Page 27 - RE-NJ

statewide initiative,” NAIOP New
Jersey CEO Dan Kennedy said.
Returning to the Community Food
Bank, or CFBNJ, was a natural step in
the fi rst year of the strategic plan and
reignited a partnership that began in
2010. Holding the event in July, as the
organizations did in past years, also
seemed like a logical choice.
“It’s a good time for people to maybe
spend half a day outside of the offi ce,
bring coworkers with them and
come together and participate in a
nice volunteer day,” said Weinberg,
director of leasing and acquisitions
with Federal Business Centers. She
added: “What I feel and what I’ve
been hearing from people is that
(they) want to participate. People
want to do things.”
The volunteer day is “a very
meaningful experience that you
feel the impact of,” she said,
especially given the added demand
for food pantries in the summer
when students don’t have access
to free or reduced meals. CFBNJ,
meantime, notes that volunteer
hours throughout the year save it
™ 25
GIVING BACK
NAIOP New Jersey visited to
the Community Food Bank of
New Jersey’s Hillside facility
on July 10, marking the return
of its Community Action Food
Drive & Volunteer Day. The work
by chapter staff, members and
colleagues included:
• Preparing 690 grilled chicken
meal kits and breakfast meal
kits
• Packing 525 boxes for seniors
• Preparing 1,000 fi sh meal kits
• Packing 1,516 bags of pasta,
with 160 repack cases
NAIOP New Jersey also pledged
to donate $5,000 to CFBNJ.
“We were so thrilled to be back
volunteering with CFBNJ, and we
thank them for having us,” NAIOP
New Jersey CEO Dan Kennedy
said. “We are incredibly grateful
that so many people came out
and volunteered. It’s always an
honor to partner with CFBNJ to
help make a difference for our
communities.”
from hiring an additional 40 full-time
employees.
Creating a smooth experience is
essential to those partnerships,
as evidenced by the ease of the
interactions between NAIOP
members and the food bank
employees, who guided them on
everything from checking expiration
dates to making meal kits.
“Everybody who works here — all
the people who directed us and
helped us — are just incredibly
knowledgeable,” Casiello said.
“Everything is down to a science
in there’s and it’s foolproof for
volunteers. It’s a very pleasurable
volunteer experience.” RE
Pennoni is proud to serve the State of
New Jersey and assist in navigating the
redevelopment process and affordable
housing planning
New Jersey’s new affordable housing law
transforms how municipalities plan and meet
current plans to identifying opportunities