Doing Well and Doing Good

Too often we think of our local business people only in their roles of managing their stores or going over their accounts at the end of the day.

But one aspect of their business that should not be overlooked is how they give back to their community and to other charities in our central New Jersey area.

Here is a small sampling of the good things that the Cranbury business community is doing:

The newly opened and owner Vinny Iannaci did not waste any time in promoting a charity dear to him. The St. Baldric’s Foundation supports research in childhood cancers. To raise funds, you can volunteer to be a “shavee” and shave your head and have sponsors watch the barber make you look like Michael Jordan.

The name came from a blending of the words Bald and St Patrick’s – marking the date, St Patrick’s Day, 2000, with the first fundraiser. Thus was born Saint Baldrick!

 is also is doing its part in sponsoring the annual Helene Cody 5k Run in Cranbury. To learn more about this fund, go to www.HeleneCody.com and read about Helene and the good that her family does in her name.

Kathy Burke, who manages her has taken her skills and volunteered to teach a few classes at the . She also donated her time and talents for a “Fairy Tea Party.”

 does its part in fighting hunger by supporting the "Great American Dine Out"  and its goal of ending childhood hunger. We live in a country where one of every six children is not sure if they will see their next meal. Visit www.strength.org for more information.

Karen and Bob Finigan at the Blue Rooster also donate their time and food to the Check Out Hunger Campaign as well as selling tickets for donations to the Mercer Street Friends Food Bank in Trenton.

Kristen Albright’s at donated all the Easter Egg hunt candy for the Women’s Club of Cranbury this April, while Andrew Feldman has opened his Community Meeting Room in the refurbished porch of his venerable . Feldman said he hopes that local authors, literary groups or Cranbury organizations utilize the room.

Claire Morris at , along with her manager, Kristin Moore, has also given back to the community. For a grant of $2,500 from the Brighton Corporation, the maker of fine accessories, Morris and her staff composed a winning essay under the theme of “Positivity Day.” Their words reflected how they would be a positive force in Cranbury, and their efforts resulted in the $2,500 award that was then donated to . They also sponsored a raffle of a ring where the only requirement for entering the contest was a contribution of  one or more canned goods to support local food pantries.

This spring saw the successful town-wide garage sale sponsored by the local . Under the guidance of their manager, Susan Norman, and staff members Ann Setzer, Deborah Hornstra and Janice Wilson, many residents from Shadow Oaks to Plainsboro Road filled their yards with items that pleased many bargain hunters. Norman and her crew posted all the road signs and purchased colorful red balloons that steered us to the homes that were selling items on April 30.

We know that every dog has its day and we now have the newly relocated shop on Main Street. Under the management of owner Susan (Suzie) Iafelice, and her staff, Fran Seipi and Linda Genovese, these pet lovers take in dogs from pet rescue centers and groom them free of charge so that they have a better chance of being adopted. Iafelice also promoted the May 14 5th annual  in  Hightstown to benefit the borough's Animal Welfare Committee and animals in need.

There are many businesses here in Cranbury where the owners make a living but they also are offering their time, talents and energy to do good things for our greater community. Let’s think about supporting them.