For over thirty years, Kenneth has been with CFBNJ, volunteering in his spare time. From CFBNJ’s earliest days of winter coat drives and thrift sales, Kenneth and his daughter were here sorting through the mountains of bags full of coats.
In the past four years leading up to his retirement, Kenneth spent every Friday at CFBNJ. Once retired fully, he became an exceptionally dedicated CFBNJ volunteer, devoting his Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday mornings to sorting, prepping, and packaging food and meals for our neighbors in need.
In addition to his volunteerism at CFBNJ, Kenneth also spends his Thursdays and Fridays with two of our community partners, one in Morristown and one in Parsippany, distributing the very food and meals he packed and prepped at CFBNJ.
“I work both sides, so I’m at the place where the people actually come in their cars and get food,” he told us, “I feel fortunate to see both sides of it. I’ve seen the macaroni at the food drives there.”
Kenneth shared that, more than anything, he volunteers to serve a purpose for his community, quoting Arthur Ashe, “From what we get, we can make a living; From what we give, we make a life.” After being a financial controller for over 40 years, he says that volunteering and helping his community is now the main focus of his life.
“I’m trying to do a little thing in my community to help people. I think that’s the best way to make a difference,” said Kenneth, “It’s hard to tackle these giant problems, like hunger. They seem so overwhelming. This is something you can put your hands on, and you know that people are going to get their food soon.”
Despite being a diabetic and open-heart surgery survivor, Kenneth continues to volunteer, finding it to be a win-win situation. Not only is he able to help others, but it also allows him to stay physically active.
“As long as I’m physically able, I’m going to keep doing it,” he shared with us.