Isiah Christie 
The holidays are a season of giving, and Michele Farrell, a Hoboken local, has embraced this message by leading a gift bag drive for teenage girls in foster care. The Hoboken Girl chatted with Michele to learn about her work and its importance during this time of year. Keep reading to learn about Michele’s initiative and how to get involved this holiday season.
Michele’s Story
Michele Farrell is a Hoboken resident, Broker Associate at Liberty Realty, and the founder of Wanderlust Marrakech: Insider Retreats, where she plans and curates trips to Morocco. During the holiday season, Michele leads an annual gift bag drive for teenage girls in foster care. This initiative began when she was connected with the director of Hudson County CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocates), a nonprofit organization that advocates for children in foster care. Michele organizes these drives with Women Entrepreneurs Connection, a group she started for women entrepreneurs in Hoboken.
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Michele embraces what these drives create for the community and has made them a vital part of her work during the holidays. “This is such a special project that creates memories for the girls, and I know that CASA looks forward to our participation every year,” Michele told HG.
About the Gift Bag Drive
‘We assemble the gift bags and give them to CASA for distribution,” Michele explained. The gift bags are delivered directly to the girls in foster care, and consist of a $25 gift card (preferably VISA, Target, or Sephora) and items a teenage girl would love, such as lip gloss, skincare products, and hair accessories. Last year, Michele enjoyed a great turnout at the drive, with nearly 80 bags collected. The drive has brought great joy to the participants who contribute, with one CASA volunteer fondly recollecting her exchange with one of the teenage girls.
“She squealed in delight at her gift bag of makeup and skin care products … for a moment, she shed her tough skin,” the CASA volunteer told Michele. “I thank [the women] for donating your time, money, and energy into creating special memories for girls and bolstering their self-esteem.”
Michele and the WEC team are currently accepting donations and will be finalizing them by December 5th. To receive more details or drop off a bag, contact [email protected]. Appreciated items include:
- A $25 gift card (preferably VISA, Target, or Sephora)
- Lip gloss
- Skincare products
- Hair accessories
- Makeup accessories
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