Commerce_2305_06_digital (2) | Page 25

■ Philanthropy

■ Philanthropy

Continued From Page 22 at home . Habitat Bergen was able to gift these desks to over 225 students throughout Bergen County and provide them with a home workspace that assisted in their virtual learning . Donors were encouraged to donate $ 35 to build one desk for a student in need . Desks 4 Homes was sponsored by Lakeland Bank and NVE Bank and provided a more successful home learning environment for students in Hackensack , Teaneck , Bergenfield , Cliffside Park , and Garfield . “ There are children in our community without access to an appropriate learning environment ,” said Teri Capparelli , Habitat Bergen ReStore Director . “ We have volunteers willing to provide the time to build these simple desks that will have a profound positive impact on a child ’ s remote learning experience .” Capparelli spearheaded this initiative .
Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey
As the leading health solutions company in the state , Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey ’ s ( Horizon BCBSNJ ) response to the impacts of COVID‐19 was an all-hands-on deck effort . Committed to helping employers , members , employees , and communities through difficult times , the company implemented no-cost coverage for in-network COVID‐19 diagnosis and treatment , expanded access and eliminated out-of-pocket costs for telemedicine , and donated $ 2.5 million for 500,000 N95 masks and 81,000 face shields , as well as $ 2 million to the New Jersey Pandemic Relief Fund .
Horizon BCBSNJ ’ s philanthropic arm , The Horizon Foundation for New Jersey , focused on supporting immediate health and basic needs and addressing health disparities , by providing more than $ 800,000 in grants in the areas of childcare , food security , and physical and mental health needs . Horizon BCBSNJ matched employee donations for COVID‐19 relief dollar for dollar , totaling over $ 88,000 . Employees also volunteered thousands of hours across New Jersey .
Table to Table
The small but mighty team at Table to Table , NJ ’ s first food rescue organization , operated nearly 24 / 7 throughout the pandemic , feeding its most vulnerable neighbors throughout Bergen , Essex , Hudson , and Passaic Counties . Hungry seniors , veterans , children , and families relied on each and every food delivery from Table to Table . The need was staggering , unpredictable and never ending . The task was daunting , but Table to Table persevered .
With its deep connection to its recipient partners in the community , Table to Table received unprecedented food requests . Thanks to the generosity of our leading food and corporate partners such as HelloFresh , Bank of America , and Inserra Supermarkets , Table to Table moved swiftly and resourcefully , creating food distributions where more than 50 million pounds of food were provided from 2020-2021 . With each delivery , Table to Table not only provided fresh nutritious fruit , vegetables , and protein , they also provided hope .
Terrie O ’ Connor Realtors
At the height of the pandemic , when the entire state of New Jersey shut down , the agents of Terrie O ’ Connor Realtors stepped up to help . Joseph Lehr , Broker Associate of the Saddle River office , organized a group of five volunteers in the Cupsaw Lake community of Ringwood to form Cupsaw Cares , a 501c3 organization dedicated to providing much needed PPE ( gloves , masks , face shields , goggles , hand sanitizer ) to their communities and to first responders and hospitals in Bergen , Passaic and Morris Counties in New Jersey and Rockland County in New York . To date , this group of dedicated citizens has distributed over $ 150,000 worth of PPE .
Kristine Grieco of the Ramsey office , helped the Dater School PTO launch Ramsey Strong to solicit more than $ 110,000 in donations . The monies were used to purchase meals from local restaurants to feed front-line healthcare workers . “ It was a win-win : we helped local restaurants struggling to survive amid COVID‐19 restrictions while feeding nurses and doctors working to save our neighbors , family and friends ,” she said .
Helping Veterans
Bergen New Bridge Medical Center
Bergen New Bridge Medical Center is proud to be a VA Community Care Provider , providing healthcare and behavioral health services to our veterans . Our team assists veterans who need help scheduling appointments and coordinates transportation for those in need .
We also go where veterans live and work to provide the care they need in their communities . Our Community Health Team visits VFW and American Legion posts throughout northern New Jersey , distributing at-home COVID‐19 tests , providing vaccinations and boosters , health screenings and more . The team has hosted lunch and learn events for veterans at the Medical Center , attended veterans ’ events , organized health fairs for veterans and more .
Bergen New Bridge has hosted veteran suicide prevention trainings and has partnered with the Bergen County Rise Suicide Coalition . We held several career fairs for veterans at which we also provided legal aid and health insurance enrollment resources . We thank veterans for their service by providing high quality healthcare and services when and where they need it .
McCarter & English
McCarter has a long history of service to veterans . Throughout our footprint , our lawyers help veterans seek the benefits to which they are entitled ; appeal the all-too-frequent wrongful denials of benefits ; and apply for discharge upgrades so that veterans with an inappropriate ‘ other-than-honorable ’ discharge can become eligible for benefits . We also represent veterans with the range of community integration challenges they face after returning from service , and have done so for many years . We help screen veterans for legal needs at a VA hospital in the Greater Boston area , and we handle evictions , divorces , estate planning , and help clear criminal records for veterans in NJ , CT , and MA . We were humbled to receive the 2021 TVC Law Firm Pro Bono Mission Partner from The Veterans Consortium Pro Bono Program and 2022 Outstanding Pro Bono Service Award from Veterans Legal Services . As a firm , we believe it is our responsibility and privilege to be of service , and we are grateful to all of our partner organizations for making it possible for us to lend a hand .
Mikula Contracting
Mikula Contracting was truly honored to be featured on the NBC show George to the Rescue in May 2022 . Mikula was called in by George Oliphant , the host and producer of George to the Rescue , to volunteer to help out former Marine Victor Alamanzar and his family when they discovered mold issues and water inside the basement of their new home in West Orange . This small basement renovation turned into one of the largest projects yet to be seen on George to the Rescue . This project included a major excavation that included new drainage to be installed around the property . Mikula ’ s team excavated around the entire perimeter of the house and then installed the new drainage system in order to prevent water from getting into their home again . Once the project was completed , Victor and his family could use their basement without worry and enjoy family movie night together !
Monmouth Medical Center
Monmouth Medical Center ’ s ( MMC ) LiveWell Center , which provides free health programs and activities for individuals of all ages , partners with Soldier On in Tinton Falls , a facility that provides housing and support for over 60 military veterans . Solider On residents attend programs at the LiveWell Center , and weekly from August through December , MMC delivered 60 produce boxes to residents . In November in conjunction with Veterans ’ Day , LiveWell Center Registered Dietitian Jennifer Klein , MS , RDN , brought the programming to Soldier On with a cooking demonstration that showed how to prepare a simple , healthy meal with the fresh produce they receive . This March , Klein will take part in a Cancer Prevention , Screening , and Nutrition Lunch and Learn program at Solider On , discussing the importance of fiber for a healthy colon and providing residents with education on different sources of fiber and simple tips to help them meet their daily fiber needs .
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