Association Members, Staff Donate Food, Funds and Time for 7th Straight Year
Nearly $8,000 in cash and over 4,700 pounds of food were donated to the Community FoodBank of New Jersey (CFBNJ) as NAIOP New Jersey held its 2016 Community Action Project on July 15. This is the seventh straight year the commercial real estate development association has teamed up with the CFBNJ to address hunger in the Garden State by providing on-site assistance as well as donations of food and funds.
“This summer has been a particularly lean one for CFBNJ, so the timing and impact of this project has been enormous,” said Michael McGuinness, CEO of NAIOP NJ, which has engaged in community service through its Community Action Project Committee since 2000. “We sincerely thank our members for their long-standing commitment to giving back to underserved communities and residents throughout New Jersey, as well as our volunteers for their support of this worthy cause.” NAIOP NJ Member F. Greek Development collected and donated over 2,000 pounds of household goods, as well as over $4,000 in cash donations, transported and unloaded by their team of 24 volunteers.
110 volunteers – including chapter members, colleagues, family members and staff – helped transport donations collected at the offices of NAIOP members and their tenants to CFBNJ’s headquarters and warehouse in Hillside, where they stocked shelves and re-packaged supplies for distribution to New Jersey residents in need. The effort was spearheaded by NAIOP NJ’s Community Action Committee co-chairs Jon Mikula of HFF and Joe Zagari of Avison Young, and coordinated by Director of Policy and Communications Barbara Morford. Lunch for volunteers and CFBNJ staff was provided by Dartcor Food Services, which also made a sizeable food donation. Elberon Development Group sponsored the volunteer lunch.
CFBNJ, a designated 501©(3) charitable organization, provides food and other supplies to more than 1,000 soup kitchens, food pantries, shelters, after-school programs and senior citizens in 17 counties throughout the state. Each year, the Food Bank and its partners distribute 44 million pounds of food to more than 1,000 non-profit programs, as well as more than 400 programs served by its Partner Distribution Organizations (PDOs). Over 4.7 million times a year, someone in need is fed by CFBNJ’s network of partner charities.
