About Us: Community

Did you know that 41 million people in the U.S. suffer from food insecurity? While many of us take for granted the fact that we eat three square meals in a day, for many individuals, this is a luxury they just don’t have. And for more than 900,000 of those people, they make their home right here in New Jersey. While this problem is devastating, there is hope, and people are working to combat this situation.

The Community Food Bank of New Jersey is the state’s largest and most influential anti-poverty and anti-hunger organization. They’re dedicated to helping those across the state who struggle with poverty, homelessness and other difficult circumstances. Their goal isn’t just to provide immediate aid in the form of food, although this is certainly a goal, as well. However, they’re also passionate about seeking to create long-term system-wide solutions that will benefit communities as a whole and lift individuals out of poverty in the long run.

To complete these goals, the Food Bank regularly works through volunteers, donors and community partners. Premio is proud to be one of these community partners. Over the course of our work with the Community Food Bank of New Jersey, we’re proud to have donated hundreds of pounds of food on an annual basis, and this number continues to grow. To date, we’ve donated more than 2,000,000 pounds of food in total, in addition to the monetary donations we’ve made to support the Food Bank in their quest for long-term solutions and changes. This is why we sponsor the Check – Out Hunger Program.

We know that hunger is a problem in New Jersey. Every day, children go to school without food. Parents give up their own food to better feed their children, and families struggle to put dinner on the table. While organizations like the Community Food Bank are staples that work to change the lives of thousands of people for the better, you might be wondering how you can get involved. After all, not all of us have the time or the means to volunteer at the food bank in person. So, how can you intervene to help put an end to hunger in New Jersey?

It’s easy to get involved with Check-Out Hunger, an annual fundraising campaign that you’ll find at almost every major supermarket and even some smaller convenience stores across New Jersey. It takes place every autumn and makes it easy for people like you to donate a few dollars to help end hunger. It’s simple — all you have to do is go to the grocery store like you normally would. Then, as you reach the checkout, you just fill out a donation slip for $1, $3 or $5. You don’t even have to go out of your way to do it.

Just one of the many features that makes clubs like these so important is that it’s accessible to everyone. Dedicated buildings are open every day, giving kids a safe and healthy place to socialize and have fun. Professional, trained adults staff these facilities and are responsible for the kids while they’re there. Finally, they’re available and affordable to youth from all backgrounds, families and income levels, meaning no child is left out just because of their various circumstances.

Here at Premio, we understand how important it is to invest in kids. By giving children these safe spaces to learn, grow and just have fun, we help them explore their own potential, discover new abilities and create new opportunities for themselves. These kids then grow up to be leaders, thinkers and world-changers who will go on to make the world a better place for the next generation after them.

That’s why we’ve chosen to express our commitment to our community by supporting the local Boys and Girls Club of Hawthorne, New Jersey. We’re a platinum-level sponsor of this organization and have participated in more than 100 different fundraising events annually, making many donations to help them carry on with their mission towards supporting the children of Hawthorne, New Jersey.

As an illness, ALS isn’t just devastating and frightening — it’s also still extremely mysterious, meaning scientists and researchers have yet to discover a cause. It can strike anywhere at any time, and no one has discovered a pattern for who will develop the disease. To make things worse, the condition is quite common. Every 90 minutes, experts estimate someone receives their diagnosis, and every 90 minutes, someone else loses their battle with ALS.

It should come as no surprise, though, that we need to conduct plenty of research on this disease to learn what causes it and discover how to prevent it, as it continues to devastate more and more lives. However, research such as this costs money. Additionally, those suffering from the disease are faced every day with hospital and treatment bills of astronomical sizes. The average annual treatment for ALS patients costs hundreds of thousands of dollars. This is a financial burden no one should be forced to bear, especially as they watch their loved one suffer from a debilitating disease.

This is where the Walk to Defeat ALS comes in. Participants make donations and join together at this fundraising event to walk the three-mile trek through the Saddle River County Park. Registration is free, and all are encouraged to join in on this morning of friendship, family and, above all, fundraising for such an important cause. Our Premio family joins this walk every year in honor of our founder, but that isn’t the only way we’re working to fight this disease. We also donate money to this event and many others to support the funding of ALS research.

Some of the charitable organizations we enjoy contributing to throughout New Jersey include these five.

