The Ritz Theatre Company (The Ritz), which was founded to bring live, quality, professional productions to the region while making theater accessible to all, received a $3,000 grant from the Community Foundation of South Jersey’s (CFSJ) South Jersey Covid-19 Response Fund.

After a virtual summer camp in 2020, a scaled-down camp in 2021, and having endured an 18- month shutdown, finances for the theater were tight. The Ritz received PPE loans, funding from the New Jersey State Council on the Arts, Camden County, and a Shuttered Venues grant for small businesses that kept the theater going and secured needed jobs, but the grant from CFSJ provided the funds needed to keep the camp experience alive.

“Thanks to CFSJ, our camp will not be scaled-down, but back to full capacity with eight instructors and both a junior and senior camp,” said Donna Miller, the Director of Development for The Ritz. “In fact, the junior and senior camps are already filled to capacity! The staff is so excited to be able to share their love of theater with kids at camp after such a difficult time and we couldn’t thank CFSJ enough for helping us make this happen.”

Research shows involvement in theater helps kids develop empathy; build self-confidence; and cultivate strong communication skills, time management, and problem-solving. Kids who are involved with The Ritz become lifelong supporters of the arts and the community. The funding from CFSJ this year will allow kids to experience the difference theater can make and allow the theater to keep awarding scholarships to its rising stars.

“Being able to help youth find their passion, work at it, and see it through this summer is gratifying,” said Andy Fraizer, Executive Director of CFSJ. “The arts were hit hard by the pandemic and we view the arts as a way to bring the community together, hence the investment in the historic Ritz Threate Company summer program.” 

The company has performed for 37 years in the iconic theater building right on the White Horse Pike in Haddon Township. As patrons make their way back to the theater, the staff is working hard to keep actors and patrons safe. Keeping the arts alive in South Jersey is vital to the community, and The Ritz is so thankful for CFSJ and its support. 

The Ritz Theatre Company

The Ritz Theatre Company engages and enriches Delaware Valley audiences by producing professional, diverse entertainment while training artists of all levels in a historic NJ landmark. Throughout our rich history, we’ve aspired to make theatre accessible to everyone, to entertain our audiences with favorites, to challenge them (and ourselves) with complex works, to provide onstage training for actors, to introduce kids to the magic of live theatre, and to help restore the historic building we call our home. Learn more about the Ritz Theatre Company at ritztheatreco.org/. 

The Gleneayre Equestrian Program (GEP) is an organization which serves at-risk youth. The GEP received a $3,000 grant from the Community Foundation of South Jersey’s (CFSJ) South Jersey Covid-19 Response Fund. The Gleneayre Equestrian Program uses the powerful connection between horses and people to teach, learn, grow, and heal.

This hands-on experience-based equestrian program was suspended when COVID-19 impacted South Jersey. As a result of closures, students missed out on the connecting experience with their project horse, but the horses were also missing their students. The GEP team worked to keep the horses healthy and maintain the facility, but inevitably expenses grew. They sought support from the Response Fund. They received financial support to address blacksmith costs, horse health, and wellness expenses, including those of older horses who have specific, sometimes costly needs.

Being a part of the CFSJ community has broadened and deepened the Gleneayre Equestrian Program’s network. Bill Rube, Executive Director at Gleneayre Equestrian Program shared, “CFSJ has a great team. When the pandemic hit, they knew there would be growing needs throughout the community, and they stepped up to make a difference. They clearly communicated how they could help programs like ours and walked us through the grant application process. They kept regular correspondence with us before, during, and after the grant process was complete.”

“After speaking with the Gleneayre Equestrian Program and understanding the issues they faced, we felt the need to assist so ultimately participant youth could develop character, learn ethics and responsibility, grow physically and emotionally, and discover themselves,” said CFSJ Executive Director Andy Fraizer.

The Gleneayre Equestrian Program
The Gleneayre Equestrian Program exists to provide a hands-on, experience-based learning environment for people in difficult situations, including children, families, and military personnel. We believe that the powerful connection between people and horses is transformational. Through horsemanship, we develop character, learn ethics and responsibility, grow physically and emotionally, and discover ourselves. Our own lives improve as we improve those of our horses. We focus on people and horses that are poorly served by more mainstream resources and programs. We are committed to children facing challenges at school and at home, to families struggling with the unique demands of military life, and to service members in need of support. In particular, we know that all children have the potential to become healthy, active, and productive young adults, and our horses help us get through to those who are otherwise hard to reach. We house a diverse group of donated horses to our program that are safe for interaction with children. We provide a caring, happy home for horses whose show careers are over, but who have lots of life left in them. Learn more about the Gleneayre Equestrian Program at gleneayreequestrianprogram.org/.

Big Brothers Big Sisters of Coastal & Northern New Jersey (BBBSCNNJ), which provides one-to-one mentoring for youth ages 6-18, received a $5,000 grant from the Community Foundation of South Jersey’s (CFSJ) South Jersey Covid-19 Response Fund.

During the COVID-19 Pandemic BBBSCNNJ quickly converted to virtual meetings and programs to continue supporting youth and the community. The loss of income from closures created economic insecurity for participating families. . Mental health issues and food insecurities grew at unprecedented rates, so BBBSCNNJ pivoted its community service strategy. Staff members called the families they serve and set up virtual meetings to better monitor each family’s needs and the individual student’s needs so that no one was left without care and connection.

June 3, 2022, is a big day for us, as it is the day of the annual gala, the first in two years,” said Marybeth Bull, Director of Development at BBBSCNNJ. “We were really only able to survive the past few years thanks, in part, to grants such as the COVID-19 Response Fund from the Community Foundation of South Jersey. As new needs arose, BBBSCNNJ struggled to find the supporting funds because of event cancellations. . Virtual events were wonderful and we were grateful for those who partook, but they are not the same as our in-person event,” continued Marybeth of BBBSCNNJ. “The grant from the Community Foundation of South Jersey came just in time. The new source of funding helped combat the deficit so that we experienced no gap in service throughout the 10 counties we serve.”

“The way BBBSCNNJ continued its dedication to the community, finding matches, connecting them, and supervising them, inspired us,” said Andy Fraizer, Executive Director of CFSJ.” “We are grateful to assist an organization focused on future generations and help them continue making a difference.”

Big Brothers Big Sisters of Coastal & Northern New Jersey
Big Brothers Big Sisters of Coastal & Northern New Jersey provides one-to-one mentoring for youth ages 6-18 through our Community Based, School Based, Workplace, College, Bigs in Blue, Kids Club, and Back on Track Programs. By placing children in a quality mentoring relationship, we are able to provide them with the tools they need to become competent, confident, and caring members of their community. We partner with parents/guardians, volunteers, and others in the community and hold ourselves accountable for each child in our program achieving; higher aspirations, greater confidence, and better relationships, avoidance of risky behaviors, and educational success. Big Brothers Big Sisters is a donor-supported, volunteer agency and an independent 501(c)3 nonprofit organization with its own audited financial statement. Funding comes from community support through individual gifts, grants, and special events. Learn more at mentornj.org/.