A small initiative grew into a massive charitable event.
Neighbors, friends, and family gathered at Rich and Amy Wishcusen’s family home in Cranford, New Jersey, one cold Friday night in January 2018, and made 754 sandwiches for charity.
Amy drew inspiration from the company she works for, LLI Advisory Group in Cranford. Each month the company performs a community minded activity. The staff volunteers their time to a variety of activities for various charitable organizations. Their latest effort was making sandwiches for St. Joseph’s Social Service Center in Elizabeth which operates a food bank and soup kitchen.
Amy thought it would be a good idea to call a few friends and offer the opportunity to make donations of their own. The response was overwhelming. Over two dozen neighbors, friends, and family showed up to help assemble sandwiches. Rich and Amy purchased a carload of bread and vats of peanut butter and jelly. Volunteers of all ages took a work station to spread peanut butter or jelly, bag sandwiches and keep the work stations supplied. Ham and cheese, and tuna sandwiches were also made; bringing the total number of sandwiches to 754. The sandwiches were then delivered to St. Joseph’s in Elizabeth.
Cranford families that joined the Wischusen’s were: The Andelfinger’s, Chapman’s, Dreyer/Costello’s, Iosso’s, Jones’, McCue’s, Padavano’s, Pisano’s, and Renna’s.
LLI Advisory Group has a section on their website, llicpa.com, called, “LLI Gives Back,” where they document the charitable organizations they have collaborated with. So far, these organizations include: Holiday Cards for Active Service Members, CASA of Union County, and St. Joseph’s Social Service Center.
About St. Joseph’s Social Services:
Since 1983, St. Joseph’s has served the materially poor and homeless community of greater Elizabeth, New Jersey, by providing basic human needs such as food, clothing, and medications, as well as a wide range of services and programs to help them acquire the material goods and social services they need to live with integrity. St. Joseph’s welcomes Donations
The sandwich program is one of the many ways that people can help St. Joseph’s. They gratefully accept either bagged lunches or just sandwiches. Many local supermarkets and bakeries donate surplus goods to be shared with their clients. Donations are always welcome and no appointment necessary. If donations need to be picked up, donors can make a request by email at info@sjeliz.org.
Guide to donating sandwiches
If you would like to make sandwiches in bulk use the following guidelines:
Meat and Cheese: 1 lb. of meat and 1lb. of cheese will generally make a loaf of bread’s worth of sandwiches.
Please do not put condiments on the sandwiches.
Please individually wrap each sandwich and then place the sandwich bags in the bag the bread was in. This allows us to easily store the sandwiches and freeze them if necessary.
Sandwiches are particularly needed later in the week.
Bagged lunches should include a sandwich, fruit, and drink.
Please be sure to sign the donation book when you drop them off!
To donate food
St. Joseph’s is always in need of the following items: soups, canned vegetables, beans, fruit, peanut butter, jelly, tuna fish, boxes of pasta, pasta sauce, rice, cereal, shelf stable milk, and all varieties of baby food and cereal.
They also need full size shampoo, conditioner, soap, toothpaste, deodorant, disposable razors (men’s and women’s); and disposable diapers, especially sizes 3,4,5, and 6.
Donations are accepted during the following hours: Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.; Saturday, 9 a.m. to 11 a.m.
To donate clothing and household items
St. Joseph’s also accepts donations of new and gently used clothing and small household items. We respectfully request that any donated items be in working or wearable condition.
(above) Over two dozen Cranford neighbors gathered to make 754 sandwiches for St. Joseph’s Social Service Center.
