Bridgeton Families Gather at Hopeloft for Stuff the Trunk Event
Event Volunteers Prepare for toy distribution at the Stuff the Trunk event at Hopeloft in Bridgeton on Dec. 22. Photo by Justin Roig
BY JUSTIN ROIG | For AC JosepH Media
BRIDGETON — Families gathered at Hopeloft in Bridgeton on Monday, Dec. 22, to receive presents from a coalition of local organizations.
The Stuff the Trucks: Gifts and Kicks Holiday Hope Mission toy drive was announced at the beginning of December as a collaboration between many community organizations including, Games On The Go, KYMO (Keeping Young Minds Occupied), Flying First Class Equestrian Center, The Hopeloft, Bridgeton Automall, Carmelo’s Pizza, and several others.
The toy drive was initially the idea of Anthony Hill, owner of Games on The Go and co-director of KYMO, a local mobile entertainment service provider. Hill said this event was not just a matter of giving out toys for Christmas, but part of a wider strategy of violence prevention in the city.
“So, us connecting with the community, doing the toy drive, being able to give gifts and kids, it really connects us with the kids that out here might be into violence,” Hill said. “So that kid that may have had a violent issue out there may be coming to enjoy yourself.”
Families registered in the weeks prior to the toy distribution and were called by names from a list of the registrants. When called, the families were brought into a separate room which contained toys, books, sneakers, and other items for the children to pick as their presents.
Prior to and following the children receiving their presents, arts and crafts activities such as coloring and face painting were provided for the children as well as food, candy, and hot chocolate provided by Carmelo’s Pizza and other donors. A horse was provided by Flying First Class Equestrian Center of Upper Deerfield Township for the children to pet and take pictures with.
Ashleigh Mohr (Right) and her Horse in front of Hopeloft in Downtown Bridgeton for the Stuff The Trunk Event on Dec. 22, 2025. Photo by Justin Roig
Not only did the event assist families who would otherwise have difficulty providing presents for their children, it allowed them to find community amongst those in similar circumstances.
“I mean, it makes the kids happy and sure that they’re not alone, that there’s other families just like them, yeah, giving to the community.”
Jackie Munson of Bridgeton, an event attendee told Front Runner New Jersey.com.
Jackie Munson Enjoying dinner with her family at Hopeloft in Downtown Bridgeton for the Stuff The Trunk Event on Dec. 22, 2025. Photo by Justin Roig
Harlan Miller of KYMO spoke of his own childhood experience with hardship during the Christmas season and how it brought him to help organize events like these.
“Well, I know what it’s like to wake up during the holidays and not have anything,” he said. “You know, my mom was struggling with cancer for 12 years of my youth, so it was a lot of times we didn’t get gifts because she couldn’t afford it. So now, in my, and, you know, in this day and time, I want to be somebody that provides things that people don’t have when they can’t afford to get them.”
Thirty-five families registered according to Gia Lloyd, a teacher at the Hopeloft, around 20 additional families attended bringing the overall attendance to around 100 people. Lloyd stated she was thrilled with the community support for the toy drive.
“Basically, a bunch of us just started saying, ‘You know what? Let’s add another person. Let’s ask, can somebody come,'” Lloyd said. “Can someone join us who wants to do more and the community, really all the organizations wanted to partner with us and do it.”
Lloyd echoed the sentiments these events are paramount in addressing issues such as violence and build community amongst families
“Meeting the parents, meeting the family, supporting the family this time of year is hard,” Lloyd said. “It’s hard for people who maybe lost a job or, you know, or have fallen down on their luck a little bit, to be able to come to an event like this and have a holiday type, family type event that somebody else is providing for you, it feels like It would be a magical experience for our community.”
For Summer Wasser of Bridgeton, events like these give her and her family one less thing to worry about.
“It means a lot because this year I wasn’t able to really provide them with a Christmas so I’m just thankful that we were able to come and they were able to get gifts”, Wasser told Front Runner New Jersey.com. “. It makes me worry about one less thing, or one last thing that I have to worry about. So for me, if they could do this every day, that would be great.”
Summer Wasser and her family enjoying their Christmas presents at Hopeloft in Downtown Bridgeton for the Stuff The Trunk Event on Dec. 22, 2025. Photo by Justin Roig
Miller said he intends to build up the capacity for next year’s Stuff The Trucks toy drive to serve even more families.
“I was very impressed with the year of 2025,” Miller said. “A lot of organizations, a lot of individuals did a lot of extraordinary things throughout the city of Bridgeton to keep young minds occupied throughout the whole year.
“So, I just want you to know next year to be bigger and better, and I want all of us to be able to work together as one, and so we can have bigger and better events, I think together, we can do a lot more together for the community.”
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