The Beginning

Hello Everyone,

My name is Mark Czerniak Jr, and I am the creator & founder of the M.E.C. Group. All my life, I have always wanted to help people and to make a real difference in bettering people's lives. As I entered high school, nursing was the path I thought I was destined for, but events went into motion that had me step away from school for a while until I could pay off my debt. It took more than a couple of years, but I eventually paid off my bill and was finally able to go back to school. At that point, I was not the same person I was my freshman year of high school, over a decade earlier. I knew that at this point in my life, I could no longer do things halfway; it was all or nothing in everything I do if I want to succeed. After much debate and self-evaluation, I figured out what I loved and what I wanted to do.

That journey had led me to Southern New Hampshire University in pursuit of a bachelor's in Political Science. I would move forward with the goal of becoming a lawyer and getting into politics. During this time, I also found myself unemployed and decided to get out of the cooking industry and find something more in line with my future aspirations and goals. Finding this job was easier said than done as I'm still searching. One late night when I was watching the news and seeing the madness and chaos that had become so commonplace in our society, I decided that I needed to do something to help make a change. Where else better to start than my own community. So, I thought, what could I do to make a difference. that is when everything started to take off. It hit me like a freight train, a community toy drive and event to help those who needed it most.

The next day I began calling and going out to talk to people and local businesses about making my plan a reality. I ran into some issues early on and went on to learn a lot about putting an event together and so much more. Through these issues, I formed the M.E.C. Group to help give myself a name to go by and a little bit of professionalism. I continued to go out on foot and by bicycle to go business-to-business tracking down partners for donation locations, local donations to build a raffle, working out deals for tables, as well as working through the city council to get permission to use city grounds. It was a busy time, and I learned so many new things that have helped me along the way.

In mid-November 2018, I officially launched the Community Cares Toy Drive with eight donation locations. My event lasted just over a month and went better than many thought possible. To end my drive, I hosted the first-ever A night Under the Stars! to bring the drive to a proper close. I had multiple businesses join me; I put on multiple craft events for kids, had a local DJ service help with music equipment and lighting, as well as a raffle with over $500 worth of prizes. When everything was said and done, I raised $359.79 and over $700 worth of toys. I split them up and made the donations just in time for most places to get everything out a few days before Christmas. Knowing that I had a hand in making a difference in people's lives made every moment and struggle worth it.

It's been a little more than 6 months since my events ended and I have been hard at work trying to craft the next one. I have continued to learn many new things and the best ways to move forward. I have also been attempting to move forward with making my group an official 501(c)(3). I have come a long way and have a lot further to go before any of this starts to get more comfortable, but I’m ready for this challenge, and I’m going to win.