Commerce_22_03 | Page 48

■ Companies That Care

■ Companies That Care

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Opici Family Distribution arranged walks to support their five hand-picked charities .
training and education to women and children in India so they can be self-supporting and lead independent lives .
Opici Family Distribution
Our # OPICIcares program began in October 2021 and spans more than five months , ending in February 2022 . A total of five charities were hand-picked by the # OPICIcares team . One charity was highlighted each month along with an opportunity to win a gift basket donated by our generous supplier partners . Our first charity was SU2C ( Stand Up to Cancer ) followed by Homes for Our Troops , The Community FoodBank of NJ , the NAMI ( National Alliance for Mental Illness ) and My Stuff Bags Foundation . Earlier in the year , we had our 3rd Annual # OPICI walks . This was a virtual walk taking place around the country over the weekend of June 25th to support the Restaurant Workers ’ Community Foundation . This gave us an opportunity to give back to a segment of our industry hit the hardest . More than 200 employees and their families supported this cause and we donated $ 14,000 .
Peapack-Gladstone Bank
During the holiday season , Peapack- Gladstone Bank sponsored a nostalgic Christmas Tree Sale at its Boonton , New Jersey location to support nourish . NJ in Morristown and its efforts to alleviate homelessness and hunger in New Jersey municipalities . This inaugural event was reminiscent of past sales sponsored by the local Kiwanis Club . Beginning the day after Thanksgiving , this 10-day event , orchestrated entirely by bank volunteers , brought holiday cheer to the community while raising donations for charity . Employees offered refreshments while assisting families in finding their perfect tree and cut , netted and loaded their selection onto vehicles . Selling more than 250 trees in a variety of species and sizes , 100 percent of sales totaling $ 27,750 benefitted nourish . NJ . This tree sale was the first in the return of an annual area tradition , where each year , a new community beneficiary will be named .
Pfizer Pfizer is a biopharmaceutical company in pursuit of scientific breakthroughs and revolutionary medicines that will create a healthier world for everyone . Throughout Pfizer ’ s 172- year history , the company has developed an innovative manufacturing infrastructure and made significant investments to get crucial medicines to patients faster — from penicillin during World War II to the COVID‐19 vaccine . This year , Pfizer colleagues demonstrated their resilience by producing more than 3 billion doses of the COVID‐19 vaccine for people around the world . Pfizer is proud to have over 1,000 colleagues working at its New Jersey facilities , including Peapack and Parsippany , many of whom work for Pfizer Global Supply , Pfizer Regulatory Affairs and other Pfizer divisions which are central to the COVID‐19 vaccine distribution efforts .
PSEG
More than a century ago , Thomas McCarter , the founder of PSEG , spelled out his vision for the young company : “ To help make New Jersey a better place to live .” Over the decades , PSEG ’ s dedicated employees have worked hard to assure our customers and the many diverse communities we serve that “ Public Service ” is more than our name — it ’ s part of our DNA .
Today , our employees ’ grassroots citizenship is reflected on and off the job , through dedicated service , volunteerism and philanthropy in our communities . Despite the ongoing pandemic , approximately half of PSEG ’ s workforce volunteered in 2021 , thanks in large part to innovative “ virtual ” opportunities that allow employees to support our communities in a safe and responsible manner . Since the start of the pandemic , the PSEG Foundation has held multiple 2:1 matching gift campaigns with our most recent effort occurring on “ Giving Tuesday ,” which supported nearly 200 charities .
Riker Danzig Scherer Hyland & Perretti LLP
For more than 20 years , Riker Danzig has organized an annual Toy Drive to help brighten the holidays for those in need . Spearheaded by Commercial Litigation Partner Bethany A . Abele , with assistance from Director of Library and Research Services Anne Shulman , employees donate hundreds of toys and other gifts each year to local charitable organizations . Even with employees working largely remotely during the pandemic , the response to the Toy Drive was as robust as ever , with an exceptional collection of toys donated . Employees gave cash donations for our shopping elves , picked out fun toys themselves or worked from wish lists provided by Jersey Battered
Women ’ s Service ( JBWS ) and the Morristown Neighborhood House . The result was another enormous outpouring of holiday cheer for our community children . We were thrilled to be able to continue to provide moments of delight for families in our community , particularly during the stressful days of the pandemic .
Saint Peter ’ s University Hospital
Saint Peter ’ s University Hospital ’ s Community Health Services department has been at the forefront of reducing the risk of COVID‐19 . Saint Peter ’ s , whose Catholic mission is to provide humble service to humanity , especially the most vulnerable , has administered 36,000-plus vaccines to adults and children , including those attending Catholic schools in the Diocese of Metuchen , at vaccine clinics at the hospital , and on-site at Carteret and New Brunswick public schools . “ With Middlesex County ’ s Office of Health Services and the Healthier Middlesex Consortium , Saint Peter ’ s distributed Coronavirus Care Kits to New Brunswick ’ s hardest hit neighborhoods , Esperanza and Unity Square , disseminating bilingual healthcare information , masks , hand sanitizer and soap to help residents engage in prevention ,” said Marge Drozd , MSN , RN , APRN-BC , director of Community Health Services . These neighborhoods primarily consist of multi-family dwellings where individuals may have limited access to healthcare information . Distribution sites included local parks , churches and food distribution centers .
SobelCo .
SobelCo is committed to the New Jersey nonprofit community , but during the COVID‐19 pandemic , our in-person volunteer initiatives were seriously curtailed . Instead , we had to create opportunities that incorporated wearing a mask and maintaining social distancing . Over the past two years , we have hosted several successful programs in our Livingston parking lot . In this way we were able to ensure that our employees were able to mix and mingle and continue to contribute to the nonprofit community in a meaningful and safe way . During our Trunk ’ N Treat event , staff and their families came in costume to trick-or-treat while taking part in our Food and Diaper Drive . Since COVID impacted our ability to connect in-person over the last two years , we have engaged with the nonprofit community in other ways , including through various food drives and other activities that support the nonprofit and social services organizations in our area . In addition , our commitment to educating and supporting the nonprofit community through webinars and roundtables has charged ahead , evolving from in-person to virtual events while maintaining the highest levels of relevant programming .
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