– Photo by Michelle Dryden
TRENTON, N.J. — Just in time for Christmas, The National Council of Negro Women (NCNW) — Mercer Section, and Mt. Zion A.M.E. Church of Trenton, held a food and toy drive at the church Friday, with hopes to make the holidays happy for many families.
“We asked the pastor to identify 25 families that we can be a blessing to,” said Lossie Whitaker-Thornton, vice president of NCNW, Mercer Section.
Families with children were present to choose from many toys like dolls and trucks, and games that were on separate tabletops and labeled by age and gender.
They were also giving away 24 whole turkeys that weighed about 10-15 pounds each, a ham, and six chickens to three families. 
– Photo by Michelle Dryden
Thornton said the turkeys they were giving to families included all the trimmings such as cranberry sauce, apple cider, dinner rolls, cornbread, string beans, yams, and macaroni and cheese.
The NCNW, Mercer Section is a newly formed organization that’s a branch of the national organization. It was formed in January 2017, but became and official section in March. It held its installation service Sept. 30 at the Pines Manor in Edison. There are about 63 members.
“This is our first year at Mt. Zion A.M.E. We partnered with them,” said Thornton.
The pastor of Mt. Zion A.M.E., Rev. Frank Smart was happy to have the NCNW at his church.
“Because it’s a national council, it’s an honor to have them choose Mt. Zion from the many other churches in Trenton,” said Smart. “We see it as an honor. As far as the members, we always want to lend a helping hand, a supportive hand, and this is a time of the year that we’d like to do it.”
The NCNW, Mercer Section does many other community-based activities that have positive impact on families, children, and especially women of color. 
– Photo by Michelle Dryden
Since becoming a Mercer County organization, they have held a health fair in the summer, had financial literacy and entrepreneurship events, voter registration, and Pennington Day in May where businesses came out to support each other.
They have plans for upcoming events such as a Legacy Jazz Brunch in February at Mountain View Golf Club in Ewing, and they are looking into a scholarship luncheon for college students, said Rev. Dr. Angela Battle, President of NCNW, Mercer Section.
Educator and political leader, Mary McLeod Bethune founded the NCNW in 1935. It is a nonprofit membership organization comprised of 36 national African-American women’s organizations and more than 230 community and campus-based sections.
NCNW’s mission is to lead, empower and advocate for nearly three million women, their families and communities.
“We seek to harness the collective power of women of African descent, so that they may realize their full potential and create a just society that enhances the quality of life for all people,” their mission states.
For more information about NCNW, or the Jazz brunch, call (973) 634-1176, or e-mail lossielwt@aol.com.