Children in crisis are the focus of this Monmouth nonprofit
HAZLET — The RAINE Foundation, standing for Reaching All In Need Everyday, is expanding its reach throughout Monmouth County, through the county's special program that facilitates access to certain services for its residents.
Board of Commissioners Deputy Director Susan Kiley is heavily involved in that initiative, known as Monmouth ACTS (Assisting Community Through Services), but she has a natural connection to the RAINE Foundation as well: Her sister is the founder, and Raine is her maiden name.
Kiley also serves on RAINE's board, and was instrumental in enabling a successful diaper drive across the county at the end of 2020.
She said that the holiday season is customarily the foundation's busiest time of year, as volunteers collect gifts and deliver them to some 2,400 children whose names are provided by the state Division of Child Protection and Permanency.
But operations continue year-round, and have done so for close to two decades.
"We do case management throughout the entire year," Kiley said. "The mission is to help families with children in crisis, and it was started right after 9/11."
Primarily serving the Bayshore region of the county, the group is now identifying other local areas of need thanks to its partnership with Monmouth ACTS, which was established by the Board of Commissioners just two years ago.
RAINE is only one of a growing number of nonprofits to link up with the county program in that time.
The organization keeps a constant lookout for new volunteers, according to Kiley.
"What we say to people all the time is, give an hour of your time before a dollar of your money, because we can always use volunteers," she said, however adding, "certainly we can use money, too, because that's how we fund the things we do for the community."
To find out more about the RAINE Foundation, visit their website or Facebook page.
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