Charitable organizations across the United States count on the generosity of unrestricted donations to assist with their operating expenses. At EarthShare New Jersey, we have been privileged to partner with companies, large and small, to continue our mission for the past twenty years and counting. With an expense budget of under $145,000, we run a lean, green nonprofit machine in Trenton, NJ, attracting company executives to our resourceful and accountable practices.
Around the corner on May 30, 2014, we will host EarthShare New Jersey Celebrates 20 Years and so far we have PVH, New Jersey Natural Gas, PSEG, New Jersey American Water, Cooper Pest Solutions and iCIMS joining us as event sponsors. These companies have made a commitment to helping us maintain the beauty and bounty of New Jersey with their employee volunteerism, event participation and green office practices. They are some of the state’s finest examples of environmental caretakers!
Today we are honored to highlight the work of our partner and event sponsor New Jersey Natural Gas (NJNG). The company has supported EarthShare New Jersey for eight years. As a prudent protector of NJ’s natural resources and communities, NJNG corporate leaders like Thomas F. Hayes, Director of Customer and Community Relations and EarthShare New Jersey’s Board Member Karen Escobedo, Manager, Community Outreach, have proved their dedication to the cause on many levels.
We recently interviewed Hayes about his relationship with ESNJ and why NJNG and his employees support a cleaner and greener New Jersey.
1. What inspired you to rally the employees behind New Jersey Natural Gas around the EarthShare NJ mission?
New Jersey Natural Gas has a long history of being an environmentally responsible company. Company employees rally around our cause to reduce our carbon footprint 20 percent by 2020. Earth Share New Jersey’s mission to support organizations that protect and nurture our environment very much aligns with our own. So we are pleased to become an integral partner with the wonderful team at EarthShare New Jersey and get acquainted with its network organizations to support and encourage environmental stewardship. It’s not every day you come across a group of organizations, like those who make up the EarthShare New Jersey membership, you see eye to eye with and want to share in their efforts to advance their mission.
2. For years, NJNG has supported the events of not only EarthShare NJ but the projects of our member organizations. Tell us about a few of them, including your widely-anticipated Ocean Fun Day weekend on Sandy Hook, NJ. We’re big fans!
We’re honored to be a founding sponsor of EarthShare Celebrates NJ, your signature event, and support many of your other programs. As a company, we focus on issues most important to our customers, including the environment, and recognize that we must all work together to make a difference. So it is important that New Jersey Natural Gas supports vital environmental organizations that share a common vision, such as NJ Sea Grant Consortium, Clean Ocean Action, IBSP and Clean Cities.
Ocean Fun Days is our flagship event and a great example of how organizations come together with a single vision. It is a free day of family fun focused on marine ecosystems and energy conservation. This two-day event, which is now in its 11th year, will take place the third weekend in May, prior to the Memorial Day weekend. On Saturday, May 17, we’ll be at Island Beach State Park — just steps from the magnificent Atlantic Ocean and the spectacular Barnegat Bay! Then on Sunday, May 18, we’ll be at the very end of Sandy Hook in the intriguing Fort Hancock area, which is nestled between the Atlantic Ocean and Raritan Bay. How fortunate we are to have these phenomenal natural resources right here in New Jersey! We have dozens and dozens of marine, environmental and energy-efficiency exhibitors along with a science fair, hands-on exhibits, eco-tours, seining lessons, children’s games and prizes, an energy-efficiency scavenger hunt and so much more! All of this is free along with entrance to both parks!
3. Do you see employee engagement at volunteer and special events an asset to the company and the communities it serves? About how many employees would you consider as active participates in green initiatives across the state? Where are your employees generally concentrated? (i.e. towns of residence)
At New Jersey Natural Gas we are blessed to have employees who want to give back.
We hold numerous fundraisers throughout the year, which bring in several thousand dollars in addition to our annual employee charity drive, which garners an amazing outpouring of generosity for our non-profit community. In addition, our employees’ philanthropic efforts carry over to our “material drive campaigns” for items such as food, clothing and school supplies we hold throughout the year. And they are equally supportive of our “Support Our Troops” efforts.
In keeping with that spirit of giving back, hundreds of our employees volunteer at more than 50 volunteer events each year. That is nearly a volunteer event each week! We also invite our retirees to participate in these events, which brings many more folks out to support our nonprofits and communities. In addition to these initiatives that assist people in need through related agencies, we coordinate several environmentally focused volunteer events such as beach clean ups, landscaping and dune grass plantings. Our employees are not afraid of going out there and digging, lifting, building and getting their hands dirty!
4. As a major sponsor for the EarthShare New Jersey Celebrates 20 Years event, are you expecting attendance from your employees and what is your favorite aspect of the event? (i.e. member experience auction, venue, photography contest, etc)
We have been involved with the EarthShare Celebrates NJ event since day one. We attended the modest, first year event that took place in a winery in Cream Ridge, with future events at the Laurita Winery Bed & Breakfast. This year the occasion will take place at the beautiful Grounds for Sculpture gardens in Hamilton. Our employees have attended EarthShare Celebrates NJ since the beginning and we are excited to be there again this year. The event grows each year and more sponsors “see the light,” joining us in sponsorship. It is a very special and uplifting event and our favorite part is the chance to mix and mingle with the cool, fun and remarkable folks from so many of New Jersey’s vitally important environmental and conservation organizations. Many of these people are truly “down to earth” in more ways than one. It is a wonderful opportunity to show our appreciation to these stewards of our natural habitat and resources — our “earthly superheroes.”
5. How do you see your relationship with EarthShare New Jersey growing over the next several years?
The most important aspect of supporting any organization is the value placed on its mission. EarthShare New Jersey and New Jersey Natural Gas share a desire to mobilize people and communities to protect our natural resources while enjoying them responsibly. So joining EarthShare New Jersey, in support of New Jersey’s environmental and conservation initiatives, is the next logical step for New Jersey Natural Gas.
We encourage everyone to be proactive and take action to reduce our environmental impact and not abuse the incredible world we live in. Together, we share the common goal to protect our land, water and air while keeping our state clean, inviting and environmentally sound to work, live and play for generations to come. This is all of our responsibility, but we realize organizations, such as EarthShare New Jersey and its members, are needed to keep things in check. EarthShare New Jersey plays an important role in helping its many member organizations do their part in protecting our environment as much as possible. Although many of us care for our environment, we still need these environmental and conservation organizations to guide and educate us on issues, topics and happenings that affect our natural surroundings.
We hope that EarthShare New Jersey continues to flourish and we look forward to growing with you. In addition to our longstanding monetary and in-kind support, we recently expanded our involvement with a member of our team. Karen Escobedo, manager of community outreach at New Jersey Natural Gas, joins the EarthShare New Jersey Board and brings a lot to the table on so many levels. I know she will be an incredible asset to advancing EarthShare New Jersey’s mission. This is just another way we show our respect for the organization and its member agencies.
Keep moving forward and we will be there with you.