In 2004, Josh Weinreich had recently retired and was looking to get involved in the community. He laughs that his wife, Roby, told a friend who was on CFBNJ’s Board of Directors who was asking for a donation, “I’m happy to contribute, but let me give you my husband as well!”
“I met with Kathleen DiChiara, and I was immediately inspired by her no-nonsense approach and her hyper-focus on the mission,” Josh recalled.
Now, he’s been on the Board of Directors for more than 20 years. He served as Board Chair for seven years. “I’ve seen and been part of tremendous changes over the years as we have addressed hunger across the state,” he said. Josh will rotate off CFBNJ’s Board soon. Though his involvement with the FoodBank may be a little different going forward, it’s far from over.
“The FoodBank has enriched my life through all the relationships I’ve gained. I’ve made some incredible friendships through the Board. We’ve driven each other crazy on occasion,” he joked, “but we’ve also driven each other to accomplish more than we thought possible”
Josh looks fondly back on his relationship with Kathleen DiChiara, too, on all that she taught him, and on the passion that built what is today the state’s largest anti-hunger, anti-poverty organization. “Most of our relationship was me learning from Kathleen. She truly was a person of vision and focus,” he said. “She was so determined to take advantage of every opportunity, and it made her such a powerhouse.”
He continued, “I remember telling her, at the beginning of my time as Board Chair, how much I disliked asking people for money, on behalf of the FoodBank. I felt I was bothering them, asking for favors. And Kathleen told me that when she was asking a potential donor for support, she felt that she was doing them the favor. She was giving them the opportunity to do something with their money that they could never accomplish on their own. Only with CFBNJ’s infrastructure could their money be put to work changing lives. And that really resonated with me.”
When Josh reflects on CFBNJ’s history, one word comes to mind: hope.
“I’m talking about hope on a broader scale,” he explained. “Kathleen’s vision and leadership and how we’ve been able to build on it, to me, is hope for humanity. It’s hope that if we band together to try to accomplish something on a massive scale, it’s doable.”
In the next five decades, he wants to see the organization continue to become more efficient and responsive to the changing face of need in the state. “If we can do that, it’s exciting how dramatically we can change people’s lives,” Josh said. “I’m so thrilled for what’s in front of us.”