Livingston Philanthropies, Inc. (LPI), the charity founded by Living-ston resident Jeff Friedman to assist the “homeless, profoundly poor and disenfranchised” of Essex County, has been expanding its “Personal Shopping for the Homeless” initiative to meet the increasing need faced during the pandemic.
The initiative has grown thanks in large part to LPI’s partners, noted Friedman. These include the Livingston Lions Club, which, in association with Lions Clubs International, recently worked with LPI to deliver over 200 boxes of refrigerated food to one of LPI’s long-time distribution partners, the Bessie Green Community (BGC) in Newark. Of that shipment, 32 pound boxes were immediately distributed to multiple Newark agencies serving the homeless, poor, and at-risk families at the BGC. “You made a difference for many seniors and families,” said Brenda Scott, executive director of the BGC. “God bless you all.”
“It must be destiny, when Jeff connected us with Bessie Green Community,” said Nalit Patel, Livingston Lions Club member and Lions regional governor. “We are here to help and support whatever we can in this hour of need.”
Another LPI partnership came about thanks to articles in the West Essex Tribune. Gilbane Construction Company’s operations manager in Newark, Bob Waldron, a former Livingston resident who reads about LPI in the Tribune, learned that the organization needed a forklift and pallet jacks to unload pallets of fresh food. Waldron reached out to Harry Chowanski, vice president at HC Constructors for assistance. Noted Friedman, “Harry’s quick reply was, ‘We can do it. Send the address.’ ”
Also partnering with LPI to feed the homeless is Share and Care, said Friedman.
“In the meantime, we are asking Livingston families, to please continue to ‘personal shop’ for the homeless and profoundly poor families,” said Friedman. “Every individual donation makes a difference.”
Photo: The Livingston Lions Club shops big for the “homeless, profoundly poor and disenfranchised” as part of its new partnership with Livingston Philanthropies Inc. (LPI). Livingston Lions Club member and Lions regional governor Nalit Patel, left, recently offered LPI over 200 refrigerated boxes of family food for delivery. LPI arranged for the delivery to the Bessie Green Community in Newark, a long-time LPI distribution partner. With Patel, left, are Frank Neukem, right, volunteer forklift/pallet jacks operator from HC Constructors; and in the truck, Kenny Wright of the Livingston Lions Club.
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