When Alex and Sydney Vogel thought about what their Mitzvah project would be, they lost no time in deciding that it would be to help Homefront –an organization in Mercer County, NJ which works to break the cycle of homelessness. The children who are housed at the Family Preservation Center (FPC) at Homefront are often frightened, having experienced things in their short lives that no child should ever have to endure. Alex, Sydney and their friend Callia Cordasco decided to create a store at FPC, just for these kids. The concept was that the kids would be rewarded with tokens throughout the week for reasons such as good behavior, good manners and exhibiting kindness towards others.

Every Wednesday, they would then be able to cash in their tokens at the store, aptly named “Storefront”, for a variety of items. Alex, Sydney and Callia stocked the store with items they collected from friends and neighbors. They were amazed at the outpouring of support they received! Storefront is now fully stocked and serving the kids living at FPC today, as well as those who will be there in the future. Setting up and working at the store has allowed the girls to witness firsthand how such small objects as those they collected can bring such big smiles to the faces of those homeless children. The tagline for Storefront is “A rewarding experience” – and for Alex, Sydney and Callia, it truly is.

Submitted by Liza, HomeFrontNJ.org