PERTH AMBOY – December 20, 2024 – Santa Claus is coming to Perth Amboy. Because that’s where all the toys will be, ready for distribution across northern New Jersey. The toys will be stored at a 10,000-square-foot warehouse at 1160 State St., generously donated by Bridge Industrial. The warehouse will host “Toys for Tots,” which provides a happy holiday of gifts for thousands of children each year.
The benevolent gesture came after Toys for Tots, a non-profit organization that collects and distributes gifts for children with need, sought a distribution site in central New Jersey to support this year’s Newark area campaign.
“The Toys for Tots organization shares the value of generosity we hold in our city,” Perth Amboy Mayor Helmin J. Caba said. “We are devoted to improving the lives of people both within and beyond our borders, and our work with Toys for Tots is helping us achieve this mission.”
Toys for Tots Coordinator and US Marine Corps Gunnery Sgt. John Sardine, who is leading the North Jersey campaign, reached out to Mayor Caba to help secure a warehouse to store the toys. The pair had collaborated on Toys for Tots initiatives for the past three years.
Caba, along with Perth Amboy Redevelopment Agency Executive Director Tashi Vazquez, seized the opportunity to offer assistance to the great cause and connected Sardine with Bridge Industrial, the commercial real estate company that owns the State Street warehouse.
The answer from Bridge Industrial was an emphatic “yes, of course.”
“It feels great to be able to give back to the community in such a major way,” said Jeff Milanaik, a Northeast Region Partner at Bridge Industrial. “Toys for Tots is a special organization, and we are glad to play a part in bringing joy to children this holiday season.”
The donation includes more than 10,000 square feet of storage. With Christmas Eve days away, Toys for Tots is quickly filling the warehouse with toys slated for delivery in Union, Bergen, Essex, Hudson, and Passaic counties. With easy access to major state roads such as the Garden State Parkway and New Jersey Turnpike, Perth Amboy is an ideal distribution center for the toys.
“Perth Amboy’s central location gives us efficient and easy connectivity to the rest of New Jersey,” Vazquez said. “We are pleased to be able to use this connectivity for charitable purposes and bridge the gap between Toys for Tots and the northern portion of our state.”
“Mayor Caba, the Perth Amboy Redevelopment Agency, and Bridge Industrial have been great partners in helping us secure a much-needed warehouse for our first North Jersey campaign,” Sardine added. “The City and Bridge Industrial’s generosity will help bring joy to the holiday season for thousands of kids who will now be able to open amazing presents their families may not have been able to afford otherwise.”