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The Latest Updates from New Jersey's Utilities Industry

Written by NJUA News Staff
Published November 27, 2024

SJI Celebrates Giving Tuesday with Over $350,000 in Employee Giving Donations to Community Nonprofits

FOLSOM - In recognition of Giving Tuesday, SJI is pleased to partner with its employees to donate more than $350,000 in critical support to local, regional, and statewide community-based organizations.

SJI’s annual Employee Giving Campaign empowers the company’s more than 1,200 employees to enrich local communities by pledging a monetary contribution to a selection of nonprofit organizations. The company further provides a dollar-for-dollar match for all employee donations/pledges.  

“This year, our employees raised the most donations in our company’s history,” said Mike Renna, President and CEO, SJI. “I’m incredibly proud of our employees’ generosity and our shared commitment to make a positive impact in the communities we serve.”

SJI’s 2024 Employee Giving Campaign recipients include:

  • American Red Cross New Jersey
  • Community FoodBank of New Jersey (CFBNJ)
  • New Jersey Veterans Network
  • The Nature Conservancy
  • The South Jersey Chapter of the American Association of Blacks in Energy (AABE)
  • New Jersey Association of Counties (NJAC)

“The American Red Cross is grateful to the generous employees of SJI who have pledged more than $23,000 to our humanitarian work,” said Rachel Lippoff, executive director, American Red Cross of Southern New Jersey. “We are equally grateful to SJI for matching their employees’ giving, bringing the total amount of pledged support for the Red Cross from SJI to more than $46,000. We value this ongoing partnership, and we look forward to many years of collaboration with SJI to help prevent and alleviate human suffering in the face of emergencies.” 

“Incredible partnerships like the one we have with SJI allow CFBNJ to continue to serve the growing need in our communities,” said Elizabeth McCarthy, President & CEO of the Community FoodBank of New Jersey. “We are honored by the generosity of SJI's employees, and we’re thrilled that this donation is enough to provide food for more than 300,000 meals for our neighbors in need.”

“We are immensely grateful to SJI for its generous support,” said Frank “Doc” Schupp, Director of Veteran Outreach, New Jersey Veterans Network. “This donation not only strengthens our mission to serve our veterans but also exemplifies the true spirit of community and compassion. Together, we’re making a lasting impact on the lives of those who’ve sacrificed for our nation.”

“We need all hands on deck to tackle species loss and climate change in New Jersey and across the world,” said Dr. Barbara Brummer, The Nature Conservancy’s New Jersey State Director. “The Nature Conservancy is grateful to SJI’s employees and leadership for supporting conservation.”

“Thank you to our dedicated SJI employees for supporting our mission to help students pursue higher education in colleges and technical schools,” said Will Smith, AABE South Jersey Employee Executive Sponsor and VP of Enterprise Project Management, SJI. “The contributions will directly fuel scholarships that empower their academic journeys. We are truly honored by the generosity of our employees.”

“The NJAC Foundation is grateful to SJI and its employees for their remarkable generosity that will provide county vocational technical school graduates across the State of New Jersey with the opportunity to pursue their educational dreams,” said John Donnadio, Executive Director, NJAC Foundation. 

In addition to the money raised via the Employee Giving Campaign, SJI and its subsidiaries, South Jersey Gas and Elizabethtown Gas provide meaningful aid to local nonprofits and organizations that deliver critical support to those in need. These organizations include local medical and first responder agencies, youth sports and recreation programs, university foundations and economic development organizations.