UWCJ’s Corporate Partners

Excerpts from 2010 Annual Meeting Speech follow.

Mr. Larry O’Connell, Chairman of the Board of Trustees, began the evening’s recognition of corporate partners as follows.

“I would like to congratulate Kevin Bamford of Wegmans Food Markets for the fabulous dinner you have provided us and to thank him for hosting us again this year.

I would also urge you to introduce yourself to Kevin – Kevin, please raise your hand – and arrange with him to cater your next meeting or event. If you do, you won’t be sorry, and he deserves your support. Thank you, Mr. Bamford … and thanks to the Wegmans staff who are doing such a good job of taking care of us.

Now, I want to make clear what is going on here…

In the past, we have asked you to come up and be recognized for the service you and your company have performed for the community.

But this year, we wanted to show you how your support is put to work. We wanted to give you some examples of what UWCJ does.

We invited the staff from three Programs funded by UWCJ to join us and explain what they do…and how they help. We wanted you to have a chance to learn about some of their clients and how they’ve responded to the needs they identified.

We wanted to introduce you to three clients: Mary, a single mother with three children, Patti, a pregnant teen and Irma, a 14 year old dropout. But we have to respect their privacy, so we couldn’t ask them to actually be here.

We’ve tried to tell you their stories, so that you can understand something about their lives. We’ve asked you to stand in their shoes.

It’s hard sometimes to step outside of ourselves and into the shoes of someone else, isn’t it? To feel compassion.

It’s hard sometimes to feel compassion for someone you don’t know anything about.

And it is hard sometimes to express your compassion in a public way like asking people to give during an employee campaign.

That’s why, in a symbolic way, we have provided an opportunity for you to identify with our three clients: Mary, Patti and Irma.

There are barriers we all face to taking action even when it’s based on what we feel is important.

You may feel compassion but you may not be willing to lay down your life!

You may feel compassion but not be willing to give up all your worldly goods and leave your family for a life of service…

But, if the truth be known, you probably don’t know what you’d be willing to do – if you really understand the good that can come from helping another person.

So, that’s what we are hoping to do here: if we can help you understand how important the needs are,
and how important (life changing) your help can be, then maybe you will join us in our work. If you can step into the shoes of Mary, a single mother with three children, Patti, a pregnant teenager or Irma, a 14 year old dropout, then perhaps you will feel motivated to help.

And, if you’d like to learn how you can help, there are several people here who can help you. Let me ask the Resource Development Staff to make themselves obvious. Imthiaz, Bill and Rich.

I wanted to look ahead and just briefly comment on some of our plans for the future.

United Way of Central Jersey is continuously looking at the changing needs in the community and how we might improve the way we work to improve conditions.

We have recently completed a strategic planning process that will lead us in new directions that promise to add to our investment effectiveness.

We look forward to working with you to incorporate your best thinking into our work going forward.

We all have a stake in each other’s success.

When you reach out a hand to one person, you can influence the condition of all of us.

Thank you for what you have done in 2009. Let’s make 2010 a better year for the people we serve. Thank you.

Now we would like to thank those of you who worked with United Way of Central Jersey to support the community last year. For that, may I introduce Ms. Jane Leal, Vice Chair of the Board of Trustees…”

Jane Leal continued with the presentation of recognition plaques.
“It is my great pleasure to be able to thank some of the most important people in Central Jersey. And, that is no over-statement.
The corporations that support the United Way of Central Jersey provide the funding for over 50 programs that serve the needs of thousands of people. Among other things, you provide health care and counseling, you provide job training and emergency funds, and you provide early childhood education that produces measurable results. It changes lives.

You can’t over-estimate the influence you have in this community.

That influence brings with it responsibility.
When the funding declines, fewer children get help. The consequences can last for generations. Your role within your organization is crucial to the fund raising and crucial to the lives of the people who need help in Central Jersey. On behalf of the many people who have nowhere else to turn for help – and find it because of the work you do – we thank you.

In alphabetical order:

ATT – will Janice Weiman and Rich Halecki from ATT come up, please.

United Way of Central Jersey thanks you for help with last year’s campaign including the raffle for the parking space and the online auction. But especially for the Comedy Club fundraiser at the Stress Factory in New Brunswick. I’ll tell you, fund raising with ATT is fun. ATT also was a great help with food drives. A good partner throughout the year. Thank you ATT.

C&S Wholesale
We invite Vicky Pennington to come up and receive the plaque for C&S.
C&S is the second largest grocery wholesaler in the United States and the largest in the Northeast.  In Middlesex County there are six locations working 3 shift operations.  We wish to thank Vicky Pennington and Amber Dominguez for managing this challenge and delivering a large increase in the campaign this year.  C&S also participated all year through their support for Baby Bundles and Adopt-a-Family Holiday Gift drives.

Dr. Pepper/Snapple
We invite Diana Perez to come up and receive the plaque for Dr. Pepper.
Thank you for doing a campaign and your support of the Baby Bundles and School supplies drives as well as your help with the Holiday gifts in Adopt-a-Family.

Eaton Corporation
Would Tammy Bahaj please come forward to receive our thanks for your help last year. Tammy led the drive for food last year that resulted in 16 boxes of food delivered to the County Food Bank. Eaton also held a Campaign Meeting and generated holiday gifts for the Adopt a Family program. And Nancy Salvatici donated her collection of stuffed animals that went to kids in New Brunswick. Thank you for all your help.

