It was like a single candle being lit in the dark of night.
Then, another, soon joined by dozens of candles, and soon, hundreds. Points of light in the darkness, giving hope.
This is how #TogetherNJ began. An initiative designed by NJ.com to highlight moments of grace in a trying time, it has quickly emerged as one of our most popular sections. It’s a coordinated effort involving the entire newsroom, with stories, videos and podcasts that appear on NJ.com and on social media, from Twitter to Facebook to Instagram and YouTube.
“We have every reporter in the virtual newsroom looking for #TogetherNJ stories,” said Jessica Mazzola, a managing producer at NJ.com who has overseen the project. “This has been a full team effort — which has been fantastic.”
Sharing stories about how New Jerseyans have come together to support each other is something vital journalists do during times of crisis — and everyone in the newsroom continues to do this week in, week out.
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#TogetherNJ began with a question from Alyssa Passeggio, director of audience development, about how these stories can be told. She posed the question to Mazzola, “How can we do this in a way that’s going to bring people good news every day?”
Mazzola said #TogetherNJ began organically, as people across New Jersey shared stories of sacrifice, hope, resiliency and kindness as the coronavirus pandemic swept across the world.
“In the early days of the pandemic, it was wild. It was just one thing after another after another,” said Mazzola, who heads up #TogetherNJ. “Everything that people were reading and seeing, it could just take a toll on you after a while.”
There have been dozens of stories, from two teen sisters who organized a local card drive for the elderly, to how merchants in Little India are helping their community and the unemployed casino chefs who are making meals for those in need to everyday people collecting donations for a local food bank.
But one of the most memorable of these stories has been that of Joe Wojtecki, assistant of patient experience at Clara Maass Medical Center, who was helping grieving families share one last goodbye with loved ones dying from COVID-19, including a colleague, Dr. Francis Molinari.
Wojtecki set up a FaceTime call with Molinari’s family so they could speak with him one last time, even if he could not talk back, something he had done for countless other families.
“You’re putting your life at risk every day. ... But you’re also providing a service that you have no idea how it touches our lives,” Lisa Molinari told Wojtecki. " I could not thank you enough and please know how much we appreciate that."
Natalie Paterson, a social & video producer for NJ.com, helped set up a FaceTime call between Wojtecki and Molinari’s family.
“That was one of those days where the reality of the entire experience really hit,” Paterson said. “This healthcare worker, in real time, appeared he was talking through all the emotions that have come along with his job. You could see him processing as he was talking to us and it was extremely emotional. It doesn’t get any more real than that.”
Paterson said this became an inspirational moment for her because “you are seeing the resiliency of the people of our state and I think it is a very moving thing to witness firsthand.”
Mazzola said this was a story she would not soon forget. “People who had never met either of those folks felt so much for their situation," she said. "The feedback has been heartening.”
Readers have shared their support for the stories highlighted by #TogetherNJ, and, Mazzola explained, those featured in the articles have as well, particularly if they are hoping to raise money or collect donations. Sometimes, she said, you get a note back from someone who has been profiled and often they are humbled, but appreciative, that their cause has gotten help thanks to #TogetherNJ.
“I’ve been struck by the messages that we’ve got from just general members of the community who may have nothing to do with the particular topic we’ve written about but are just really touched by what’s been happening out there,” Mazzola said.
Some of those helping produce #TogetherNJ include Jessica Remo, who, Mazzola explained, took the idea of doing a Together NJ podcast and “ran with it,” spearheading efforts to use the platform to tell stories in a different way.
NJ.com editor Jess Mazzola, who tested positive and recovered from the coronavirus earlier this year, spearheads the #TogetherNJ initiative.
Amy Z. Quinn, Mazzola said, uses the NJ.com newsletters to get these uplifting stories to more people, while Paterson is heading up the video efforts.
“I don’t know if there are any that I’ve watched that haven’t made me tear up,” Mazzola said. “They are beautiful and moving. ... When you see one of Natalie’s videos, you think ‘Oh my God’.”
Paterson said some videos supplement what the reporters have written, while others have been standalone pieces; a collaborative effort between reporter and producer.
“You can always use the hashtag #TogetherNJ to show us acts of kindness that you are doing, things that are keeping your spirits up in your community, whether that’s playing with your kids in the backyard or volunteering for a food pantry," Paterson said.
Just as #TogetherNJ launched, Mazzola received news that she tested positive for coronavirus.
“I worked through the whole time I was sick, which was helpful for me,” she said, explaining she was fortunate to have gotten a mild case. “It helped me do something to distract myself. ... Being able to focus on working in general, on stories that are uplifting. The exact kind of story I needed in that moment as I was fighting off the virus.”
Paterson, too, said her work on #TogetherNJ has reminded her of the inner strength of New Jerseyans.
“Say what you want about New Jersey, we are a resilient bunch and are so quick to jump in when others need a helping hand," Paterson said. “We are basically battle tested at this point. We’ve lived through 9/11, we lived through Hurricane Sandy, so jumping in to help is nothing new to us."
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