George Flanagan has devoted his entire life to helping others. A New Jersey native, he was born and raised in Elizabeth to a family that struggled to make ends meet.
“I know what it’s like to go to work or school hungry with holes in your pants,” he said. “I think because we had so little when I was a kid, that’s why I enjoy giving so much now.”
His life of service began when he joined the Navy during the Vietnam War. While serving as a lab technician at St. Albans Naval Hospital in Queens, he met his husband, Jon, who also worked at the hospital. After spending some time with the Marines, the pair left the military and moved back to New Jersey.
They started going to St. Paul’s Episcopal Church in Paterson, where they were involved with a variety of social services and outreach programs, including the church’s men’s shelter, diaper program, and more. George and Jon also cooked meals for residents of an apartment house for people living with HIV.
George’s drive to make a difference showed in his professional career, too. Before he retired, he held positions with the National MS Society, Food Bank for New York City, and an organization that assists individuals with developmental disabilities. Jon worked in sales and taught Sunday school for kids.
When they started talking about their will, including CFBNJ in their estate plan was a natural fit – specifically, our Child Nutrition programs.
“We decided that, in our will, what was near and dear to us was feeding kids,” George said. “We wanted to be able to pay it forward. If we can feed kids, some of them will grow up to make a real difference. We just wanted to see if we can give them a little extra care.”
George and Jon’s planned gift to CFBNJ will help guarantee the long-term success of our mission.
“I was always impressed by the way the FoodBank manages their money and manages the food,” George said.
Sadly, Jon passed away a year ago from ALS, but George continues the pair’s legacy of compassion and service today. He remembers attending the community dinners that he and Jon supported at their church:
“When we would see these young children coming in looking kind of lost but then getting a meal, we would drive away afterwards so enriched and so comfortable that we were doing something good. We wanted to continue that in our estate plan.”
George and Jon’s story is an inspiration to others who may be considering including CFBNJ in their wills. The couple has made the world a better place – and will continue to do so long after they are gone.
