Secretary Wells lauds efforts of Novartis, Wakefern ShopRite and New Jersey citizens; highlights New Jersey’s commitment to excellence in volunteerism and community service initiatives
Trenton, NJ - Secretary of State Nina Mitchell Wells proudly kicked off New Jersey's "October Month of Service" by joining Novartis Pharmaceuticals' Chief Executive Officer Ludwig Hantson for the 13th annual Novartis Community Partnership Day of service and volunteerism at the Link Community School in Newark on Thursday, October 1, 2009.
Secretary Wells and CEO Hantson addressed students about the key issues of leadership development and community service. Both then joined more than 1,500 associates from Novartis' East Hanover headquarters for a day-long effort to "give something back" to the communities in which they live and work.
Overall, the volunteerism efforts led by Novartis will benefit more than 85 non-profit agencies throughout New Jersey. Activities planned include serving meals at a soup kitchen, painting facilities, gardening or trail clearing, building homes for needy families and tutoring people learning English, among others.
Later in the day, Secretary Wells joined employees of Wakefern Shoprite at the New Jersey Community Food Bank in Hillside to participate in various volunteer service projects.
"I cannot think of a better way to begin our statewide ‘October Month of Service' than by participating in these wonderful events with Novartis and Wakefern Shoprite," noted Secretary Wells. "This spirit of giving will be on display in every corner of the state throughout October, as citizens take place in volunteerism events statewide, solidifying New Jersey's status as an innovative force for promoting and coordinating community service programs every year."
Novartis' Community Day is the first of more than 20 events coordinated throughout the state for the "October Month of Service" campaign, including events to be offered by corporate, educational and non-profit leaders such as Prudential, Rutgers University, the American Red Cross and the United Way.
A full list of "October Month of Service" programs can be found on the Governor's Office of Volunteerism website: www.state.nj.us/state/calendar-volunteer/calendar1.htm.
The statewide volunteerism and service initiative comes on the heels of a Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS) study released this summer that saw New Jersey claim a top 5 ranking among states with the largest nationwide increase in volunteering between September 2007 and September 2008, along with Nevada, Utah, Arizona and Nebraska.
These states all enjoyed increases of 3 percent or higher. Most impressively, the CNCS report found that New Jersey's increase accounted for roughly 20 percent of the rise in adult volunteers nationwide.
As Secretary Wells noted at the time, "The (CNCS) report illustrates the critical role volunteerism plays throughout American society, and I'm proud such efforts are being led by an increasingly active New Jersey citizenry."
To learn more about volunteerism opportunities in New Jersey, in any area of interest, in all 21 counties, visit www.volunteernewjersey.org.
To learn more about the work of the Governor's Office of Volunteerism, AmeriCorps, and the diverse array of programs and services under the Department of State purview, visit www.state.nj.us/state.
