and garbage bags.
“We have been blessed and we want to help our community. We want to give gifts to people who are a lot less fortunate than us,” Jacobs explained. “That is what Christmas is all about. I hate to see people struggling. You can’t help everyone, but if you could help make someone’s life easier, then you should.”
Some of Battle’s family also made a day of helping for a good cause.
Battle’s sister, Coryn Graves, of Somers Point, and her children, Jayda, 9, and Jeramiah, 13, and his friend, Jaevien Swain, 12, of Somers Point, joined in.
They carefully squeezed shampoos, conditioners and body wash from large bottles into travel-size containers.
“I think it’s good to be thankful for what you have, and give back what you can,” Jeramiah said.
Jaevien added, “It feels good to give back to the community.”
Wilson’s sister, LaToya Wilson, of Absecon, donated a lot of clothing for the drive.
While generous residents and families make the donation drives possible, Battle said city officials have played a major role in the organization’s growth.
“We can go to Councilman Antwan McClellan and ask for space, and other things, and he has always been supportive,” Battle said. “He has been a great asset to the organization.”
For more information about the Ocean City Juneteenth Organization, call Takiya Wilson at 609-992-1909 or Brittany Battle at 609-464-1747.
