Community Foundation of South Jersey

Mark & Ann Baiada Named 2016 Legacy of Giving Honorees

By SIdney Hargro

June 29, 2016

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Celebrate the Generosity & Impact of Mark & Ann Baiada

Thursday, October 27 | 6:30 PM
Moorestown Community House
16 East Main Street, Moorestown, NJ

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The Community Foundation of South Jersey (CFSJ) will honor the extraordinary contributions of two of South Jersey’s generous philanthropists, J. Mark and Ann Claffey Baiada, at the 2016 Legacy of Giving Award Dinner. The event takes place Thursday, Oct. 27, 6:30 PM at The Community House, 16 E. Main Street, Moorestown, NJ. Tickets will be available for purchase by September.

Mark Baiada founded BAYADA Home Health Care in 1975 with a mission to help people have a safe home life with comfort, dignity and independence. Four decades later, BAYADA has grown to become a national leader in home health care serving clients in 22 states from more than 300 offices. Mr. Baiada’s work as a humanitarian has been recognized nationally and locally with such honors as the Private Sector South Jerseyan Award from the Senator Walter Rand Institute of Public Affairs, the Heroes of Hope award from The Greater Delaware Valley Chapter of The ALS Association and the VNA Caring Award from the Visiting Nurse Association of Greater Philadelphia. He also received the Richard J. Hughes Humanitarian Award from Catholic Charities, Diocese of Trenton and the Kaleidoscope Award for Community Service from the Alzheimer’s Association Delaware Valley Chapter. Mr Baiada was inducted into the Hall of Fame from the National Association for Home Care and Hospice and was noted as one of the 75 Greatest Living Philadelphians from the Philadelphia Eagles. Most recently, he was honored by his Alma Mater by his induction into the Rutgers University Distinguished Alumni Hall of Fame.

For more than 35 years, Mr. Baiada has been the sole sponsor of the BAYADA Regatta—a competative rowing event for athletes with disabilities. Athletes from around the globe participate in this annual event along Philadelphia’s Schuylkill River. Baiada also sponsored various relief efforts for people injured in the Kosovo War, Hurricane Katrina, the tsunami disaster of 2004 and the Haiti earthquake.

Ann Claffey Baiada, RN, CRRN is a director of BAYADA Home Health Care and a champion of the nursing profession. Mrs. Baiada supports many local organizations, including Mercy Vocational High School in Philadelphia, PA; Sacred Heart School in Camden, NJ and Newman University in Aston, PA where she is the Board Vice-chair. She is also the past president of the Association of Rehabilitation Nurses in Greater Philadelphia, PA; a member and past board member of the Moorestown Rotary Club and the Moorestown Community House, Moorestown. Her compassion, generosity and personal sense of responsibility have been recognized by numerous organizations. Among her honors are the Hall of Fame Award from Abington Memorial Hospital Dixon School of Nursing, the Richard J. Hughes Humanitarian Award from Catholic Charities, Diocese of Trenton and the Citizen of the Year Award from the Moorestown Service Council. She also received a Papal Blessing from Pope John Paul II.

“We are honored to include two people among our Legacy of Giving Award honorees who have such a personal commitment to making the world a better place,” noted Sidney Hargro, Executive Director of CFSJ. “They serve as a reminder of how giving back is not only the right thing to do but also necessary for a thriving, positive community.”

About the Legacy of Giving Event. Each year, the Community Foundation honors individuals and families from South Jersey who generously devote time and money to causes they care about. Previous Legacy of Giving Awardees include Lewis Katz and Marcy Dalsey (awarded posthumously), Joseph Holman & The Holman Family (Holman Automotive) and Christine Healey and The Healey Family (Viking Yachts, Healey Education Foundation and the Healey International Relief Fund).

About Community Foundation of South Jersey. CFSJ maximizes the impact of generosity by helping charitable-minded people make prudent decisions about the money they donate. CFSJ serves the eight-county South Jersey region, from Ocean to Cape May counties, managing donor-advised funds for individuals, families, businesses and communities. Currently, CFSJ manages the assets of more than $17.6 million in donor-advised funds and with fund-holders, has issued $7 million in nonprofit grants and scholarships. Visit communityfoundationsj.org to learn more.

Media inquiries can be directed to Kris Parsons at 267.909.0038 or kris@parsons-pr.com or through Alice Andrews at 856.528.3385 or aandrews@communityfoundationsj.org.

