About Us
Who We Are
The MECF represents the best of our town of Madison, NJ. We are an all-volunteer charity that raises funds to provide gift cards during the month of December to Madison families and senior citizens who are struggling financially. All of these neighbors receive cards for groceries and warm winter clothing, and then can select some cards from a long list of Madison shops and restaurants.
The MECF provides families and seniors in need with the dignity to choose what gifts work best for them. We know they feel the town's generosity enormously. At its core, it is Madison neighbor helping neighbor.
Who We Help
The MECF has worked to find those in our town who are most in need. We offer our gifts to Madison families with school-age children that are registered in the Free & Reduced Lunch Program, or NJ certification programs (like SNAP), or the Madison YMCA's scholarship program. Families with very young children who are in the PreSchool Advantage program also receive our gifts. For senior citizens on fixed incomes, we reach out to all residents in Madison Housing Authority residences and remote locations, as well as the Pine Acres Nursing Home.
By The Numbers
In December of 2023, the MECF provided gift cards to 110 Madison families, representing 203 adults and 197 children. We provided cards to 75 senior citizens, and provided funds to The Thursday Morning Club to shop for gifts for 10 residents of the Pine Acres Nursing Home.
The MECF spent over $71,000 on its gifts, of which $11,000 was used to purchase Burlington cards for winter clothing and the remaining $60,000 went directly to the shops and restaurants of downtown Madison. In this way, we supported not only those in need, but our business neighbors as well.
How We Get it All Done
The town rallies behind the MECF. We rely on generous donations, mostly from those in our town, but we get so much more help. We've had the Central Ave School collect coins in their "Change for Change" fundraiser, the Madison HS varsity girls and boys teams raise money by throwing sponsored free throws, and the Bar Method gym reach out to fundraise to their members. We've received donations from Madison's Presbyterian Church, Grace Church, the Rotary Club, and the Elks Lodge.
When families come to collect their gift cards in December, they find tables overflowing with new pajamas collected by students in the St. Vincent Martyr Church Youth Ministry Program and sorted by Madison Girl Scout Troop members. Families find a table full of new school supplies to choose from that were donated by students in the Madison Junior School.
And our MECF senior citizens? In their gift card envelopes they find holiday cards created and signed by younger Madison Girl and Boy Scouts. For those seniors that are homebound, the MECF delivers their gift cards to their doors. And for those living in the Pine Acres Nursing Home, we provide funds to the generous volunteers of The Thursday Morning Club to shop for the items the seniors have requested: cardigans, pajamas, and new sheets among them. It is a grassroots mission supported by so many in Madison.