1. Wounded Warriors: Soldier Ride

The Wounded Warrior Project is an organization dedicated to serving veterans suffering from physical or mental disabilities and injuries through a variety of resources. Of course, none of this is possible without generous donations. The Soldier Ride is a fundraising event where you can pay to ride a bike race alongside some of the same wounded warriors supported by the program. All the proceeds go back into the program to create more support for veterans.

2. Community Food Bank of New Jersey: The Blue Jean Ball Event

We already mentioned our involvement with the Community Food Bank of New Jersey, but we also wanted to draw attention to one of our favorite events: the Blue Jean Ball. This is a summertime cocktail reception where the community comes together to enjoy each other’s company, great food, fantastic entertainment and a beautiful view of the Hudson River. Every dollar raised during this event works overtime to lead to a net profit of eight more dollars, stretching your donation to incredible lengths.

3. Shop Rite: Partners in Caring

You’re no doubt familiar with Shop Rite’s cheerful and convenient grocery stores, but did you know they also have a division dedicated to feeding the hungry and fighting poverty? They work to support local charities, donate to food banks, homeless shelters and more in an effort to give back to their community. Premio is proud to support their efforts toward combating hunger, homelessness and poverty in our neighborhood, state and country.

4. Kessler Foundation: Annual Stroll ‘N Roll

The Kessler Foundation is dedicated to improving the everyday lives of individuals living with both cognitive and physical disabilities. Through research and study, they work to create new solutions that help people of all ability levels to succeed in life. To support them in these efforts, they host annual fundraising events such as the Stroll ‘N Roll, a family-fun event featuring food, music, games, fun and of course, a walk around the lake with your friends and family.

5. Rotary Clubs

The Rotary is a global organization that seeks to improve the lives of millions in countless different ways. They work to promote peace, fight disease, provide access to clean water, grow economies, provide education and so much more. None of this is possible without generous donations, and Premio is proud to support these efforts both at home and around the world.

6. Hurricane and Disaster Relief

In recent years, communities such as those in Houston, Puerto Rico, Florida and more have been devastated by hurricanes and flooding. When the call went out for donations of food, money and relief, Premio was one of the companies that chose to answer. We’re humbly grateful for the opportunities we’ve had to support these communities through times of difficulty, as we supplied them with free food products and monetary donations.

7. ASL Research

Premio along with the Cinque foundation sponsored John Hopkins and North Eastern ALS research centers. In addition to supporting the NY Chapter of the ALS Research.

While we believe community involvement begins in your own backyard, it doesn’t stop there. Here at Premio, we’re seeking to continue spreading our involvement to every community in need, both around the country and the globe.

Some of the specific contributions we’ve made towards disaster relief include:

• Working with UNIDOS, a disaster relief and recovery program chosen after careful consideration to help Puerto Rico in the wake of Hurricane Maria. We’re proud to have contributed thousands of dollars toward this cause, which we couldn’t do without the support of our loyal customers.
• Delivering a full truckload of Premio’s sweet Italian sausage to the victims of Hurricane Harvey in Houston.
• Support for our own employees in Florida who were affected by Hurricane Irma, including relief checks and generosity concerning lost hours.

Here are some words of thanks from a few community members we’ve interacted with in the past:

• From the Felician School for Exceptional Children in Lodi, NJ: “Thank you!!…. I cannot tell you how excited the students will be to wear your apron. We have seen such positive changes when the students are in the kitchen, doing hands on!! I look forward to sharing with our parents and our board members your generosity and support for our program!”
• From the Annual Knight of Columbus Army Tank Pull in Summit, NJ: “Thank you, guys, so much for the 100 lbs. of sausage donated for our Annual Knight of Columbus Army Tank Pull. Because of Premio’s Annual Support this year, we nearly made the 2 million mark for raising money for our wounded Veterans!”
• From the CFBNJ, Blue Jean Ball in Hillside, NJ: “Thank you kindly for your generous contribution with your Food Truck at the Blue Jean Ball….Your truly generous donation helped to keep our expenses down and therefore increase our contribution to New Jersey families in need. Everyone raved about the food from the Premio food truck. It was delicious, but that is no surprise! Premio is such a longstanding and incredible partner with the Food Bank. Thank you for your years of partnership and support.”