CFSJ and Acton Foundation Support Salem College Saving Accounts

By SIdney Hargro

June 28, 2016

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Every Salem City child will be more likely to attend college thanks to a new initiative named the Acorn Fund, the latest in a number of local programs established by the Forman S. Acton Educational Foundation to empower Salem’s youth.

The Forman Acton foundation has established a fund at the Community Foundation of South Jersey dedicated to the creation of a college savings account for every student in Salem City. The initial contribution of $275,000 will fund accounts for children from pre-K through senior year in high school. Nearly 1,200 students will be able to enter the program starting in April, and every child who resides in Salem City in the future will be automatically eligible to have a contribution to an account in their name.

Several states and municipalities have taken similar actions to provide 529 savings accounts for all children, as research shows that simply getting a college savings plan started makes families more likely to pursue higher education. Implementing a plan that not only ensures all future children have accounts, but also makes funds available to all children currently in the school system and preschools, is relatively unique.

“Like the acorn that became Salem’s famous 600-year-old oak tree, we expect these investments to be the start families need to grow something great,” said Forman Acton Foundation President Kathryn Markovchick. “This is an important step in making sure Salem’s youth have every opportunity to pursue their dreams.”

The Forman Acton foundation was formed in 2014 through the will of Forman S. Acton, a distinguished computer scientist, engineer and educator born in Salem. The organization currently provides scholarships and grants to help students, with $897,000 total planned to be disbursed in 2016. Its Forman Scholars program provides college scholarships to high-performing students, and its Acton Achievers partnership with United Way of Salem County established a new computer lab to enhance pre-school and after-school programs at the John B. Campbell Center in Salem.

Franklin Templeton Investments, the program manager of New Jersey’s college savings program, was also instrumental in supporting the new Acorn Fund, which the Community Foundation will administer.

“This is a remarkable program that can be used as a model for other communities throughout the state,” said Sidney R. Hargo, executive director of the Community Foundation. “We applaud the Forman Acton foundation for their commitment to supporting families in Salem, New Jersey.”

The college savings accounts will also mean that students will be eligible for additional scholarship money through the New Jersey Higher Education Student Assistance Authority. HESAA provides the New Jersey BEST Scholarship to eligible students attending a New Jersey college.

“Forman S. Acton knew that education could lead to great personal success that could be used compassionately to serve the greater community. It is fitting that the Forman S. Acton Educational Foundation has decided to offer Salem City students 529 college savings plans,” said Gabrielle Charette, executive director of HESAA. “These plans represent more than money; they provide students with a vision and a pathway forward to realizing that vision. At HESAA we are committed to assisting students achieve the dream of a higher education, and therefore we believe firmly in the value of 529 plans. Given his compassion, wisdom and generosity, we believe Forman S. Acton would feel the same.”

Families who want to enroll or get more information should contact the Forman S. Acton Educational Foundation directly by email at info@formanscholars.org or by phone at 844-4-FORMAN (436-7626).

CFSJ Announces $52,500 in New Camden Food Innovation Grants

By SIdney Hargro

May 16, 2016

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The Community Foundation of South Jersey (CFSJ) Camden Food Innovation Fund has awarded $52,500 in grants to two local organizations for programs that innovatively increase access to healthy food and create economic opportunity in Camden City. This is the second round of grantmaking for the pooled fund, a partnership of Campbell Soup Company’s Healthy Communities Program, Wells Fargo Regional Community Development Corporation, TD Charitable Foundation, Subaru of America and the E. Parker and Lillian Worley Fund of CFSJ.
A grant of $27,500 was made to Respond Inc. to provide entrepreneurial training on how to prepare meals for resale to parents, seniors, and people in the community. Urban Promise Ministries received $25,000 to leverage UrbanChef’s existing staff and equipment to launch a catering social enterprise.

“Based on the success of the last round of grants, the funding partners are excited about this initiative to support dynamic nonprofits who are dedicated to improving the city’s food system by increasing access to healthy food and doing so in a way that positively impacts the local economy. This has proved to be great opportunity for multiple foundation and partners to collaborate.” said CFSJ executive director Sidney Hargro.

A selection committee composed of food system experts and philanthropic professionals chose the two winning proposals, which prioritized creativity and social entrepreneurship.

For more information, contact Sidney Hargro (shargro@communityfoundationsj.org) or Alice Andrews (aandrews@communityfoundationsj.org). They can also be reached at (856) 528 3385, or visit www.communityfoundationsj.org.