Four Oxen has brought in 76,000 surgical masks, and more than half have been sent back out to homeless shelters and other nonprofits across New Jersey and into Philadelphia.
Russell Berrie's footprint is still felt throughout the Garden State, as the foundation he founded in 1985 continues to advocate for the "unsung heroes" in New Jersey communities.
The county is trying to keep one of the most vulnerable sections of its population as safe as possible during the dire winter months, and amid the continuing COVID-19 pandemic.
The last year has presented situations that have proven particularly challenging : How can people be safely sheltered while keeping COVID-19 spread down? What gets lost in translation if people can't meet face-to-face to express their needs?
In 2013, the first year of "Send a Hero Home," the Knights of Columbus Trenton Federation provided transportation home for about a dozen service members. That number steadily increased to 225 by last year.
Along with the governing board of the university's charitable foundation, Rowan President Ali Houshmand further developed his idea to include restaurants and food companies near to campus.