Page 26 - RE-NJ

24 WINTER 2025
Photos by Aaron Houston for Real Estate NJ
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RENEWED COMMITMENT
For NAIOP New Jersey, return of food bank volunteer day
highlights fresh focus on community action
I t was early in the year, as told
by Monica Casiello and Stacey
Weinberg, that the two longtime
NAIOP New Jersey trustees raised
the prospect of bringing back the
association’s annual volunteer day at
the Community Food Bank of New
Jersey.
The idea quickly gained traction.
“We fl oated it at a board meeting, and
the response was, I thought, pretty
enthusiastic,” said Casiello, vice
president of business development
and marketing with U.S. Title
Solutions. “I think people responded
to the idea that, as an industry, we’re
very, very fortunate and we should
really give back. And whether it’s
writing a check or packing a box,
it’s a way to make a difference in
people’s lives.”
Sure enough, NAIOP returned to the
food bank’s Hillside facility in early
July for the fi rst time since 2019,
following a hiatus that began during
the pandemic in 2020. According
to the organizations, volunteers at
NAIOP’s morning and afternoon
shifts combined for more than 200
hours worked as they prepared meal
kits, packed bags of pasta and sorted
donations, among other tasks that
equated to an average of over 24,000
meals over about six hours.
By Joshua Burd
The day of service also comes
amid the commercial real estate
development association’s renewed
focus on community action, one
of six goals outlined in a four-year
strategic plan unveiled earlier this
year. That means developing and
promoting programs that encourage
member involvement in such
initiatives, increasing visibility of
those efforts and strengthening and
establishing partnerships with local
community-focused organizations
and local governments, all while
advocating for policies that support
community revitalization and
development.
To that end, NAIOP also recently
contributed $5,000 to the New Jersey
School of Conservation’s School
Partnership Program. The chapter’s
investment directly supports New
Jersey K-12 schools, particularly
those without the resources to fund
fi eld experiences, by providing
students with hands-on STEM or
STEAM and environmental learning
at the NJSOC.
“Through this donation, our chapter
helped ensure that more students
can access meaningful outdoor
education and inspired other
community-minded organizations
to become partners in this vital