Hundreds of local Homeless Served

Hundreds of local homeless were huddled outside the entryway of the Bergen County Housing and Human Services building in Hackensack, awaiting a hot breakfast at the 10th Annual Project Homeless Connect on Wednesday, January 27, 2016.

Project Homeless Connect is a national initiative that assists and links people experiencing homelessness with access to health services, legal advice, social services and employment assistance. More than 150 of these events are held in over 115 cities across the nation.

Each year Business Volunteer Council (BVC) members dedicated to eradicating hunger and homelessness participate in this important national event.  Since 2011, BVC members prepare and serve breakfast to people in need. This year's event was sponsored by , Five Star Premier Residences of Teaneck, Community Bank of Bergen County, and Cole Schotz. 

Volunteers from Five Star Premier Residences of Teaneck were in the kitchen at 6am preparing eggs, bacon and waffles for an estimated 200 displaced individuals. “We’ve been doing this for the past six years”, says Marc Sturiale, Director of Human Resources. "We want to give back in honor of our employees.”

"The entire community is affected by homelessness and the Business Volunteer Council takes this and other community issues very seriously", says Erica West Director of Corporate Engagement.  "It is not someone else's problem, as a community it is our job to find solutions to these complex issues and our companies are poised to be champions for social issues like this." 

Mother Teresa said it best, "We think sometimes that poverty is only being hungry, naked and homeless. The poverty of being unwanted, unloved and uncared for is the greatest poverty."

I challenge all of us to get involved in our communities for the care, compassionate, and love of others.

If you want to learn more about the  Bergen Volunteer Center’s Business Volunteer Council please visit our website or contact Erica West, ewest@bergenvolunteers.org. 

The Business Volunteer Council gives businesses a platform to successfully engage employees through volunteer service and workplace giving. Members receive customized volunteer projects, including skills-based volunteering and support for corporate social responsibility initiatives. The BVC makes doing good a good part of doing business by building high-impact employee led-programs that are locally significant and socially relevant. We believe companies with the right engagement tools and guidance can create incredible social change, while having a fun, memorable team building experience!