FedEx SmartPost
Is FedEx here? Will you come up please. Thank you for conducting a Campaign and your help with making the holidays brighter for families in need with the Adopt-a-Family program.

Frito-Lay
Christie Yang, Please step forward to accept our thanks.
Christie helped to meet the need for emergency food by donating cases of snacks for the County Food Bank. 32 cases of cookies and 12 cases of potato chips were distributed to Central Jersey families in December.
I’m sure it brightened up the day to get these treats. Thanks to you.

Health Net
Alicia Edwards from Health Net please come up. Thank you very much for supporting the community. Health Net has been acquired by United Health, so we thank you for the years of support in the past and hope we can continue to work with you in the future.

Ingersoll Rand
Will Tom Barrett come up please.
You were able to create acceptance for an employee campaign in a new organization. Ingersoll Rand acquired Trane recently and you were instrumental in generating commitment to supporting the local community. Thank you.

J&J Corp.
Teresa Ragozine come up please.
We want to acknowledge you for your commitment to increase participation in the campaign. You made it available to everyone in J&J Headquarters. Despite the difficult economy, you were able to create excitement and motivated your colleagues to join in supporting the community. With over 2,000 working at headquarters, that’s a huge achievement.

J&J Health Care Systems
Lisa Roberts, are you here? I know there are several here from JJ HCCS.
There is no company that exemplifies support for the community better than the folks at J&J Health Care Systems. They achieve over 80% participation in the campaign despite being spread out in several ations. They typically have 20 or more volunteers involved in the campaign and many more who volunteer in the community. Last year there were over 9 volunteer activities ranging from reading to children to working in the soup kitchen.
Thank you for your commitment to the community.

L’Oreal
I’d like to ask Stefanie Cox to accept our thanks for their efforts last year.
L’Oreal had their 100th anniversary and the whole company went out into the local community to make a difference. Some went to a community park to do landscaping, some went to senior residential housing to provide interaction with the residents and some went to the YMCA to work with children. It is a great way to celebrate a birthday.
Thank you for your contributions of food to the County Foodbank and all the other support you give to others.

Magyar
Judy Braverman please come up.
In a difficult time at Magyar, we acknowledge your effort to maintain the employee campaign. We look forward to developing new relationships with employees at Magyar and extending your support.

North American Energy Alliance
Is Dawn here from North American Energy Alliance?
Thank you for your help last year in supporting the community. School Supplies and a Food Drive and the holiday gifts in the Adopt-a-Family program were great. Thank you.

Multi-Plastics Extrusions
Bruce Gandarillas will you come up to accept our thanks? Bruce is on our Board and remains a stalwart supporter. Bruce participates in one of the investment allocation committees which is a volunteer position open to you if you want to help decide how to support some of our non-profit partners. He and his colleagues also provided food, Baby Bundles for low income mothers and School Supplies. Thank you.

PNC Bank
Pat Kane please come up.
Pat and her colleagues at PNC win the Olympic medal tonight. The participation in the employee campaign rose from 12 to 40% that’s over 300% increase. PNC also supports the Parent Child Home Program, and participates in many community support activities around Central jersey. Thank you.

Prudential Financial
Yvette and Cecy are you here? Please come up.
Every year Prudential Financial has a volunteer activity with the children of employees and their parents that they ask United Way to help them arrange. Last year they also had a group of volunteers construct book cases to give to participants in the Parent-Child Home Program. Did you see the photograph at the PCHP table of the little girl and her new bookcase?
I know that you do a great deal in the community with others. I hope we can work with you this coming year to do more together.

Revlon
Joy Scheck? Are you here? Please come up.
Thank you for doing a campaign and for helping by doing drives for school supplies and Adopt-a-Family last year. We are grateful for your help

Target – Milltown
Would Trish Dennison please join us here and accept our thanks.
Thank you for your help with the campaign as well as supporting the community with a Baby Bundles drive, a food drive and with holiday gifts in the Adopt a Family program. Also accept our congratulations on your recent marriage.

Target – Menlo Park
Donalda and Sheila are here from Target in Menlo Park. Will you come up please. Thank you for your help with the campaign and support of low-income Moms with your great Baby Bundles drive. Was it a car seat in that big box you gave? Can you remember? Thank you for your help.

TD Bank
Andrea and Rosemary will you come up please. Thank you for your support last year with the annual campaign. TD Bank is a new participating company this year as a result of their acquisition of Commerce Bank. I hope we will be partners for many years to come. Thank you.

UPS-SCS
Anna Linnetti from UPS-SCS, will you please come up? I know there are several of you here who worked all year to support the community. Thank you all. This group at UPS-SCS have contributed to the Baby Bundles drive, School Supplies, the Food Drive and a huge contribution of gifts to the holiday Adopt-A-Family program. Thank you for support. Please convey our thanks to all those who could not join us tonight.

Wegmans
Mr. Bamford, please come up.
Thank you for your employee campaign this year and your year-round support of the United Way and the communities that we serve. Your help with this Annual Meeting gives us all a chance to meet the people who contribute so much to the Central Jersey community. Thank you.

Finally, just a few words about the coming year.

We all know this is going to be a difficult time. Most of us already know someone who has lost a job. By this time next year we may know more people in a desperate situation.

That makes it even more important that we work together, all year long not just during the Fall campaign, to focus our efforts on making a difference.

That we don’t just address the symptoms of a problem but go deeper to get at the underlying causes to create long-lasting change. 

The community needs your engagement in this work.

We need your passion. We need you to Give. Advocate. Volunteer. And, LIVE UNITED. Thank you.