A New Jersey trial lawyer and his son, an accomplished wealth manager, have stepped up to ensure a local food pantry can keep up with the increasing demand it has experienced because of the current COVID-19 crisis.
Peter Till, of the Law Offices of Peter W. Till in Springfield, and Harrison Till, a New Jersey wealth manager with Integrated Partners, learned that the food pantry at the Jewish Family Service of Central New Jersey in Elizabeth was under increasing pressure to feed more families of all denominations, but didn’t have the space to store the necessary food.
“We have had a dramatic increase in the number of families needing support and we needed a solution,” said Elie Bodner, director of community engagement at Jewish Family Service. “Our mission is to provide vital health and social services to the community. The pandemic has put a strain on our resources.”
The Till family stepped in.
“Harrison and I said we can solve this,” Peter noted. So the father-son duo rented two large storage units for the pantry, with another one ready if needed. “And we will continue to go from there,” he added.
With Jewish Family Service, Till also reached out to friends in the food industry and started receiving donations from manufacturers, including Kedem Food Products in Bayonne.
“This organization has remained the calm in the storm,” Till said. “Jewish Family Service of Central New Jersey has supported those in need without preference of race, religion or nationality. During this pandemic, demand on the food pantry has grown by tenfold. It is an honor and an obligation to help.”
“Hearing stories of the Holocaust and witnessing the impact of 9/11 both serve as reminders of the need to reach out and help those impacted by tragedy,” said Harrison, a former track & field star at Wayne Hills High School who went on to play college football at Duke and Ohio State. “Seeing the lives impacted by the work of Jewish Family Service makes this effort all the more meaningful.”
“It’s people in our community like Peter and Harrison who help us provide the support we have committed to those who so desperately need our help,” Bodner added. “From the companies who are providing the food…to so many people like Peter and Harrison…to the volunteers who help us, our response to COVID-19 has truly been one of serving a community in need.”
To learn more about the Jewish Family Service of Central New Jersey, please visit http://jfscentralnj.org/ or contact Heidi Pekarsky at [email protected].
To get in touch with Peter Till, of the Law Offices of Peter W. Till, please contact Robert Zito at [email protected].
By Heidi Pekarsky and Robert Zito
