On December 19, 2023 different companies came together to volunteer at the Community Foodbank Of New Jersey. Companies like Cintas, Arch, and the Grand Lux Cafe (Owned by the cheesecake factory) were some of the many companies in attendance.
The event started out with Debby Scheinholtz senior director of corporate relations and volunteers at CFBNJ shouting out all the companies that came out that day. Scheinholtz also explained more about CFBNJ.
The CFBNJ is one of the largest food banks in the state. They provide food to eleven counties directly such as Bergen, Passaic, Essex, and many more. They serve Hunter, Sussex, Warren, and Mercer with different programs. In 2022 alone they managed to distribute ninety million meals. CFBNJ has volunteers four days a year all year round, and on Saturdays during the holiday season.
Some facts that Scheinholtz went over were; more than 725,000 New Jersey residents suffer from food insecure, more than 175,000 kids are food insecure in South Jersey alone. Most of the essential items that can be proteins, non perishable goods, and feminine hygiene products.
Scheinholtz told the volunteer which groups they were being separated to. One group worked on boxes that go home with children during the weekend, a box that goes to senior citizens, and the last group was placed to organize pasta into individual bags.
General manager Nick Hoar from The Grand Lux Cafe spoke on seeing his staff volunteering. He said “ I thought it was great that everyone showed up. We had a great turn out and everyone seemed to be invested in what we were trying to do.” I also got the chance to ask him what he would like other potential companies to know about volunteering at the food bank, “It really boosts morale for your staff and it shows that the leadership in the company and the company itself actually care about more than just profit.”
All of the volunteer work that was done that day was a success. Seeing different companies taking time out during their busy holiday schedule shows the good in people. If you would like to help out CFBNJ you can their website cfbnj.org