Five New Jersey Businesses That Do Good

Nowadays, good companies or non-profits can be very hard to come by. A lot of people just want to make a few bucks and be on their way. This can lead to poor service, lack of satisfaction, and more frustration. This is why I started my search for some of the good people out there. Companies that do good, companies that care, companies that help, and companies that put their clientele first.

Most of the time, when I look for businesses to support, I try to opt for local, family-run companies. I feel like you get better care when using them and plus, you know that you are doing good since the money you give them (for products) directly feeds their families. In fact, according to Amiba, “clearly communicating the importance of the local economic multiplier effect or “local premium” is a key part of effective “buy local” and public education campaigns. The multiplier results from the fact that independent locally-owned businesses recirculate a far greater percentage of revenue locally compared to absentee-owned businesses (or locally-owned franchises*). In other words, going local creates more local wealth and jobs. On average, 48 percent of each purchase at local independent businesses was recirculated locally, compared to less than 14 percent of purchases at chain stores.”

So, with that being said, everyone should support their local businesses! Here is a list of a few that are doing good things in New Jersey:

NJ Clean Communities

New Jersey Clean Communities is a statewide litter-abatement program. It was created by the passage of the Clean Communities Act in 1986. They place a tax on 15 categories of businesses that produce litter-generating products, and disburse the money to municipalities, counties, state parks service, and the New Jersey Clean Communities Council. They offer programs such as the Adopt a Beach/Clean Water Challenge, which rounds up volunteers to clean lakes, streams, rivers, and beaches. They also provide activities so that kids can get involved. Their most recent initiative for kids was the Clean Communities Environmental Student Exchange. It took place March 22-23, 2018.

Image credit: http://www.njclean.org/

ADP

Now, ADP is not a small company by any means and I normally would not put it on a list like this, but hear me out. A few months ago, Comparably released its list of the top 50 large companies in 2017. Only one New Jersey based company landed on its list and that was ADP. NJ101.5 says, “About 54 percent of ADP's employees worldwide are women. Females make up about half of New Jersey's 4,500 ADP employees, according to chief diversity & corporate social responsibility officer Rita Mitjans. "We make sure that we're constantly intentional about tapping into the female pool as part of our overall talent strategy," Mitjans told New Jersey 101.5.”

Baking Grace

I thought it would be great to add a fun, tasty option on this list, as well. Located out of Hawthorne, Baking Grace has five stars across TripAdvisor and Yelp. The desserts at Baking Grace are made fresh every single day, using real, high-quality ingredients. They have rave reviews, gorgeous products, and they have some creative options such as, Cannoli Cake, Almond Joy Tart, and Banana Cream Tart. They also create specialty orders for events, weddings, and even seasons.

Jersey Cares

Jersey Cares is another company that does good, with the help of volunteer work. They hope that they will promote a world (or at least state) where everyone is motivated to make a positive difference. They create and manage meaningful projects that focus on critical needs of the community. Jersey Cares is a non-profit and was established in 1993. It is easy to find volunteer opportunities on their website, and they have a event each year, called Jersey Cares Day. It is actually coming up on May 5! This event is where 1,000 volunteers come together for a day of partnership and community building. On their calendar, where you can volunteer, there are opportunities such as, “plant it forward,” pet therapy,” “earth day celebration,” and even “hunger helpers,” which provides shelter to 50 people nightly and provides 300 meals daily to those in need.

Empowered Learning Transformation Centers

Located out of Hazlet, New Jersey, Empowered Learning Transformation Centers have helped learners of any age and ability break through to peak performance levels in the areas of learning, focus, and attention for over twenty years. Co-Founder, Peter Riddle has over 37 years of experience in the education field and has developed training programs used in the comprehensive sensory-motor and visual processing gym, cognitive exercises, and Learning Strategies™. Combined with Dr. Richard A. Reutter’s skills, they have created a program that has transitioned over 700 students dealing with learning difficulties and labels like “ADHD” off powerful medications. They offer student services such as, Learning Disabilities/Spectrum Disorders, Autism, ADD/ADHD, Sensory Integration, Visual Processing, and more. “The Empowered Learning™ Program is a proprietary fusion of educational and medical technologies that works below the level of content learning to measure, then fix underdeveloped abilities by changing brain and mind/body integration. These abilities determine a person’s ability to learn content, as well as how much energy he or she uses to learn that content. Additionally, the Empowered Learning™ Program improves physical performance in the areas of balance and coordination, which can often improve athletic performance.”

Photo of Co-founder, Peter Riddle

There you have it! Five New Jersey-based companies that are doing good in this world.