Our Mission
The Holiday Express's mission is to deliver music, food, gifts, financial support, and friendship to those with the greatest need for the gift of human kindness during the holiday season and throughout the year.
About Us
Building the future
Founded in 1993 by Tim McLoone, Holiday Express believes no one should be alone on the holidays. Our programs use the healing power of music and friendship to improve the quality of life for those often forgotten. This season, we will again visit 100 organizations in the metropolitan tri-state area, hosting special charitable events and bringing hope and joy to nearly 30,000 people. Most charities Holiday Express serves are registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations. For many of them, traditional funding sources are insufficient for their basic needs.
While most of us look forward to the holidays with excitement and anticipation, for some, the months of November and December are anything but joyful or peaceful. The holidays for those struggling with financial problems, health issues, and loneliness can be a time of increased sadness and stress. This is often the case for the people Holiday Express serves, which include those with mental and physical challenges, veterans, individuals in addiction and recovery programs, the isolated, the poor, the homeless, and children with serious illnesses.
Our signature program provides an interactive holiday musical extravaganza led by a team of volunteer professional musicians, a delicious meal, fun holiday activities, and a gift bag. The well-stocked canvas duffel bag is filled with new, useful, and practical items, including a warm blanket, toiletries, gloves, a hat, and a scarf. Over 2,500 volunteers work year-round to make a difference in the lives of adults and children in need. In most cases, ours is the only holiday program offered at the organizations we visit. Holiday Express receives no state or federal funding of any kind. All the money, food, and gift bag items are donated or purchased at discounted prices.
While most of the charity programs occur from early November through December 24th, our staff and volunteers work year-round in our 10,000-square-foot warehouse to prepare for these events and fundraising activities.
Holiday Express brings hope and joy to thousands of people each year. We are a critical link to the forgotten individuals and society, fostering the healing connection between music and people.
The Music
Charity Programs
Charity Programs
Fund Raising
Fund Raising
Volunteers
Volunteers
Adult Special Needs Programs
These programs provide comprehensive mental health services promoting full community participation. Individuals and families living with depression, mental illness, substance abuse, or disabilities that impact learning receive counseling, support, and many other services in a safe, compassionate environment. These services provide hope for recovery and enable individuals with disabilities or special needs and their families to live, learn, work, and play in their communities with equality, dignity, and independence.
Schools for Children with Special Needs
The students at these schools have various classifications which include but are not limited to: hearing impaired, autistic, communication impaired, cognitively impaired, multiply disabled, other health impaired, specific learning disability, and traumatic brain injury. The schools provide a safe and nurturing educational environment dedicated to the vision that individuals with disabling conditions are entitled to a full and meaningful life.
Developmental Centers
New Jersey Developmental Centers are home to approximately 2,700 individuals. Residents have intensive needs related to their developmental disabilities and many also have co-occurring mental health, behavioral and/or medical needs. The average age is 51 and more than 80 percent of the residents have lived in a developmental center since childhood. Many residents are non-ambulatory and must use a wheelchair for mobility.
Medical and Educational Facilities
These facilities support a wide range of individuals with disabilities throughout all stages of life. A full continuum of care is offered for adults, children, adolescents and their families, as well as for those with various addictions. Services provided include medical and educational treatment for children and adults with medically complex developmental disabilities and associated clinical conditions. Residential and inpatient programs focus on all aspects of the resident’s development, including educational, emotional, medical, social, and spiritual needs.
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Cerebral Palsy Sites
These programs provide education, therapeutic, social, residential and support services for people with cerebral palsy or other physical disabilities. They seek to maximize independence for individuals with developmental and multiple physical disabilities in the areas of communication, education, functional skills, social skills, vocational skills and employment.
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Soup Kitchens
Feeding all who come hungry and in need is the main mission of our area’s soup kitchens, yet they do much more. Services have expanded to include outreach programs such as adult education, computer training, medical services, women and children centers, health care counseling, screening and referrals, social services, children’s activities, food pantries, and arts and crafts.
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Psychiatric Hospitals
These hospitals serve a designated New Jersey population. They provide quality comprehensive psychiatric, medical, and rehabilitative services encouraging maximum patient independence and movement toward community reintegration within a safe and caring environment. These are adult inpatient facilities that offer a multidisciplinary team approach to the development and implementation of care.
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Children’s Hospitals
These hospitals serve infants, children, and young adults affected by traumatic brain injury, spinal cord dysfunction and injury, premature birth, autism, developmental delays, and life-changing illnesses. They are dedicated exclusively to diagnosing, caring for, and treating children with complex medical and rehabilitative needs.
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Recovery/Shelter Residency Programs
These programs provide a wide range of services for the poor in New Jersey, including food, shelter, substance abuse treatment, primary medical and dental care, and various transitional and permanent housing options. Additional supportive services include parenting classes, play therapy, personal finance workshops, job training, and placement.