Ken Calemmo Jr. has spent more than 35 years at the Atlantic City law firm Cooper Levenson, where he’s found strong alignment with his own personal values.
“I have a real dedication to the Atlantic City area,” he explained. “It has always been important to me and to my organization to build connections in the community.”
Cooper Levenson cemented itself as a true mainstay of support for the people of Atlantic County when its founding partner, Jim Cooper, started Let Us Eat – Please almost 20 years ago. The initiative was inspired by his daughter’s concern for children’s nutrition during the summer, when free school meals aren’t available. Jim started contacting local schools that Cooper Levenson, through Let Us Eat – Please, could work with to provide food for families over summer break.
He ran the program for a few years before persuading Ken to take it over.
“You don’t say no to Jim Cooper,” Ken laughed. “He convinced me to chair the program and see where I could take it.”
Under Jim’s leadership, Let Us Eat – Please had forged a relationship with CFBNJ, which still serves as its primary source of food today. Ken has taken this partnership to new heights and gotten Cooper Levenson’s attorneys and other staff members involved in the cause.
“We have this great partnership and relationship with the Community FoodBank of New Jersey,” he said. “Over the years we’ve had a lot of fun with it, too.”
When they needed to come up with an event to generate more support for Let Us Eat – Please, Ken and other members of the Cooper Levenson team worked with CFBNJ to create Captain’s Table at the Atlantic City Boat Show.
“The folks at the Atlantic City Boat Show couldn’t have been more welcoming all these years,” Ken shared. For ten years, they’ve allowed CFBNJ and Let Us Eat – Please to cohost a fundraiser on the floor of the boat show. Every winter, local chefs, restaurants, breweries, wineries, and distilleries contribute to an evening of food, fun, and fellowship in support of summer feeding programs in South Jersey.
Let Us Eat – Please now provides food for more than 800 families over the summer.
“Hunger is a really a dramatic issue,” Ken said, “and it’s changed my perspective on a lot of things.”
Ken is moved to continue hunger relief work by the unfortunate reality of how many people are food insecure in Atlantic County, especially kids. With over 15 years of experience helping neighbors in need, he has witnessed both the negative effects of food insecurity and the uplifting power of food to brighten someone’s spirits.
He recalls one first grader’s excitement when Let Us Eat – Please delivered fresh fruit to a school a few years ago. The little boy had never seen a pineapple before and was eager for the chance to take one home and try it.
“He was so excited that they were going to have a pineapple for the first time ever in their family,” Ken remembered. “It warms you up to think that you’re changing people’s lives – one pineapple at a time.”
Over the years, Ken is grateful that CFBNJ has expanded the reach of Let Us Eat – Please, providing help with logistics and offering a wide variety of nutritious foods.
“The FoodBank has been a wonderful partner in this journey we’ve been on trying a solve a little piece of the puzzle,” he said.