The New Jersey Society of CPAs has launched its thirteenth annual food drive to benefit the Community FoodBank of New Jersey, and will accept online and physical donations at drop-off locations until November 18.
The event is hosted by the NJCPA Emerging Leaders Council, which addresses the needs of its members with up to 10 years of experience, including aspiring CPAs. The Community FoodBank, which serves 15 counties and supports 1,600 agency programs, distributes food to charities, emergency shelters, soup kitchens and other locations.
"Each year we are incredibly grateful for the amount of donations provided to help lessen food insecurity in New Jersey. Hunger is everyone's responsibility," said Zachary Cohen, chair of the NJCPA Emerging Leaders Council, in a statement. "It's satisfying to see so many in our accounting community assist."
Last year, the FoodBank helped prepare 85 million meals and collected around 2,700 pounds of nonperishable items and canned goods, along with $38,100 in online donations. According to the
For example, accounting firm WilkinGuttenplan has been involved with the NJCPA's food drive since 2018. Its manager, Tara Baldwin, leads the firm's internal WeGive Committee, which organizes WilkinGuttenplan's philanthropic efforts and maintains close ties with the NJCPA. The last few years, the firm has volunteered with a local soup kitchen and a breast cancer awareness charity, and has organized an annual holiday gift drive for children with disabilities.
"As a firm, WG is committed to making a positive impact in the local community and organizes several philanthropic initiatives throughout the year in addition to participating in the food drive," said Baldwin. "Most recently, the firm collected supplies to send to Ukraine to aid in humanitarian relief. We are always looking for new and innovative ways to give back to the community."
Gold Gerstein Group, an accounting firm located in Moorestown, New Jersey, has also been involved with the food drive for a decade. Altheia Leduc has been employed at the firm for more than 20 years and has always been dedicated to leading community efforts against food insecurity. The partner has been a Community Foodbank of New Jersey board member for four years, but she also served as head of the finance committee as well as a treasurer and secretary.
"It's important for our firm to make sure that those in need are fed, and we always donate either food or money to do our part," said Leduc. "I wanted our firm to be an ambassador for the New Jersey community, and that's why we used our lobby as a drop-off location for people to pick up their food or for us to deliver it."
