The Provident Bank Foundation

We are thrilled to announce the addition of Mr. Tom Shara to our Board of Directors. Mr. Shara is joining us during a pivotal moment of growth, and we are honored to have such a highly experienced Executive join our existing board as we continue to embrace a new chapter in our future! ?Mr. Shara is the Executive Vice Chairman of Provident Financial Services and Provident Bank Boards of Directors. He was previously President and Chief Executive Officer of Lakeland Bancorp, Inc. and Lakeland Bank from 2008 through 2024. Prior to joining Lakeland Bank, Mr. Shara served as President and Chief Lending Officer of TD Banknorth’s (now TD Bank) Mid-Atlantic Division, which includes New Jersey, New York, and Pennsylvania. Prior to TD Banknorth acquiring Hudson United Bank, Mr. Shara was Executive Vice President and Senior Loan Officer of HUBCO, a $9 billion commercial bank, where he oversaw organic growth and was responsible for integrating over 30 acquisitions. Mr. Shara serves on the Board of Trustees of the Boys and Girls Club of Paterson and Passaic, N.J., the Board of Directors of the Commerce and Industry Association of New Jersey and was previously Chairman of the New Jersey Bankers Association board. He also serves on the Board of Governors of the Ramapo College Foundation and is a Foundation Officer on the Board of Trustees of Chilton Medical Center Foundation. Mr. Shara earned a master’s degree in business administration as well as a Bachelor of Science from Fairleigh Dickinson University.

Last week, summer interns of Provident Bank joined us for an impactful volunteer day hosted by Move For Hunger. The group worked together to build?structurally sound and creative innovations using nonperishable foods. At the heart of this friendly competition was the knowledge gained regarding food insecurity in our communities. The food from the event was delivered to the Alliance Center for Independence to directly serve individuals in need in our community. As a joint effort of support by the incredible team of Provident Bank interns and The Foundation, Move For Hunger will be able to provide more than 25,800 meals overall from this event donation.

What happens when the Foundation team, our Board of Directors, The Group Forward and key leaders from the nonprofit sector meet in a board room stocked with markers, playdough, and pipe cleaners? To name just a few: inventive ideas, new ways of thinking, challenges to old patterns, brainstorming and a few beautifully designed visuals of our future! We would like to thank Adam Lowy, Jeremy Grunin, and Linda Czipo for spending the day with us and sharing their key insights on what is most critical to the work of philanthropy. Input from leaders in our community are a crucial perspective to us as we move toward generating specific ideas for the future of the Foundation. The Board and our team are still buzzing with excitement from this planning session as we continue to craft the Foundation’s next chapter. We look forward to continually updating you as we move forward!?

"Our FOC is a keystone in helping families reach economic stability." —Larry O'Connell, Chair and Chief Volunteer Officer, United Way of Central Jersey Congratulations to our partners at United Way of Central Jersey on the grand opening of their Family Financial Opportunity Center. Located at 313 State Street in Perth Amboy, the Family FOC will help families achieve financial prosperity through free coaching that can connect people with jobs and training; help access benefits; and provide financial planning help such as saving, building credit, reducing debt, and income tax preparation. For more information, visit https://www.uwcj.org/ffoc

On the road again! Our 8th Meet & Mingle event was held at Coca-Cola Park in Allentown, Pennsylvania. It is the home field for the Lehigh Valley IronPigs, the Triple-A level Minor League Baseball affiliate of the Philadelphia Phillies and an awesome backdrop for another successful day of networking! Building new relationships, a delicious lunch, and a tour of this amazing venue made for the perfect day in the Lehigh Valley! Here is a behind the scenes look into the "Making of a Meet & Mingle"!

What happens when nonprofit leaders who are all working on creating impact in the same community gather in the same room? Amazing conversations and new relationships emerge to deepen that impact! That’s what we discovered as our Mix & Mingle series continued last week with our Hunterdon and Somerset grantees! The ideas flowed over a catered lunch by BOMA 520 at Fresh Restorations, a stunning event space in Somerville, NJ. We are grateful for new friendships, stepping outside the Zoom box(!) and for the valuable insight that the groups provided us with. With guidance from prompted questions, we got a glimpse into the priority and urgent needs of their communities. We returned to the office with this information as a road map for the next phase of our strategic planning session. Up next, our tour continues with our Monmouth and Ocean County partners!?

180 Turning Lives Around provides survivors of domestic and sexual violence and their families with free and confidential programs and resources to process and heal from their experiences. As longtime partners dating back to 2004, we have had the pleasure of working hand in hand with this organization as they help survivors move beyond abuse. We are extremely humbled to be recognized as one of the Beacon of Hope honorees at their upcoming Seas the Day Gala, when they themselves are the true beacons of hope for survivors. ? Please consider purchasing tickets, donating, or sponsoring this event on May 2nd at the Rumson Country Club. We look forward to an inspiring evening together! https://lnkd.in/eg82dnki

Throughout the upcoming months, we have invited our 2023 grant recipients to come together for an afternoon of conversation & collaboration. In a series of planned Meet & Greet events, organizations will come together over a delicious lunch hosted at unique venues throughout nine counties in New Jersey and Pennsylvania. Our kick-off event this week at Trinity Cathedral in Trenton, NJ was a networking success! Over 20 leaders from local nonprofit organizations, together with Provident Bank and Foundation employees, gathered to share details of the work that they are doing in the communities that we serve. With a gorgeous backdrop of this historic venue, we enjoyed refreshing conversations with our partners in Mercer County. We look forward to sharing more updates and pictures with you from these meaningful series of events! #community #doinggoodtogether

A meal and a mission! Last week our partners in strategic planning, The Group Forward, hosted a small focus group for our grantees in our Woodbridge office. We knew just who to call to keep us fueled with delicious snacks throughout the day; all while supporting the work of two incredible organizations in our community. Elijah's Promise harnesses the power of food while providing job training curriculums,?social service?assistance to individuals and families, community focused nutrition classes,?social enterprise?food businesses, and by providing over 375,000 free meals a year to the Greater New Brunswick community. Their Taste Good, Do Good cookies provide one meal at their community soup kitchen for every cookie purchased. ? Popcorn for the People was created by Let's Work For Good Inc. to fill a gap in the employment market where disabled individuals can have respectable job opportunities, equitable pay, proper training, and employment resources. 100% of the profits of their popcorn products get reinvested back into their organization to increase their impact. The stories behind these snacks certainly provided the inspiration for the day! #doinggoodtogether

The Westlake School, part of the UNION COUNTY EDUCATIONAL SERVICES COMMISSION, is a public school specializing in serving classified students from ages 9 to 21 that have multiple disabilities. These include cognitive impairments, autism spectrum disorders, visual impairments, hearing impairments, learning disabilities, communication impairments, other health impairments, traumatic brain injuries, and physical disabilities. The Provident Bank Foundation was pleased to present the Westlake School with a 2023 Community Grant to provide the opportunity for their students to engage in various recreation, leisure and sports activities that allow for socialization and inclusion.?Last week, Samantha and Kristy were thrilled to attend the Westlake School March Madness basketball game! An exciting game and an energizing half time show had the packed crowd on their feet and dancing! We were honored to end the day with a delicious lunch prepared right in their onsite café. Thank you to Coach Jeffrey Shanfield, Principal Tantillo, and to the entire staff and community of students for an inspiring day together!