Wednesday, March 31, 2010

Christie Inaugural Funds Go To Charities

New Jersey Governor Chris Christie and First Lady Mary Pat Christie today presented checks to three charitable organizations from contributions generated through activities of the 2010 Christie-Guadagno Inauguration Committee.
With today’s presentation, the Community Food Bank of New Jersey, Daytop -Village New Jersey and the National Guard Readiness Council, have received a combined total of $448,852 in donations from the Committee.
“Rebuilding New Jersey Together: Pride Through Service and Community,” was the theme of the Inaugural, which emphasized Governor Christie’s commitment to community partnerships as well as the importance of public service.
Traditionally, proceeds from inaugural events have been devoted to political fundraising, Governor Christie noted, before handing the checks over today at a ceremony held at the New Jersey National Guard Armory in Lawrenceville.
“I hope this starts a tradition in New Jersey inaugurals,” the Governor said. “There’s plenty of time to raise funds for political parties and candidates. We should use the moment to raise funds for charity and groups which we know do good things for our citizens most in need or for those facing hardships in their lives.”
“Partnering with these three admirable organizations is an example of how service can rebuild our communities and advance our great State,” the Governor added The Inauguration Committee directly donated $100,000 to each of the three organizations. The balance for each organization came from direct donations and from inaugural attendees who were barred by the Governor’s adoption of state’s pay-to-play regulations for purposes of the inaugural from paying the full $500 ticket cost. They were asked to consider donating the $200 balance of the ticket price to the chosen charities.
“Today’s event is the result of our commitment to make the Inauguration a celebration of service, community, and New Jersey,” said First Lady Mary Pat Christie. “I’m glad that we could be here to present these three worthwhile charities with donations to support their work.” “Whether it’s distributing groceries to an out-of-work parent, providing counseling services to an adolescent in need, or making sure military families are cared for, these contributions will go a long way to benefit the working people and families of New Jersey,” Lt. Gov. Kim Guadagno said.
Of the nearly $500,000, the Community Food Bank of New Jersey received $170,201; Daytop Village received $136,800; and the National Guard Family Readiness Council received $141,851. Once all final receipts and expenses are accounted for, additional contributions to the three organizations will be distributed.
More about the Inaugural donation recipients:

Community Food Bank of New Jersey

The Community FoodBank of New Jersey was founded by Executive Director, Kathleen DiChiara, in 1975 when she began distributing groceries out of the trunk of her car. Today, the FoodBank distributes over 23 million pounds of food and groceries a year, ultimately serving 1,656 non-profit programs including 436 programs served by its Partner Distribution Organizations (PDOs). Through their combined efforts, they assist three-quarters of a million low-income people in 18 of New Jersey’s 21 counties.

Daytop Village New Jersey

The mission of Daytop-New Jersey is to deliver a comprehensive substance abuse co-occurring treatment and education program to male and female adolescents. The program is individualized, family-based, cost-effective, peer-oriented and multi-disciplinary in nature. Special emphasis is placed on treating those adolescents without adequate financial resources and/or in need of an alternative to incarceration. Daytop-NJ treats male and female adolescents in need providing a variety of comprehensive programs.

National Guard State Family Readiness Council

The council, a non –profit organization consists of 20-25 volunteers of individuals that try to make a difference in the lives of New Jersey’s citizen soldiers, airmen and their families. Since its inception in 2004, the Council has raised more than $1,000,000 for programs to benefit National Guard families. The focus of the Council’s support efforts has been the organization’s Family and Business Grant Program, awarding more than $1,000,000 to New Jersey National Guard members or to their families facing financial hardships during military deployment.

No comments: