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Emerson Oritani Bank Food Drive


OritaniBank Charitable Foundation Announces Christmas in July

Bank hosts food drive to replenish much needed necessities

 

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Emerson, NJ (July 8, 2014) – The OritaniBank Charitable Foundation announced that it will be hosting its annual “Christmas in July” children’s food drive from June 23rd through August 1st. All 25 Oritani Bank branches are accepting donations for non-perishable food items, pet food and monetary donations. The items and money collected will be donated to the Center for Food Action (CFA), the Palisades Emergency Residence Corp. (PERC) and the Human Needs Food Pantry, Inc. (HNFP), three of the leading providers of emergency food aid to children in northern New Jersey.

 

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1 in 6 people in the United States face hunger. Approximately 17 million children in the United States are at risk of hunger and 27% of New Jersey’s children live in low-income neighborhoods. Many Americans are unaware of the vast amount of hunger in the U.S., but it is not too late to help. Donating locally can keep a child from going hungry and even better, save a life.

 

“Children are the future and nourishing them is the most important job the community has,” said Kevin J. Lynch, Chairman, President and CEO of Oritani Bank and President of the OritaniBank Charitable Foundation. “Oritani Bank has held this food drive for more than 20 years. It helps to remind the community that hunger is year-round and that we must aid all the members of the family, including pets. Oritani Bank is a proud supporter of the community that its branches are located in and is more than happy to participate in the drive and bring food, love and a sense of togetherness to the community.”

 

Branches located in Bergen County, such as the Emerson branch, will collect food for the Center for Food Action.  Based in Englewood, the CFA was founded in 1976 to prevent hunger and homelessness. The CFA annually provides seven-day emergency food packages to more than 250,000 children, 7% of whom are under the age of three.

 

“Many local families will now be able to set the table for their entire family and feed their pets a nutritious meal,” said Patricia Espy, Center for Food Action Executive Director. “Last year, Oritani’s food drive allowed CFA to provide more nutritious food packages to more families. We are very thankful for Oritani Bank and its customers support in helping to end hunger in our community.” The non-profit organization provides emergency food packages, rental and utility assistance, counseling, advocacy and other essential services to those in need in northern New Jersey. For more information, visit www.cfanj.org.

Oritani Bank’s Emerson branch located at 21 Kinderkamack Rd, Suite 101, will have shopping lists and specially designated bags to make it easier to donate. Each Oritani Bank branch will have a designated collection area and display in addition to the bags.

 

Also, Oritani’s Hudson County branches will support the Palisades Emergency Residence Corp (PERC). Founded in 1981, PERC offers emergency shelter to individuals and families, and permanent housing for the chronically homeless.  In addition it also offers a soup kitchen and food pantry, an after-school program for low-income children, advocacy, and educational and support services. In 2010, the Union City-based non-profit provided more than 72,000 meals and 2,100 grocery boxes through its soup kitchen and food pantry. To learn more, go to www.percshelter.org

 

In addition, food and donations collected at Oritani’s branches in Upper Montclair and Clifton will be donated to the Human Needs Food Pantry (HNFP). It provides food, clothing and other services to residents of Montclair and neighboring communities. The Human Needs Food Pantry was established in 1982 by the First Baptist Church of Montclair and later incorporated as an independent non-profit organization.

 

About OritaniBank Charitable Foundation:

Oritani Bank established the OritaniBank Charitable Foundation in 2007 to assist not-for-profit organizations that help to improve the quality of life for area residents, especially those members of its communities most in need. Since its inception, the Foundation has donated more than $4 million to local charitable organizations, primarily in support of education, health and human services, youth programs and affordable housing.

 

About Oritani Bank:

Oritani Bank is a 103-year-old community bank with more than $3 billion in assets, based in the Township of Washington, New Jersey. Oritani Bank is a publicly held company trading on the NASDAQ with the trading symbol “ORIT.” Oritani Bank offers a full line of deposit and loan services to both retail and commercial customers. For more information, call 888-ORITANI, or visit its website, www.oritani.com.

 


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