Many people in our community struggle with life’s basic needs such as food and shelter. For them, the holidays are especially stressful. The Greater Newark Holiday Fund sponsors a campaign each year to help these less fortunate children, families and individuals. Through donations from caring and generous contributors, the needy among us receive the vital assistance, skills and services from local organizations supported by the Greater Newark Holiday Fund.

Our 2007 campaign officially begins on Sunday, November 11, 2007 and will run through Sunday, January 13, 2008. We are counting on our compassionate supporters to help us reach our campaign goal of raising $500,000 for the underprivileged in Essex, Union, Passaic, Hudson, Morris and Bergen Counties. Regular updates in The Star-Ledger and www.nj.com will provide news on the progress of this campaign and individuals who have benefited from the generosity of our donors.

More than 2,000 individuals, families and corporations make an annual contribution to The Greater Newark Holiday Fund. Our supporters appreciate knowing that over 92 percent of all proceeds will be used to help children, families and senior citizens in need. And, while the donations vary tremendously in size, each one truly does make a difference.

“We must not, in trying to think about how we can make a big difference, ignore the small daily differences we can make which, over time, add up to big differences that we often cannot foresee.”
- Marian Wright Edelman

2006 Campaign Review: Last year's Campaign attracted public contributions of $421,813.15-a solid increase over the prior year's total. Many thanks to the volunteers who helped make last year's effort so successful. We deeply appreciate the dedication and inspired leadership of 2006’s event chair, Jeff Vanderbeek.

Meet our 2007 Campaign Chairpersons

Arthur Stern, CEO
Cogswell Realty Group, LLC

Arthur Stern graduated with a B.B.A. from New York University and earned his J.D. degree from New York Law School. Mr. Stern began his real estate career as in-house counsel for a New York-based commercial real estate owner/developer before transitioning to a full-time commercial real estate owner/developer. He is currently a member of the Young Men/Women’s Real Estate Association and on the Board of Directors of the following organizations: Association for a Better New York (ABNY); Connection Newark (as well as serving as Co-Chairman); Junior Achievement; The Link Community School; The Newark Museum, Long Island Software and Technology Network (Listnet); and the Newark Special Improvement District (as well as serving as Treasurer).

Jeffrey Vanderbeek
Chairman & Managing Partner
New Jersey Devils

Jeffrey Vanderbeek, is the Chairman & Managing Partner of the New Jersey Devils Hockey Franchise.

Prior to his ownership of the New Jersey Devils, Mr. Vanderbeek enjoyed a twenty-four year career on Wall Street; the last twenty-one of those years being at Lehman Brothers. In 2000, he was named head of the Capital Markets Division until assuming his role of Office of the Chairman in June 2002 where he was the head of Global Risk Management, Private Equity and Strategy for Lehman Brothers Holdings Inc. He also served on Lehman Brothers' Executive & Operating Committees. He received a B.S. from Bloomfield College.

Over the years Mr. Vanderbeek has given back to the community through his philanthropic involvement with many organizations such as The Opportunity Newark Project, The Newark Alliance and by serving as a Board Member of the Boys & Girls Club of Greater Newark.

Mr. Vanderbeek is married with three children and devotes much of his time to youth sports organizations in his hometown of Warren, New Jersey.